Shloka 18
लङ्काप्रवेशः
Hanuman Enters Lanka and Encounters Laṅkā-devatā
तां रत्नवसनोपेतां कोष्ठागारावतंसकाम्।यन्त्रागारस्तनीमृद्धां प्रमदामिव भूषिताम्।।।।तां नष्टतिमिरां दीप्तैर्भास्वरैश्च महागृहैः।नगरीं राक्षसेन्द्रस्य स ददर्श महाकपिः।।।।
tāṃ ratnavasanopetāṃ koṣṭhāgārāvataṃsakām | yantrāgārastanīmṛddhāṃ pramadām iva bhūṣitām ||
tāṃ naṣṭatimirāṃ dīptair bhāsvaraiś ca mahāgṛhaiḥ | nagarīṃ rākṣasendrasya sa dadarśa mahākapiḥ ||
Der große Vānara erblickte die Stadt des Herrn der Rākṣasas: Ihr Dunkel war durch strahlende, leuchtende Paläste vertrieben; und sie war geschmückt wie eine junge Frau — mit edelsteinbesetzten Gewändern als Kleid, mit Vorrats- und Schatzhäusern als Ohrringen und mit Waffenkammern als vollen Brüsten.
Hanuman looked at the city of the demon king, whose darkness was dispelled by bright gems and mighty mansions as if it were a young maiden. The prosperous city was like a well decorated woman, adorned with ornaments having walls for her dress,the stables for her ear-rings, the armouries for her breasts.
FAQs
Dharma requires discernment: splendor can veil adharma. The verse frames Laṅkā’s beauty as alluring, yet it belongs to the rākṣasa-king—warning that outward brilliance does not guarantee righteousness.
After entering Laṅkā, Hanumān surveys the city’s opulence and illumination, noting its extraordinary prosperity.
Saṃyamita-dṛṣṭi (controlled perception): Hanumān observes carefully without losing focus on his duty to find Sītā.