Judging from this situation, it can be assumed that he was not in a position of raising the prince, but was rather a foster brother who was raised alongside the prince, or a representative of the family who expressed his grief.
この場合直接養育にあたった者としてではなく、大海人皇子と一緒に育った乳兄弟か、あるいは一族の代表として述べたものと思われる。