Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 3, Shloka 5

लङ्काप्रवेशः

Hanuman Enters Lanka and Encounters Laṅkā-devatā

Devanagari script

शारदाम्बुधरप्रख्यैर्भवनैरुपशोभिताम्।सागरोपमनिर्घोषां सागरानिलसेविताम्।।5.3.3।।सुपुष्टबलसम्पुष्टां यथैव विटपावतीम्।चारुतोरणनिर्यूहां पाण्डुरद्वारतोरणाम्।।5.3.4।।भुजगाचरितां गुप्तां शुभां भोगवतीमिव।तां स विद्युद्घनाकीर्णां ज्योतिर्मार्गनिषेविताम्।।5.3.5।।मन्दमारुतसञ्चारां यथेन्द्रस्यामरावतीम्।शातकुम्भेन महता प्राकारेणाभिसंवृताम्।।5.3.6।।किङ्किणीजालघोषाभिः पताकाभिरलङ्कृताम्।आसाद्य सहसा हृष्टः प्राकारमभिपेदिवान्।।5.3.7।।

Transliteration

bhujagācaritāṃ guptāṃ śubhāṃ bhogavatīm iva | tāṃ sa vidyudghanākīrṇāṃ jyotirmārganiṣevitām || 5.3.5 || mandamārutasañcārāṃ yathendrasyāmarāvatīm | śātakumbhena mahatā prākāreṇābhisaṃvṛtām || 5.3.6 || kiṅkiṇījālaghoṣābhiḥ patākābhir alaṅkṛtām | āsādya sahasā hṛṣṭaḥ prākāram abhipedivān || 5.3.7 ||

Translation

彼はその都を見た——守り堅く吉祥にして、蛇族（ナーガ）の都ボーガヴァティーのごとく。稲妻を孕む雲の群れに覆われ、星々の道に照らされている。そよ風が巡り、インドラの都アマラーヴァティーに似て、巨大な黄金の城壁に囲まれ、旗幡と鈴網の澄んだ響きに飾られていた。そこへ至るや、ハヌマーンはたちまち歓喜し、城壁を見定めた。

Word by Word

• भुजग-आचरिताम्: inhabited/roamed by serpents
• भुजग-आचरिताम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म) — qualifies ताम् (the city)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुजग (प्रातिपदिक) + आचरित (कृदन्त; आ-चर् धातु)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/करण-भाव (instrumental/agentive sense) — 'by snakes inhabited/roamed'; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) आचरित (क्त) used adjectivally

• गुप्ताम्: guarded
• गुप्ताम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म) — qualifies ताम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप्त (कृदन्त; गुप् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (PPP/क्त) — 'protected/guarded'

• शुभाम्: auspicious/beautiful
• शुभाम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म) — qualifies ताम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• भोगवतीम्: Bhogavati (serpent-city)
• भोगवतीम्: उपमान (Upamāna/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोगवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); उपमान (object of comparison)

• इव: like/as if
• इव: सम्बन्ध (comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय (comparative particle)

• ताम्: that (city)
• ताम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• विद्युत्-घन-आकीर्णाम्: filled with lightning-clouds
• विद्युत्-घन-आकीर्णाम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म) — qualifies ताम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक) + घन (प्रातिपदिक) + आकीर्ण (कृदन्त; आ-कॄ धातु/आकीर्ण 'strewn/filled')
• Form: समाहार/तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative) — 'filled with cloud(s) with lightning'; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); आकीर्ण (PPP/क्त) used adjectivally

• ज्योतिः-मार्ग-निषेविताम्: frequented by the starry paths
• ज्योतिः-मार्ग-निषेविताम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म) — qualifies ताम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + निषेवित (कृदन्त; नि-सेव् धातु)
• Form: षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative) — 'frequented by the paths of lights (stars/planets)'; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); निषेवित (PPP/क्त)

Context

"O lord of vanaras! you may search for the chaste lady, daughter of king Janaka all over freely entering this doomed city, ruled by the chief of demons.ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyāṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē sundarakāṇḍē tṛtīyassargaḥ৷৷Thus ends the third sarga of Sundarakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

• Laṅkā
• Hanumān
• Amarāvatī
• Indra

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Even amid splendor, dharma requires vigilance: beauty and power can veil adharma, so the righteous agent (Hanumān) observes carefully before acting.

What is the narrative situation?

The narrator describes Laṅkā’s magnificence as Hanumān reaches the rampart and surveys the city’s defenses and grandeur.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Hanumān’s alertness and strategic intelligence—he delights in success but immediately assesses the terrain for his dharmic mission.