सशैलं सागरानूपं वीर्यवानवलोकयन्।
नानापुष्पफलैर्वृक्षैरनुकीर्णं सहस्रशः॥
शीतमङ्गलतोयाभिः पद्मिनीभिः समन्ततः।
विशालैराश्रमपदैर्वेदिमद्भिः समावृतम्॥
कदल्याढकिसम्बाधं नालिकेरोपशोभितम्।
सालैस्तालैस्तमालैश्च पुष्पितैस्तरुभिर्वृतम्॥
नागैः सुपर्णैर्गन्धर्वैः किन्नरैश्च सहस्रशः।
अजैर्वैखानसैर्माषैर्वालखिल्यैर्मरीचिपैः॥
अत्यन्तनियताहारैः शोभितं परमर्षिभिः।
जितकामैश्च सिद्धैश्च चारणैरुपशोभितम्॥
दिव्याभरणमाल्याभिर्दिव्यरूपाभिरावृतम्।
क्रीडारतिविधिज्ञाभिरप्सरोभिः सहस्रशः॥
सेवितं देवपत्नीभिः श्रीमतीभिः श्रिया वृतम्।
देवदानवसङ्घैश्च चरितं त्वमृताशिभिः॥
हंसक्रौञ्चप्लवाकीर्णं सारसैः संप्रणादितम्।
वैडूर्यप्रस्तरं रम्यं स्निग्धं सागरतेजसा॥
sa-śailaṁ sāgarānūpaṁ vīryavān avalokayan
nānā-puṣpa-phalair vṛkṣair anukīrṇaṁ sahasraśaḥ
śīta-maṅgala-toyābhiḥ padminībhiḥ samantataḥ
viśālair āśrama-padair vedimadbhiḥ samāvṛtam
kadaly-āḍhaki-sambādhaṁ nālikeropaśobhitam
sālais tālais tamālaiś ca puṣpitais tarubhir vