Shloka 19
मारीचाश्रमगमनम्
Ravana’s Journey to Maricha’s Hermitage
पाण्डुराणि विशालानि दिव्यमाल्ययुतानि च।तूर्यगीताभिजुष्टानि विमानानि समन्ततः।।।।तपसा जितलोकानां कामगान्यभिसम्पतन्।गन्धर्वाप्सरसश्चैव ददर्श धनदानुजः।।।।
pāṇḍurāṇi viśālāni divyamālyayutāni ca |
tūryagītābhijuṣṭāni vimānāni samantataḥ ||3.35.19||
tapasā jitalokānāṃ kāmagāny abhisampatan |
gandharvāpsarasaś caiva dadarśa dhanadānujaḥ ||3.35.20||
Melaju terus, adik Kubera melihat di segala arah vimāna yang pucat-bercahaya dan luas, berhias rangkaian bunga surgawi serta dipenuhi bunyi alat musik dan nyanyian. Itulah wahana yang bergerak menurut kehendak, milik para pertapa yang menaklukkan loka-loka luhur dengan tapa; ia pun menyaksikan Gandharva dan Apsara.
(It was ) full of small floats, flocks of swans, kraunchas, sarasas cackling in the ponds, with great joy. It had stretches of vaidurya stones on the shore and shone with the radiance of the sea;
FAQs
The verse links attainment (higher worlds, celestial vehicles) to tapas—disciplined effort. In Ramayana ethics, merit is earned through self-restraint and truth-aligned practice, not seized through force; it implicitly critiques those who pursue desire without dharma.
As Rāvaṇa moves swiftly, he witnesses celestial vimānas associated with ascetics who have gained lofty realms through penance, along with gandharvas and apsarases—reinforcing the supernatural scale of the journey.
The virtue emphasized is tapas (austerity) as a dharmic means of achievement—contrasted with adharma-driven acquisition. The verse praises earned spiritual merit rather than inherited or coerced power.