Shloka 5.15.16
अशोकवनिकायां सीतादर्शनम् (Sita Seen in the Ashoka Grove)
शैलेन्द्रमिव गन्धाढ्यं द्वितीयं गन्धमादनम्।अशोकवनिकायां तु तस्यां वानरपुङ्गवः।।5.15.15।।स ददर्शाविदूरस्थं चैत्यप्रासादमुच्छ्रितम्।मथ्ये स्तम्भसहस्रेण स्थितं कैलासपाण्डुरम्।।5.15.16।।प्रवालकृतसोपानं तप्तकाञ्चनवेदिकम्।मुष्णन्तमिव चक्षूंषि द्योतमानमिव श्रिया।।5.15.17।।विमलं प्रांशुभावत्वादुल्लिखन्तमिवाम्बरम्।
sa dadarśāvidūrasthaṃ caityaprāsādam ucchritam |
madhye stambhasahasreṇa sthitaṃ kailāsapāṇḍuram || 5.15.16 ||
Not far away he saw a lofty, shrine-like palace; set in the middle upon a thousand pillars, it gleamed white like Mount Kailāsa.
The monkey leader saw a lofty templelike structure in the midst of the Ashoka grove which was highly fragrant and appeared like another indescribable structure that stood on a thousand pillars like another Gandhamadana mountain. It gleamed white like mount Kailasa. Its stairs were paved with corals. The altars were made of brightly polished gold. This structure glowing with brilliance was as if stealing the eyes. It looked white with light and lofty as though scratching the sky.
The verse warns implicitly that sacred appearance is not proof of Dharma: even a temple-like, Kailāsa-white structure can exist within a kingdom sustained by wrongdoing—so ethical judgment must be based on actions and truth (satya), not mere splendour.
Hanuman notices a prominent, elevated structure within the grove—an architectural focal point on his path to finding Sītā.
Prudence (prājñatā): Hanuman surveys from a distance and evaluates before acting.