Shloka 29
Karṇa–Sūrya Saṃvāda: Satya, Dāna, and the Amoghā Śakti (कर्ण–सूर्यसंवादः)
प्राकारं ददृशुस्ते तु समन््तात् कपिलीकृतम् | राक्षसा विस्मिता राजन् सस्त्रीवृद्धा: समनन््ततः,राजन! धानके फूल-जैसे रंगवाले, मौलसिरीके पुष्प-सदृश कान्तिवाले, प्रातःकालके सूर्यके समान अरुण प्रभावाले तथा सनईके समान सफेद रंगवाले वानरोंसे व्याप्त होनेके कारण लंकाकी चहारदीवारी चारों ओर कपिलवर्णकी दिखायी देती थी। स्त्रियों और वृद्धोंसहित समस्त लंकावासी राक्षस चारों ओर आश्वर्यचकित होकर इस दृश्यको देख रहे थे
prākāraṁ dadṛśus te tu samantāt kapilīkṛtam | rākṣasā vismitā rājan sa-strī-vṛddhāḥ samantataḥ ||
Mārkaṇḍeya disse: “Mas eles viram a muralha, por todos os lados, tornar-se fulva, como se tivesse sido tingida de ‘cor de macaco’. Ó rei, os rākṣasas—mulheres e anciãos incluídos—postaram-se em toda parte, assombrados, contemplando aquela visão.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how overwhelming collective force and sudden strategic presence can psychologically unnerve an opponent: even non-combatants (women and elders) are drawn into astonished witness, signaling a turning of morale before the clash fully unfolds.
Mārkaṇḍeya describes a scene where the city’s ramparts appear tawny/‘monkey-colored’ all around—suggesting they are covered or dominated by monkey-like warriors—while the rākṣasas of the city, including women and elders, look on in amazement.