Chapter 99 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 99

Valmiki Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda

Verse 99.18

सालतालाश्वकर्णानां पर्णैर्बहुभिरावृताम्। विशालां मृदुभिस्तीर्णां कुशैर्वेदिमिवाध्वरे॥ शक्रायुधनिकाशैश्च कार्मुकै रसाधनैः। रुक्मपृष्ठैर्महासारैः शोभितां शत्रुबाधकैः॥ अर्करश्मिप्रतीकाशैोरैस्तूणगतैः शरैः। शोभितां दीप्तवदनैः सर्भोगवतीमिव॥ महारजतवासोभ्यामसिभ्यां च विराजिताम्। रुक्मबिन्दुविचित्राभ्यां चर्मभ्यां चापि शोभिताम्॥ गोधाङ्गलिौरासक्तैश्चित्रकाञ्चनभूषितैः। अरिसंधैरनाधृष्यां मृगैः सिंहगुहामिव ॥ प्रागुदकप्रवणां वेदिं विशालां दीप्तपावकाम्। ददर्श भरतस्तत्र पुण्यां रामनिवेशने॥

sālatālāśvakarṇānāṃ parṇairbahubhirāvṛtām| viśālāṃ mṛdubhistīrṇāṃ kuśairvedimivādhvare|| śakrāyudhanikāśaiśca kārmukai rasādhanaiḥ| rukmapṛṣṭhairmahāsāraiḥ śobhitāṃ śatrubādhakaiḥ|| arkaraśmipratīkāśaioraistūṇagataiḥ śaraiḥ| śobhitāṃ dīptavadanaiḥ sarbhogavatīmiva|| mahārajatavāsobhyāmasibhyāṃ ca virājitām| rukmabinduvicitrābhyāṃ carmabhyāṃ cāpi śobhitām|| godhāṅgaliaurāsaktaiścitrakāñcanabhūṣitaiḥ| arisaṃdhairanādhṛṣyāṃ mṛgaiḥ siṃhaguhāmiva || prāgudakapravaṇāṃ vediṃ viśālāṃ dīptapāvakām| dadarśa bharatastatra puṇyāṃ rāmaniveśane||

English Meaning

And Bharata beheld in Rāma's habitation a sacred structure made of leaves, covered with a profusion of Sāla, palm, and Aśvakarņa leaves; spread with soft Kuśa, like a dais in a sacrifice; adorned with bows resembling the iris, plaited on the back with gold, of mighty force, and capable of achieving arduous feets and destroying foes; and garnished with arrows in quivers, seeming like the rays of the sun, with flaming mouths, like to the Bhogavatī with serpents; and exceedingly beautified with golden sheaths and scimitars and shields spangled with gold and nice guana finger-fences decked with gold; inaccessible to foes like a lion's den to deer; and furnished with a spacious dais inclined on the north-east, with a fire flaming on it.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)