Shloka 26

अशोकवनिकाविचारः

Survey of the Aśoka Grove and its Enchanted Landscape

Devanagari script

वापीश्च विविधाकाराः पूर्णाः परमवारिणा।महार्हैर्मणिसोपानैरुपपन्नास्ततस्ततः।।5.14.22।।मुक्ताप्रवालसिकताः स्फाटिकान्तरकुट्टिमाः।काञ्चनैस्तरुभिश्चित्रैस्तीरजैरुपशोभितैः।।5.14.23।।फुल्लपद्मोत्पलवनाश्चक्रवाकोपकूजिताः।नत्यूहरुतसंघुष्टा हंससारसनादिताः।।5.14.24।।दीर्घाभिर्द्रुमयुक्ताभिः सरद्भिश्च समन्ततः।अमृतोपमतोयाभिश्शिवाभिरुपसंस्कृताः।।5.14.25।।लताशतैरवततास्सन्तानकुसुमावृताः।नानागुल्मावृतघनाः करवीरकृतान्तराः।।5.14.26।।

Transliteration

latāśatair avatatāḥ santāna-kusumāvṛtāḥ |

nānā-gulmāvṛta-ghanāḥ karavīra-kṛtāntarāḥ ||5.14.26||

Translation

നൂറുകണക്കിന് പടർന്ന ലതകളാൽ അവ മൂടപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നു; സന്താനകപുഷ്പഗുച്ചങ്ങളാൽ ആവൃതമായി, പലവിധ കുറ്റിച്ചെടികളുടെ ഘനതകൊണ്ട് നിറഞ്ഞു, ഇടയ്ക്കിടെ കരവീരച്ചെടികൾ കൊണ്ടു അലങ്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• latā-śataiḥ: with hundreds of creepers
• latā-śataiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: latā (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (शत-समास), बहुवचन, तृतीया; द्विगु-समास (शतं लतानाम्)

• avatatāḥ: spread out
• avatatāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ava-√tan (धातु; क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, प्रथमा; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त PPP (spread/extended)

• santāna-kusuma-āvṛtāḥ: covered with santāna blossoms
• santāna-kusuma-āvṛtāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: santāna (प्रातिपदिक) + kusuma (प्रातिपदिक) + āvṛta (कृदन्त from √vṛ; क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, प्रथमा; तत्पुरुष (सन्तानकुसुमैः आवृताः = covered with santāna blossoms)

• nānā-gulma-āvṛta-ghanāḥ: dense, covered with various shrubs
• nānā-gulma-āvṛta-ghanāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + gulma (प्रातिपदिक) + āvṛta (कृदन्त) + ghana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, प्रथमा; तत्पुरुष (नानागुल्मैः आवृताः, घनाः = dense)

• karavīra-kṛta-antarāḥ: with intervals filled by karavīra plants
• karavīra-kṛta-antarāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karavīra (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त from √kṛ; क्त) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, प्रथमा; तत्पुरुष (करवीरैः कृतानि अन्तराणि यस्याः = having spaces made/filled by karavīra)

Context

He observed ponds of different shapes filled with clear water with steps paved with rich gems, with sands of pearls and corals and bottoms of crystal, which contained beds of lotuses in bloom, adorned with chakravaka birds and resonant with cacklings of swans and sarasas and vatyuhas rubbing their beaks. There were golden platforms built on banks and platforms built of crystals. There were trees on the bank of streams, and nectarlike sacred waters flowing in them surrounded by hundreds of creepers, and Ashoka blossoms scattered everywhere, with thickly grown bushes of different kinds, with lilies in bloom in tanks.

Characters & Entities

• Laṅkā
• karavīra (oleander)

FAQs

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

The ethical emphasis remains implicit: beauty and abundance can veil the presence of adharma. The Ramayana encourages fidelity to Satya—seeing clearly beyond appearances—just as Hanuman must look past ornamentation to locate Sita and assess righteousness.

What is the narrative situation?

The description continues, detailing the luxuriant vegetation around the water-works—creepers, blossoms, dense shrubs, and karavīra interspersed throughout.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Single-pointed devotion (bhakti) expressed as disciplined action: Hanuman’s attention to detail serves his truthful task, not mere enjoyment.