Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 5, Shloka 22

चन्द्रप्रकाशे लङ्कानिरीक्षणम्

Moonlit Survey of Lanka and the Unfound Sita

Devanagari script

चन्द्रप्रकाशाश्च हि वक्त्रमालाः वक्राक्षिपक्ष्माश्च सुनेत्रमालाः।विभूषणानां च ददर्श मालाः शतह्रदानामिव चारुमालाः।।5.5.22।।

Transliteration

candra-prakāśāś ca hi vaktra-mālāḥ vakrākṣi-pakṣmāś ca sunetra-mālāḥ | vibhūṣaṇānāṃ ca dadarśa mālāḥ śata-hradānām iva cāru-mālāḥ ||5.5.22||

Translation

Dia melihat barisan wajah bercahaya laksana sinar bulan; barisan mata indah dengan lirikan serong dan bulu mata yang halus; serta rangkaian perhiasan, berturut-turut elok bagaikan kilat yang berderet-deret.

Word by Word

• candraprakāśāḥ: moon-bright, shining like the moon
• candraprakāśāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: candra + prakāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (adjective)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतुबोधक (indeed/for)

• vaktra-mālāḥ: rows/garlands of faces
• vaktra-mālāḥ: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaktra + mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• vakra-akṣi-pakṣmāḥ: having sidelong eyes and eyelashes
• vakra-akṣi-pakṣmāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vakra + akṣi + pakṣman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); बहुवचन-विशेषण (adjective in plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• su-netra-mālāḥ: rows/garlands of beautiful eyes
• su-netra-mālāḥ: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su + netra + mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• vibhūṣaṇānām: of ornaments
• vibhūṣaṇānām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/possessive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• dadarśa: saw
• dadarśa: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• mālāḥ: garlands/rows
• mālāḥ: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• śata-hradānām: of (a hundred) lakes
• śata-hradānām: Upamāna-ṣaṣṭhī (उपमान-षष्ठी/comparand)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata + hrada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā-dyotaka (उपमा-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय (comparative particle)

• cāru-mālāḥ: lovely garlands/rows
• cāru-mālāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cāru + mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव (descriptive compound)

Context

He saw rows of faces of she-demons shining like moonlight with sidelong glances and graceful eye-lashes wearing ornaments resembling charmimg flashes of lightning.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Laṅkā
• Moon (imagery)
• Lightning (imagery)

FAQs

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

The ethical point is indirect: sensory splendor can captivate, yet a dharmic mission demands mastery over attention—beauty is observed but not pursued.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān visually surveys the women and their adornments in Laṅkā’s palatial spaces during his search.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Self-control (saṃyama): Hanumān remains unaffected by alluring sights.