Shloka 57

पुष्पकविमानयात्रा—सेतुबन्धादि-दर्शनम्

Pushpaka Aerial Journey and Survey of Sacred Landmarks

Devanagari script

ततस्तुतांपाण्डुरहर्म्यमालिनींविशालकक्ष्यांगजवाजिभिर्वृताम् ।पुरीमपश्यन्प्लवगास्सराक्षसाःपुरींमहेन्द्रस्ययथामरावतीम् ।।।।

Transliteration

tatas tu tāṃ pāṇḍuraharmyāmālinīṃ viśālakakṣyāṃ gajavājibhir vṛtām | purīm apaśyan plavagāḥ sarākṣasāḥ purīṃ mahendrasya yathāmarāvatīm ||

Translation

Dann blickten die Heerscharen der Vānaras zusammen mit den Rākṣasas auf jene Stadt—geschmückt mit Reihen blassweißer Paläste, mit weiten Straßen, erfüllt von Elefanten und Pferden—wie Amarāvatī, die Stadt Mahendras.

Word by Word

• tatas: then
• tatas: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)

• tu: indeed/and then
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात/अव्यय), adversative/emphatic

• tām: that
• tām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• pāṇḍura-harmya-mālinīm: adorned with rows of white mansions
• pāṇḍura-harmya-mālinīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāṇḍura + harmya + mālinī (प्रातिपदिक; पाण्डुर + हर्म्य + मालिनी)
• Form: Samāsa: (i) Karmadhāraya ‘pāṇḍurāṇi harmyāṇi’ + (ii) Tatpuruṣa ‘harmyāṇāṃ mālinī’ (rowed/garlanded with mansions); Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying purīm

• viśāla-kakṣyām: having broad courtyards/avenues
• viśāla-kakṣyām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśāla + kakṣyā (प्रातिपदिक; विशाल + कक्ष्या)
• Form: Samāsa: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) ‘viśālā kakṣyā yasyāḥ’; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying purīm

• gaja-vājibhiḥ: by elephants and horses
• gaja-vājibhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja + vājin (प्रातिपदिक; गज + वाजिन्)
• Form: Samāsa: Dvandva (द्वन्द्व) ‘gajāś ca vājinaś ca’; Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन)

• vṛtām: surrounded
• vṛtām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛ (वृ धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); agreeing with purīm; sense ‘surrounded/encircled’

• purīm: city
• purīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• apaśyan: saw
• apaśyan: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paś (पश् धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद); form shows sandhi with following word (apaśyan plavagāḥ)

• plavagāḥ: monkeys
• plavagāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: plavaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• sa-rākṣasāḥ: along with the Rakshasas
• sa-rākṣasāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक; स + राक्षस)
• Form: Samāsa: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) with sa- ‘together with’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying plavagāḥ (monkeys together with rakshasas)

• purīm: the city
• purīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); in apposition to earlier purīm (same city)

• mahendrasya: of Mahendra (Indra)
• mahendrasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahendra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन)

• yathā: like/as
• yathā: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Comparative indeclinable (उपमानवाचक-अव्यय)

• marāvatīm: Amaravati (Indra's city)
• marāvatīm: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amarāvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

Context

Then the Rakshasas, monkeys witnessed the city with rows of white mansions, with huge windows, horses, and elephants all over like Amaravati, the city of Mahendra.৷৷ ইত্যার্ষেবাল্মীকীযেশ্রীমদ্রামাযণেআদিকাব্যেযুদ্ধকাণ্ডেষড্িবংশত্যুত্তরশততমস্সর্গঃ ৷৷This is the end of one hundred and twenty sixth sarga of Yuddha Kanda of the first epic the holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

• Ayodhyā
• Vānaras
• Rākṣasas
• Mahendra (Indra)
• Amarāvatī
• Elephants
• Horses

FAQs

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

The verse reflects rājadharma’s fruit: a city ordered, prosperous, and beautiful is presented as a visible sign of stable righteous governance.

What is the narrative situation?

The returning company beholds Ayodhyā and the narrator describes its grandeur by comparing it to Indra’s celestial city.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Respect for rightful rule and civic order: the city’s splendor is tied to the ideal of dharmic kingship soon to be restored.