Shloka 3.35.17
मारीचाश्रमगमनम् (Ravana’s Journey to Maricha’s Hermitage)
सेवितं देवपन्तीभिश्श्रीमतीभिश्श्रियाऽऽवृतम्।देवदानवसङ्घैश्च चरितं त्वमृताशिभिः।।।।
haṃsakrauñcaplavākīrṇaṃ sārasaiḥ sampraṇāditam |
vaiḍhūryaprastaraṃ ramyaṃ snigdhaṃ sāgaratejasā ||3.35.18||
It was crowded with hamsas, krauñca-birds, and plavas, resonant with the calls of sārasas; delightful with stretches of vaidūrya-stone, and gleaming with the sea’s radiance.
It was chosen by prosperous wives of gods as a reosrt. Hosts of gods and demons were wandering, there in the hope of tasting nectar.
The verse evokes a world where beauty, sound, and natural order coexist. In Ramayana ethics, such harmony symbolizes dharma; the coming disturbance by adharma is made more poignant against this serene, life-affirming backdrop.
The narrator paints a vivid coastal tableau—birds, calls, gem-like shore-stretches, and sea-radiance—deepening the sense of place along Rāvaṇa’s route.
The verse emphasizes the value of harmony (saṃhati) and peace—conditions that dharmic rule and dharmic living aim to protect.