Yuddha Kanda: Chapter 39

तां रात्रिमुषितास्तत्र सुवेले हरियूथपाः। लङ्कायां ददृशुर्वीरा वनान्युपवनानि च॥
Having passed the night in Suvela, the heroic monkey-leaders surveyed woods and forests in Lankā.

समसौम्यानि रम्याणि विशालान्यायतानि च। दृष्टिरम्याणि ते दृष्ट्वा बभूवुर्जातविस्मयः॥
Seeing those extensive (woods and forests), mild, and charming, and beautiful to behold, they were seized with wonderment.

चम्पकाशोकबकुलशालतालसमाकुला। तमालापनसच्छन्ना नागमालासमावृता॥ हिन्तालैरर्जुनैींपैः सप्तवर्णैः सुपुष्पितैः। तिलकैः कर्णिकारैश्च पाटलैश्च समन्ततः॥ शुशुभे पुष्पिताणैव लतापरिगतदुमैः। लङ्कां बहुविधैर्दृश्यैर्यथेन्द्रस्यामरावती॥
Abounding in champakas, asokas, vakulas, śālas, and palms; covered with tamālas and panišas, and environed all around with trees, and surrounded with Hintālas, Arjunas, blossoming Saptaparmas, Tilakas, Karmikāras, and Patalas, trees with flowering tops, entertwined with creepers, Larkā looked exceedingly lovely, with various sights, resembling the Amarāvatī herself of Indra.

विचित्रकुसुमोपेतै रक्तकोमलपल्लवैः। शाद्वलैश्च तथा नीलश्चित्राभिर्वनराजिभिः॥ गन्धाढ्यान्यतिरम्याणि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च। धारयन्त्यगमास्तत्र भूषणानीव मानवाः।७।।
And trees there, furnished with variegated flowers having tender rosy leaves, and blue lawns, and rows of woods; and bearing odorous and charming blossoms and fruits, looked like men adorned with ornaments.

तच्चैत्ररथसंकाशं मनोज्ञं नन्दनोपमम्। वनं सर्वर्तुकं रम्यं शुशुभे षट्पदायुतम्॥
There a delightful and pleasant wood resembling Caitraratha, and like to Nandana itself, having all the seasons present, appeared beauteous to the view, with black bees all around.

दात्यूहकोयष्टिवकैर्नृत्यमानैश्च बहिणैः। रुतं परभृतानां च शुश्रुवे वननिझरे॥
And it had Dātyühas, and Koyașthivas, and peacocks dancing; and the strains of the coels were heard at the woodland rills.

नित्यमत्तविहंगानि भ्रमराचरितानि च। कोकिलाकुलखण्डानि विहंगाभिरुतानि च॥ भृङ्गराजाधिगीतानि कुररस्वनितानि च। विविशुस्ते ततस्तानि वनान्युपवनानि च॥
The heroic and exhilarated monkeys, capable of wearing forms at pleasure, entered those woods and groves frequented by maddened birds and ranged by Bhramaras, tracts overflowing with the lays of coels, and ringing with the voices of songsters, resonant with the notes of Bhramaras, sovereigns of their species and eloquent with the cries of ospreys.

हृष्टाः प्रमुदिता वीरा हरयः कामरूपिणः। तेषां प्रविशतां तत्र वानराणां महौजसाम्॥ पुष्पसंसर्गसुरभिर्ववौ प्राणसमोऽनिलः। अन्ये तु हरिवीराणां यूथानिष्क्रम्य यूथपाः।। सुग्रीवेणाभ्यनुज्ञाता लङ्का जग्मुः पताकिनीम्॥
As the exceedingly energetic monkeys entered, there blew upon them the breeze-like to life-redolent of perfume obtained from contact with the blossoms. And others of the leaders among the heroic monkeys, coming out from the bands, ordered by Sugriva, made in the direction of Lankā crowned with ensigns.

वित्रासयन्तो विहगान ग्लापयन्तो मृगद्विपान्। कम्पयन्तश्च तां लङ्कां नादैः स्वैर्नदतां वराः॥
And, terrifying the fowls and dispiriting beasts and birds and shaking Lankā with their roars, those foremost monkeys set up shouts.

