Shloka 5.1.174
समुद्रलङ्घनारम्भः — Commencement of the Ocean-Crossing
सेविते वारिधाराभिः पतगैश्च निषेविते।चरिते कैशिकाचार्यैरैरावतनिषेविते।।।।सिंहकुञ्जरशार्दूलपतगोरगवाहनैः।विमानैः सम्पतद्भिश्च विमलैः समलङ्कृते।।।।वज्राशनिसमाघातैः पावकैरुपशोभिते।कृतपुण्यैर्महाभागैः स्वर्गजिद्भिरलङ्कृते।।।।वहता हव्यमत्यर्धं सेविते चित्रभानुना।ग्रहनक्षत्रचन्द्रार्कतारागण विभूषिते।।।।महर्षिगणगन्धर्वनागयक्षसमाकुले।विविक्ते विमले विश्वे विश्वावसुनिषेविते।।।।देवराजगजाक्रान्ते चन्द्रसूर्यपथे शिवे।विताने जीवलोकस्य वितते ब्रह्मनिर्मिते।।।।बहुशः सेविते वीरैर्विद्याधरगणैर्वरैः।जगाम वायुमार्गे तु गरुत्मानिव मारुतिः।।।।
sevite vāridhārābhiḥ patagaiś ca niṣevite | carite kaiśikācāryair airāvataniṣevite ||
siṃhakuñjaraśārdūlapatagoragavāhanaiḥ | vimānaiḥ sampatadbhiś ca vimalaiḥ samalaṅkṛte ||
vajrāśanisamāghātaiḥ pāvakair upaśobhite | kṛtapuṇyair mahābhāgaiḥ svargajidbhir alaṅkṛte ||
vahatā havyam atyarthaṃ sevite citrabhānunā | grahanakṣatracandrārkatārāgaṇavibhūṣite ||
maharṣigaṇagandharvanāgayakṣasamākule | vivikte vimale viśve viśvāvasuniṣevite ||
devarājagajākrānte candrasūryapathe śive | vitāne jīvalokasya vitate brahmanirmite ||
bahuśaḥ sevite vīrair vidyādharagaṇair varaiḥ | jagāma vāyumārge tu garutmān iva mārutiḥ ||
Like Garuḍa, Māruti sped along the wind-path through a vast, pure expanse—alive with rain-bearing clouds and birds, traversed by celestial masters of music and dance, and graced by luminous, spotless vimānas drawn by lions, elephants, tigers, birds, and serpents. It shone with blazing fires like thunderbolt-strikes, was adorned by the highly fortunate who had gathered merit and by those who, through valor, had won heaven; and it was attended by Citrabhānu, the Fire-god, bearing abundant oblations. The sky was ornamented with planets, constellations, moon and sun, and hosts of stars; thronged with great seers, Gandharvas, Nāgas, and Yakṣas, and frequented by Viśvāvasu. It lay upon the auspicious paths of the moon and sun, the range of Indra’s elephant Airāvata, and formed a vast canopy for the world of living beings—Brahmā’s creation—often traversed by heroes and noble Vidyādharas.
Hanuman passed through the path of wind like Garuda. The region was refreshed with clouds that released torrents of rain and frequented by birds. The great masters of music (Tumburu, Narada and Gandharvas) trained in Kasika moved there driven by lions, elephants, tigers, birds and serpents and were moving in different aerial vehicles. It was splendid with god at fire who strikes fiercely like thunderbolt. It was inhabited by great sages who had acquired merit. The region was traversed by fire-god who carried havis in large quantities earnestly. It was decorated with planets, constellations, Moon, Sun and clusters of stars. It was filled with groups of greal sages, gandharvas, nagas and yakshas. It was isolated part of the universe traversed by the king of gandharvas like Vishvavasu. It was an auspicious path for Moon and Sun, a sporting ground for Airavata, the vehicle of lord Indra. It was an extensive world of living beings created by Brahma. It was frequented by many heroes ascending to heaven and blocked by vidyadharas.
The passage frames Hanumān’s journey within ṛta-like cosmic order: even a heroic act is situated in a universe sustained by merit, sacrifice (havis), and auspicious pathways—suggesting dharma as harmony between personal effort and the moral-cosmic fabric.
Hanumān is in mid-flight over the ocean, moving through celestial regions populated by divine and semi-divine beings and marked by cosmic phenomena.
Transcendent focus and spiritual stamina—Hanumān moves unwaveringly through wondrous distractions, keeping the mission of truth (finding Sītā) central.