Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 2, Shloka 19

लङ्कादर्शनं तथा रात्रौ सूक्ष्मरूपेण प्रवेशोपायचिन्तनम्

Vision of Lanka and Strategy for Nocturnal Entry

Devanagari script

गिरिमूर्ध्निं स्थितां लङ्कां पाण्डुरैर्भवनैः शुभैः।ददर्श स कपिश्रेष्ठः पुरमाकाशगं यथा।।।।

Transliteration

girimūrdhni sthitāṃ laṅkāṃ pāṇḍurair bhavanaiḥ śubhaiḥ | dadarśa sa kapiśreṣṭhaḥ puram ākāśagaṃ yathā ||

Translation

Kera terunggul itu melihat Laṅkā berdiri di puncak gunung, dengan istana-istana pucat berseri lagi membawa tuah, seolah-olah sebuah kota yang menjulang ke angkasa.

Word by Word

• imām: this
• imām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण/निर्देशक (this)

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; विरोध/विशेष (but/indeed)

• viṣamām: very difficult
• viṣamām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• durgām: formidable
• durgām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (hard to access/fortified)

• laṅkām: Lanka
• laṅkām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laṅkā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• rāvaṇa-pālitām: ruled by Ravana
• rāvaṇa-pālitām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + pālita (कृदन्त; √pāl + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘रावणेन पालिता’

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-āp (धातु √āp)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund) from √āp with pra-; ‘having reached’

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘even’

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम; कर्ता

• mahā-bāhuḥ: the mighty-armed one
• mahā-bāhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (one who has great arms); कर्तृ-विशेषण

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• kariṣyati: will do
• kariṣyati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• rāghavaḥ: Raghava (Rama)
• rāghavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण (apposition to saḥ/mahābāhuḥ)

Context

Having reached the northern entrance of the city he started thinking that Visvakarma must have conceived Lanka as a lady with its ramparts as her hips and loins, moats filled with water as her robes, the spiked iron tridents as her locks of hair, and the tall towers as her her ear rings

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Laṅkā
• mountain summit (girimūrdhan)
• mansions (bhavana)
• sky (ākāśa)

FAQs

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

Dharma is steadfastness amid intimidation: the city’s seemingly unreachable height does not negate the duty to pursue Satya and restore justice.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān views Laṅkā’s location and towering buildings, emphasizing its natural and built defenses.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Determination (niścaya): obstacles of scale and grandeur do not weaken Hanumān’s purpose.