मारीचाश्रमगमनम्
Ravana’s Journey to Maricha’s Hermitage
पाण्डुराणि विशालानि दिव्यमाल्ययुतानि च।तूर्यगीताभिजुष्टानि विमानानि समन्ततः।।3.35.19।।तपसा जितलोकानां कामगान्यभिसम्पतन्।गन्धर्वाप्सरसश्चैव ददर्श धनदानुजः।।3.35.20।।
pāṇḍurāṇi viśālāni divyamālyayutāni ca |
tūryagītābhijuṣṭāni vimānāni samantataḥ ||3.35.19||
tapasā jitalokānāṃ kāmagāny abhisampatan |
gandharvāpsarasaś caiva dadarśa dhanadānujaḥ ||3.35.20||
وبينما كان يمضي مسرعًا، أبصر أخو كُبيرا الأصغر من كل جانب فيماناتٍ فسيحةً ذاتَ بياضٍ مشرق، مُزدانةً بأكاليلَ سماوية، يملؤها رنينُ الآلاتِ والغناء؛ مركباتٍ تسيرُ حيثُ يشاء الراكب، لأناسٍ نالوا العوالمَ العليا بقوةِ التَّبَس (الزهد). ورأى أيضًا الغندهرفا والأبساراس.
(It was ) full of small floats, flocks of swans, kraunchas, sarasas cackling in the ponds, with great joy. It had stretches of vaidurya stones on the shore and shone with the radiance of the sea;
The verse links attainment (higher worlds, celestial vehicles) to tapas—disciplined effort. In Ramayana ethics, merit is earned through self-restraint and truth-aligned practice, not seized through force; it implicitly critiques those who pursue desire without dharma.
As Rāvaṇa moves swiftly, he witnesses celestial vimānas associated with ascetics who have gained lofty realms through penance, along with gandharvas and apsarases—reinforcing the supernatural scale of the journey.
The virtue emphasized is tapas (austerity) as a dharmic means of achievement—contrasted with adharma-driven acquisition. The verse praises earned spiritual merit rather than inherited or coerced power.