Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 3, Shloka 18
लङ्काप्रवेशः
Hanuman Enters Lanka and Encounters Laṅkā-devatā
तां रत्नवसनोपेतां कोष्ठागारावतंसकाम्।यन्त्रागारस्तनीमृद्धां प्रमदामिव भूषिताम्।।।।तां नष्टतिमिरां दीप्तैर्भास्वरैश्च महागृहैः।नगरीं राक्षसेन्द्रस्य स ददर्श महाकपिः।।।।
tāṃ ratnavasanopetāṃ koṣṭhāgārāvataṃsakām | yantrāgārastanīmṛddhāṃ pramadām iva bhūṣitām ||
tāṃ naṣṭatimirāṃ dīptair bhāsvaraiś ca mahāgṛhaiḥ | nagarīṃ rākṣasendrasya sa dadarśa mahākapiḥ ||
大いなるヴァーナラは、羅刹の王の都を見た。まばゆく輝く大邸宅の光により闇は消え去り、その都は飾られた若き女のようであった――宝玉をちりばめた衣をまとい、蔵と倉を耳飾りとし、武器庫を豊かな乳房のごとく備えて。
Hanuman looked at the city of the demon king, whose darkness was dispelled by bright gems and mighty mansions as if it were a young maiden. The prosperous city was like a well decorated woman, adorned with ornaments having walls for her dress,the stables for her ear-rings, the armouries for her breasts.
FAQs
Dharma requires discernment: splendor can veil adharma. The verse frames Laṅkā’s beauty as alluring, yet it belongs to the rākṣasa-king—warning that outward brilliance does not guarantee righteousness.
After entering Laṅkā, Hanumān surveys the city’s opulence and illumination, noting its extraordinary prosperity.
Saṃyamita-dṛṣṭi (controlled perception): Hanumān observes carefully without losing focus on his duty to find Sītā.
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