Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 39, Shloka 18
लङ्कादर्शनम्
Viewing Laṅkā and its Forest-Gardens
शिखरंतत्त्रिकूटस्यप्रांशुचैकंदिविस्पृशम् ।समन्तात्पुष्पसंञ्छन्नंमहारजतसन्निभम् ।।6.39.18।।शतयोजनविस्तीर्णंविमलंचारुदर्शनम् ।श्लक्ष्णंश्रीमन्महच्छैवदुष्प्रापंशकुनैरपि ।।6.39.19।।मनसाऽपिदुरारोहंकिंपुनःकर्मणाजनैः ।
śikharaṃ tat trikūṭasya prāṃśu caikaṃ divispṛśam |
samantāt puṣpa-saṃchannaṃ mahārajata-sannibham ||6.39.18||
śatayojana-vistīrṇaṃ vimalaṃ cāru-darśanam |
ślakṣṇaṃ śrīman mahac caiva duṣprāpaṃ śakunair api ||6.39.19||
manasā 'pi durārohaṃ kiṃ punaḥ karmaṇā janaiḥ |
Jener eine, hochragende Gipfel des Trikūṭa erhob sich, als berühre er den Himmel—ringsum von Blüten bedeckt und glänzend wie helles Silber. Hundert Yojanas weit ausgedehnt, war er rein, lieblich anzuschauen, glatt und herrlich; schwer erreichbar selbst für Vögel—schwer zu erklimmen sogar im Geist, geschweige denn durch menschliche Tat.
Trikuta peak was fully covered with flowers, sparkled with gold, spread over a hundred yojanas, beautiful to look at, splendid and smooth. It is difficult even for birds to reach, for sages even in thought and difficult to access by any physical action. It is praiseworthy as if touching the sky alone.
FAQs
The verse frames Laṅkā’s setting with awe: dharma recognizes the difference between outer splendor and inner righteousness—magnificence of place does not justify adharma in its ruler.
The poem pauses to describe Trikūṭa’s immense, radiant, nearly inaccessible peak, establishing the formidable terrain associated with Laṅkā.
Not a personal virtue, but the narrative quality of vismaya (wonder) that prepares the audience for the scale of the conflict and the challenge ahead.