कुर्वन्तस्ते महावेगा महीं चरणपीडिताम्। रजश्च सहसैवोर्ध्वं जगाम चरणोत्थितम्॥
They, endowed with great impetuosity, went on, oppressing the earth with their battle-array; and clouds of dust suddenly arose from the march of the soldiery.

ऋक्षाः सिंहाश्च महिषा वारणाश्च मृगाः खगाः। तेन शब्देन विवस्ता जग्मुर्भीता दिशो दश॥
And bears, and lions, and buffaloes, and elephants, and deer, and birds, overwhelmed with affright, made for the t en cardinal points.

शिखरं तु त्रिकूटस्य प्रांशु चैकं दिविस्पृशम्। समन्दात्पुष्पसंछनं महारजतसंनिभम् ॥ शतयोजनविस्तीर्णं विमलं चारुदर्शनम्। श्लक्ष्णं श्रीमन्महच्चैव दुष्प्रापं शकुनैरपि॥ मनसापि दुरारोहं किं पुनः कर्मणा जनैः। निविष्टा तस्य शिखरे लङ्का रावणपालिता॥ दशयोजनविस्तीर्णा विंशद्योजनमायता। सा पुरी गोपुरैरुच्चैः पाण्डुराम्बुदसंनिभैः।। काञ्चनेन च शालेन राजतेन च शोभते॥ प्रासादैश्च विमानैश्च लङ्का परमभूषिता। घनैरिवातपापाये मध्यमं वैष्णवं पदम्॥
The graceful and lovely summit of Trikūța was entire, elevated, skypiercing, of golden splendour, measuring an hundred Yojanas, clearshining, level, inaccessible even to fowls, and not to say of actual ascension by people. Lanka, ruled by Ravana, was situated on its' top, ten Yojanas in width and twenty in length. And that city was graced with lofty ornamented gateways resembling pale clouds, and golden and silver wall; and Lankā was adorned with palaces and piles; like the sky graced with clouds on the approach of the rainy season. 1. Trikūța's. 2. Madhyamam Vaisnavam padam, the middle foot of Vişnu. When Vişņu in his Dwarf-from took the conceit out of Vāli, the renowned Asura king, he covered the earth with one pace, the sky with another and heaven with last.

यस्यां स्तम्भसहस्रेण प्रासादः समलंकृतः। कैलासशिखराकारो दृश्यते खमिवोल्लिखन्।।२२ चैत्यः स राक्षसेन्द्रस्य बभूव पुरभूषणम्। शतेन रक्षसां नित्यं यः समग्रेण रक्ष्यते॥
That palace, which was adorned with thousands of pillars, and which, as if piercing the heavens, looked like a peak of Kailasa—was the residence of the Sovereign of the Rākşasas—the ornament of the city, (ever guarded by full hundreds of Raksasas.

मनोज्ञां काञ्चनवतीं पर्वतैरुपशोभिताम्। नानाधातुविचित्रैश्च उद्यानैरुपशोभिताम्॥ नानाविहगसंघुष्टां नानामृगनिषेविताम्। नानाकुसुमसंपन्नां नानाराक्षससेविताम्॥ तां समृद्धां समृद्धार्थां लक्ष्मीवॉल्लक्ष्मणाग्रजः। नगरीं त्रिदिवप्रख्या विस्मयं प्राप वीर्यवान्॥
Lakṣmaṇa's auspicious and puissant elder brother, beholding that flourishing and wealthy city resembling the celestial regions, charming to the mind, made of gold, graced with mountains, and decked out with mountains containing various metals, resonant with the notes of various birds; abounding in various beasts, furnished with various kinds of flowers, and inhabited by various orders of Rākşasas, was struck with astonishment.

तां रत्नपूर्णां बहुसंविधानां प्रासादमालाभिरलङ्कृतां च। पुरीं महायन्त्रकवाटमुख्यां ददर्श रामो महता बलेन।।२७
Rāma, surrounded by his mighty forces, saw that palace, filled with diverse kinds of gems, adorned with rows of edifices, and having huge engines and gateways.