Shloka 48
पुष्पकविमानवर्णनम्
Description of the Pushpaka Vimana and Ravana’s Inner Palace
सुकुण्डलधराश्चान्या विच्छिन्नमृदितस्रजः।गजेन्द्रमृदिताः फुल्ला लता इव महावने।।5.9.48।।
sukuṇḍala-dharāś cānyā vicchinna-mṛdita-srajaḥ | gajendra-mṛditāḥ phullā latā iva mahāvane || 5.9.48 ||
D’autres portaient encore de beaux pendants d’oreilles, mais leurs guirlandes étaient déchirées et froissées ; elles semblaient des lianes en fleurs d’une vaste forêt, piétinées par de puissants éléphants.
With their good ear-tops broken and flower garlands crushed some looked like blooming creepers in a dense forest crushed by mighty elephants.
FAQs
The simile hints at harm produced by unchecked power: like elephants trampling creepers, adharma crushes the delicate—Dharma protects the vulnerable and restrains force.
The narrator continues the visual catalogue of the sleeping women’s condition, using a forest-and-elephant simile to convey disarray and impact.
Hanumān’s sensitivity and moral awareness: he recognizes the atmosphere of excess and domination without losing compassion or focus.