Shloka 28

Devanagari script

शालिप्रसूनसदृशै: शिरीषकुसुमप्रभै: । तरुणादित्यसदृशै: शणगौरैश्व वानरै:,राजन! धानके फूल-जैसे रंगवाले, मौलसिरीके पुष्प-सदृश कान्तिवाले, प्रातःकालके सूर्यके समान अरुण प्रभावाले तथा सनईके समान सफेद रंगवाले वानरोंसे व्याप्त होनेके कारण लंकाकी चहारदीवारी चारों ओर कपिलवर्णकी दिखायी देती थी। स्त्रियों और वृद्धोंसहित समस्त लंकावासी राक्षस चारों ओर आश्वर्यचकित होकर इस दृश्यको देख रहे थे

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca |

śāliprasūnasadṛśaiḥ śirīṣakusumaprabhaiḥ |

taruṇādityasadṛśaiḥ śaṇagauraiś ca vānaraiḥ, rājan |

Translation

Wahai raja, benteng-benteng Laṅkā tampak keemasan-kecokelatan di segala sisi karena dipenuhi para kera: ada yang sewarna bunga padi, ada yang bercahaya seperti bunga śirīṣa, ada yang merah menyala seperti matahari muda, dan ada pula yang pucat-putih seperti rami. Menyaksikan pemandangan menakjubkan itu, para rākṣasa penghuni Laṅkā—termasuk perempuan dan para lanjut usia—berdiri memandang dengan takjub.

Word by Word

शालि-प्रसून-सदृशैःwith (those) resembling rice-flowers

शिरीष-कुसुम-प्रभैःwith (those) having the radiance of śirīṣa blossoms

तरुण-आदित्य-सदृशैःwith (those) resembling the young/morning sun

शण-गौरैःwith (those) white like hemp/flax

चand

वानरैःby/with monkeys

राजन्O king

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

King (rājan)

Laṅkā

Vānaras (monkeys)

Rākṣasas of Laṅkā

Women of Laṅkā

Elders of Laṅkā

Ramparts/walls (implied by context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how a righteous, disciplined force can become an overwhelming moral and psychological presence: the spectacle of the vānaras surrounding Laṅkā produces awe and destabilizes the confidence of the rākṣasas. It underscores the ethical dimension of conflict in epic narrative—power is not only physical but also the visible momentum of dharma-backed resolve.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya describes Laṅkā’s walls appearing tawny because they are crowded on all sides with vānaras of varied colors and radiance—likened to blossoms, śirīṣa flowers, the rising sun, and flax. The inhabitants of Laṅkā, including women and elders, watch the extraordinary sight in astonishment.