Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 68: Jaṭāyu’s Liberation
Text 3.68.18
स निक्षिप्य शिरो भूमौ प्रसार्य चरणौ तदा।
विक्षिप्य च शरीरं स्वं पपात धरणीतले॥
sa nikṣipya śiro bhūmau prasārya caraṇau tadā
vikṣipya ca śarīraṁ svaṁ papāta dharaṇī-tale
saḥ = he; nikṣipya = after dropped; śiraḥ = his head; bhūmau = to the ground; prasārya = spread out; caraṇau = his legs; tadā = at that time; vikṣipya = shook; ca = and; śarīram svam = his body; papāta = he fell; dharaṇī-tale = on the ground.
After his head dropped to the ground, he spread out his legs. At that time, his body shook and he fell on the ground.
“He fell [on the ground]” should not be taken literally [because the soul of Jaṭāyu had departed before the body fell on the ground].