Shloka 38

पुष्पकविमानवर्णनम्

Description of the Pushpaka Vimana and Ravana’s Inner Palace

Devanagari script

प्रबुद्धानीव पद्मानि तासां भूत्वा क्षपाक्षये।पुनस्संवृतपत्राणि रात्राविव बभुस्तदा।।5.9.38।।

Transliteration

prabuddhānīva padmāni tāsāṁ bhūtvā kṣapākṣaye |

punas saṁvṛtapatrāṇi rātrāv iva babhus tadā ||5.9.38||

Translation

Ihre Gesichter glichen Lotosblüten, die im Morgengrauen erwacht und aufgegangen sind; doch nun, am Ende der Nacht, als wäre es wieder Nacht, erschienen sie mit geschlossenen Blättern.

Word by Word

• प्रबुद्धानि: awakened/opened
• प्रबुद्धानि: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + बुध् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) 'प्रबुद्ध'; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; qualifying padmāni (simile)

• इव: like
• इव: उपमा-सूचक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय

• पद्मानि: lotuses
• पद्मानि: उपमान (Upamāna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तासाम्: of those (women)
• तासाम्: षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• क्षपा-अक्षये: at the end of night
• क्षपा-अक्षये: कालाधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षपा (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (क्षपायाः अक्षयः)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• संवृत-पत्राणि: with petals closed
• संवृत-पत्राणि: विशेषण (of implied 'vadanāni')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + वृत् (धातु) → संवृत (कृदन्त) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (संवृतानि पत्राणि येषाम्)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: कालाधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• इव: as if
• इव: उपमा-सूचक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय

• बभुः: became/appeared
• बभुः: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: कालाधिकरण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय

Context

The faces of the women looked like blooming lotuses at day-break, their petals closed up again at night.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• lotus (padma)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma teaching is indirect: worldly beauty and pleasure are transient and cyclical like day and night; the dharmic path prioritizes lasting truth and duty over passing allure.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān continues observing the sleeping women, and the narrator extends the lotus comparison to their closed eyes and stillness.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Detachment (vairāgya in attitude): Hanumān’s mind stays unentangled while he evaluates what he sees.