बहूनि रक्षसां वासे वर्षाणि वसता सुखम्।
अनेन दण्डकारण्ये विशीर्णमिह पक्षिणा॥
bahūni rakṣasāṁ vāse varṣāṇi vasatā sukham
anena daṇḍakāraṇye viśīrṇam iha pakṣiṇā
bahūni = for many; rakṣasām = of the rākṣasas; vāse = the residence; varṣāṇi = years; vasatā = who resided; sukham = happily; anena = this; daṇḍakāraṇye = at Daṇḍakāraṇya; viśīrṇam = has now died; iha = here; pakṣiṇā = bird.
This bird, who happily resided for many years here at Daṇḍakāraṇya, the residence of the rākṣasas, has now died!
1 The idea is that though Jaṭāyu lived in the residence of the rākṣasas for many years, he was happy here. Lord Rāma indicates that previously Jaṭāyu didn’t get into trouble with the rākṣasas, but now he was slain by the king of the rākṣasas because he opposed him for the sake of Śrī Rāma.
Jaṭāyu had resided at Daṇḍakāraṇya happily, without fear.
In some manuscripts, vicīrṇam appears instead of viśīrṇam. The verse then means: “This bird resided for many years at Daṇḍakāraṇya, the residence of the rākṣasas, and was happy here.”1