Chapter 9 — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 9

Valmiki Ramayana — Sundara Kanda

Verse 9.18

इमानि मुखपद्मानि नियतं मत्तषट्पदाः। अम्बुजानीव फुल्लानि प्रार्थयन्ति पुनः पुनः॥ इति वामन्यत श्रीमानुपपत्त्या महाकपिः। मेने हि गुणतस्तानि समानि सलिलोद्भवैः॥

imāni mukhapadmāni niyataṃ mattaṣaṭpadāḥ| ambujānīva phullāni prārthayanti punaḥ punaḥ|| iti vāmanyata śrīmānupapattyā mahākapiḥ| mene hi guṇatastāni samāni salilodbhavaiḥ||

English Meaning

“These lotus-faces like to very lotuses themselves, ever the six-footed ones* seek once and again.” Thus thought with discrimination the graceful, mighty. monkey; and on account of their perfections, he confessed those countenances to be equal to water-sprung (lotuses). * Şatpadā—six-footed—a name of the black bee. "Salitodbhavas, water spiung—a name of the lotus.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)