HomeRamayanaSundara KandaSarga 1Shloka 178
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Shloka 178

समुद्रलङ्घनारम्भः

Commencement of the Ocean-Crossing

सेविते वारिधाराभिः पतगैश्च निषेविते।चरिते कैशिकाचार्यैरैरावतनिषेविते।।5.1.174।।सिंहकुञ्जरशार्दूलपतगोरगवाहनैः।विमानैः सम्पतद्भिश्च विमलैः समलङ्कृते।।5.1.175।।वज्राशनिसमाघातैः पावकैरुपशोभिते।कृतपुण्यैर्महाभागैः स्वर्गजिद्भिरलङ्कृते।।5.1.176।।वहता हव्यमत्यर्धं सेविते चित्रभानुना।ग्रहनक्षत्रचन्द्रार्कतारागण विभूषिते।।5.1.177।।महर्षिगणगन्धर्वनागयक्षसमाकुले।विविक्ते विमले विश्वे विश्वावसुनिषेविते।।5.1.178।।देवराजगजाक्रान्ते चन्द्रसूर्यपथे शिवे।विताने जीवलोकस्य वितते ब्रह्मनिर्मिते।।5.1.179।।बहुशः सेविते वीरैर्विद्याधरगणैर्वरैः।जगाम वायुमार्गे तु गरुत्मानिव मारुतिः।।5.1.180।।

sevite vāridhārābhiḥ patagaiś ca niṣevite | carite kaiśikācāryair airāvataniṣevite ||

siṃhakuñjaraśārdūlapatagoragavāhanaiḥ | vimānaiḥ sampatadbhiś ca vimalaiḥ samalaṅkṛte ||

vajrāśanisamāghātaiḥ pāvakair upaśobhite | kṛtapuṇyair mahābhāgaiḥ svargajidbhir alaṅkṛte ||

vahatā havyam atyarthaṃ sevite citrabhānunā | grahanakṣatracandrārkatārāgaṇavibhūṣite ||

maharṣigaṇagandharvanāgayakṣasamākule | vivikte vimale viśve viśvāvasuniṣevite ||

devarājagajākrānte candrasūryapathe śive | vitāne jīvalokasya vitate brahmanirmite ||

bahuśaḥ sevite vīrair vidyādharagaṇair varaiḥ | jagāma vāyumārge tu garutmān iva mārutiḥ ||

Wie Garuḍa schoss Māruti den Windpfad entlang durch eine weite, reine Himmelsregion: von regenbringenden Wolken und Vögeln belebt, von himmlischen Meistern des Gesangs und Tanzes durchzogen und geschmückt mit strahlenden, makellosen Vimānas, die von Löwen, Elefanten, Tigern, Vögeln und Schlangen gezogen wurden. Sie glänzte in lodernden Feuern, gleich dem Schlag des Donnerkeils, und war geziert von den Hochbegnadeten, die Verdienst erworben hatten, und von jenen, die durch ihre Kraft den Svarga errangen; auch Citrabhānu, der Feuergott, war zugegen und trug die Opfergaben in reichem Maß. Der Himmel war geschmückt mit Planeten, Sternbildern, Mond und Sonne und Scharen von Sternen; erfüllt von großen ṛṣis, Gandharvas, Nāgas und Yakṣas und besucht von Viśvāvasu. Dort verliefen die glückverheißenden Bahnen von Mond und Sonne, dort wandelte Indras Elefant Airāvata; und es wölbte sich als weites Himmelsdach über die Welt der Lebenden—Brahmās Schöpfung—oft durchmessen von Helden und edlen Vidyādharas.

maharṣi-gaṇa-gandharva-nāga-yakṣa-samākulefilled with sages, gandharvas, nāgas and yakṣas
maharṣi-gaṇa-gandharva-nāga-yakṣa-samākule:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootmaharṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + gandharva (प्रातिपदिक) + nāga (प्रातिपदिक) + yakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + samākula (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapुंसकलिङ्ग, Saptamī, Ekavacana; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: maharṣigaṇaiḥ ... samākulaṃ (filled with groups of sages, gandharvas, nāgas, yakṣas)
viviktesecluded
vivikte:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootvi-vic (धातु)
FormBhūta-kṛdanta (past participle/क्त): vivikta (secluded); Napuṃsaka, Saptamī, Ekavacana
vimalepure, cloudless
vimale:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootvimala (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapuṃsaka, Saptamī, Ekavacana
viśvein the expanse/world
viśve:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootviśva (प्रातिपदik)
FormNapuṃsaka, Saptamī, Ekavacana; here 'in the world/expanse'
viśvāvasu-niṣevitefrequented by Viśvāvasu
viśvāvasu-niṣevite:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootviśvāvasu (प्रातिपदिक; proper noun) + niṣevita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapuṃsaka, Saptamī, Ekavacana; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः: viśvāvasunā niṣevite (frequented by Viśvāvasu)

Hanuman passed through the path of wind like Garuda. The region was refreshed with clouds that released torrents of rain and frequented by birds. The great masters of music (Tumburu, Narada and Gandharvas) trained in Kasika moved there driven by lions, elephants, tigers, birds and serpents and were moving in different aerial vehicles. It was splendid with god at fire who strikes fiercely like thunderbolt. It was inhabited by great sages who had acquired merit. The region was traversed by fire-god who carried havis in large quantities earnestly. It was decorated with planets, constellations, Moon, Sun and clusters of stars. It was filled with groups of greal sages, gandharvas, nagas and yakshas. It was isolated part of the universe traversed by the king of gandharvas like Vishvavasu. It was an auspicious path for Moon and Sun, a sporting ground for Airavata, the vehicle of lord Indra. It was an extensive world of living beings created by Brahma. It was frequented by many heroes ascending to heaven and blocked by vidyadharas.

H
Hanumān (Māruti)
G
Garuḍa
A
Agni (Citrabhānu)
A
Airāvata
I
Indra (implied by Airāvata)
V
Viśvāvasu
V
Varuṇa (by proximity to ocean-crossing context)
G
Gandharvas
V
Vidyādharas
N
Nāgas
Y
Yakṣas
B
Brahmā
M
Moon (Candra)
S
Sun (Sūrya/Arka)
P
Planets (Graha)
C
Constellations (Nakṣatra)
S
Stars (Tārā-gaṇa)

FAQs

The passage frames Hanumān’s journey within ṛta-like cosmic order: even a heroic act is situated in a universe sustained by merit, sacrifice (havis), and auspicious pathways—suggesting dharma as harmony between personal effort and the moral-cosmic fabric.

Hanumān is in mid-flight over the ocean, moving through celestial regions populated by divine and semi-divine beings and marked by cosmic phenomena.

Transcendent focus and spiritual stamina—Hanumān moves unwaveringly through wondrous distractions, keeping the mission of truth (finding Sītā) central.