Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 3, Shloka 6

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

Dia memandang kota itu—terpelihara rapi dan penuh keberkatan—laksana Bhogavatī, kota para Nāga; diselubungi gugusan awan berkilat petir, seakan dilalui jalan-jalan bintang. Dengan hembusan angin lembut, ia menyerupai Amarāvatī milik Indra; dilingkari tembok besar dari emas murni, dihiasi panji-panji serta gemerincing jala loceng. Setibanya di sana, Hanumān serta-merta bersukacita, mendekati dan meninjau temboknya.

Word by Word

• मन्द-मारुत-सञ्चाराम्: with gentle breeze-currents
• मन्द-मारुत-सञ्चाराम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म) — qualifies (लङ्काम्/ताम्) understood
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + मारुत (प्रातिपदिक) + सञ्चार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative) — 'having movement of gentle winds'; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• यथा: just as
• यथा: सम्बन्ध (comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (as/just as)

• इन्द्रस्य: of Indra
• इन्द्रस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular)

• अमरावतीम्: Amaravati (Indra's city)
• अमरावतीम्: उपमान (Upamāna/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमरावती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); उपमान (object of comparison)

• शातकुम्भेन: with gold
• शातकुम्भेन: करण (Karaṇa/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शातकुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular); करण (instrument)

• महता: great/large
• महता: विशेषण (adjectival to instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masculine/Neuter), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण qualifying प्राकारेण

• प्राकारेण: by/with a rampart
• प्राकारेण: करण (Karaṇa/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular); करण (instrument)

• अभिसंवृताम्: enclosed all around
• अभिसंवृताम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म) — qualifies (लङ्काम्/ताम्) understood
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-सम्-वृत (कृदन्त; वृत् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (PPP/क्त) — 'enclosed/surrounded'

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.