स गृध्रराजः कृतवान्यशस्करं सुदुष्करं कर्म रणे निपातितः।
महर्षिकल्पेन च संस्कृतस्तदा जगाम पुण्यां गतिमात्मनः शुभाम्॥
sa gṛdhra-rājaḥ kṛtavān yaśaskaraṁ
suduṣkaraṁ karma raṇe nipātitaḥ
maha-rṣi-kalpena ca saṁskṛtas tadā
jagāma puṇyāṁ gatim ātmanaḥ śubhām
saḥ = the; gṛdhra-rājaḥ = king of vultures; kṛtavān = had performed; yaśaskaram = a task that brought him fame; suduṣkaram = a very difficult; karma = task; raṇe = in a battle; nipātitaḥ = [though] slain [by Rāvaṇa]; mahā-ṛṣi-kalpena ca = by Rāmacandra who acted just like a great sage; saṁskṛtaḥ tadā = as soon as Jaṭāyu was purified; jagāma = he attained; puṇyām = the result of [supreme] piety; gatim = a destination; ātmanaḥ = him; śubhām = that brought happiness.
The king of vultures had performed a very difficult task in a battle, a task that brought him fame. [Though] slain [by Rāvaṇa], as soon as Jaṭāyu was purified by Rāmacandra who acted just like a great sage, he attained the result of [supreme] piety, a destination that brought him happiness.
The king of vultures performed a very difficult task in a battle. For the sake of Mother Sītā, he even gave up his life.
GLOSS. Maha-rṣi-kalpena indicates that Lord Śrī Rāma was like a desire tree for Lord Brahmā and other great sages.1
NOTE. The auspicious destination that brought Jaṭāyu happiness is none other than the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because Jaṭāyu has been specifically mentioned by Lord Kṛṣṇa in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.12.6 as one who had attained the Supreme Lord’s spiritual abode.2
Then why is that destination referred to as puṇyām, the result of piety? Because that abode can be attained only by devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead:
puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyas tv ananyayā
yasyāntaḥ-sthāni bhūtāni yena sarvam idaṁ tatam
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is greater than all, is attainable by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His abode, He is all-pervading, and everything is situated within Him.” (Bhagavad-gītā 8.22)
And devotional service unto the Supreme Lord is the highest form of piety:
etāvān eva loke ’smin puṁsāṁ dharmaḥ paraḥ smṛtaḥ
bhakti-yogo bhagavati tan-nāma-grahaṇādibhiḥ
“Devotional service, beginning with the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is the ultimate religious principle for the living entity in human society.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.3.22)
“Ultimate religious principle” indicates that devotional service is the highest form of piety.