Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 39, Shloka 4
लङ्कादर्शनम्
Viewing Laṅkā and its Forest-Gardens
चम्पकाशोकपुन्नागसालतालसमाकुला ।तमालवनसञ्छन्नानागमालासमावृता ।।6.39.3।।हिन्तालैरर्जुनैर्नीपैस्सप्तपर्णैश्चपुष्पितैः ।तिलकैःकर्णिकारैश्चपाटलैश्चसमन्ततः ।।6.39.4।।शुशुभेपुष्पिताग्रैश्चलतापरिगतैर्द्रुमैः ।लङ्काबहुविधैर्दिव्यैर्यथेन्द्रस्यामरावती ।।6.39.5।।विचित्रकुसुमोपेतैरक्तकोमलपल्लवैः ।शाद्वलैश्चतथानीपैश्चित्राभिर्वनराजिभिः ।।6.39.6।।
campakāśokapunnāgasālatālasamākulā |
tamālavana-sañchannā nāgamālāsamāvṛtā ||6.39.3||
hintālair arjunair nīpaiḥ saptaparṇaiś ca puṣpitaiḥ |
tilakaiḥ karṇikāraiś ca pāṭalaiś ca samantataḥ ||6.39.4||
śuśubhe puṣpitāgraiś ca latāparigatair drumaiḥ |
laṅkā bahuvidhair divyair yathendrasyāmarāvatī ||6.39.5||
vicitrakusumopetair raktakomala-pallavaiḥ |
śādvalaiś ca tathā nīpaiś citrābhir vanarājibhiḥ ||6.39.6||
Laṅkā mostrava-se ricamente arborizada—repleta de campaka, aśoka, punnāga, sāla, tāla e outras árvores; velada por bosques de tamāla e circundada por nāgamāla. Por toda parte a adornavam hintāla, arjuna, nīpa, saptaparṇa, tilaka, karṇikāra e pāṭala em flor. Com copas carregadas de flores e trepadeiras enlaçando os troncos, a cidade resplandecia com muitas maravilhas, como Amarāvatī de Indra—brilhante de flores variegadas, brotos tenros avermelhados, relvados verdes e faixas de floresta multicolorida.
The city of Lanka looked charming with tall towers resembling white cluster of clouds fortified with gold and silver.
FAQs
The verse indirectly highlights dharma through discernment: outward splendor can mask inner adharma. Laṅkā’s beauty is real, yet the narrative context reminds the reader that righteousness is judged by conduct and truth (satya), not by wealth or ornament.
As the campaign reaches Laṅkā, the poem pauses to describe the city’s extraordinary beauty—its groves, flowering trees, and garden-like forest belts—seen in the approach to the impending confrontation with Rāvaṇa.
Rāma’s steadiness (dhairya) and moral clarity are emphasized by contrast: even when faced with a dazzling city, his purpose remains fixed on restoring dharma and satya rather than being distracted by grandeur.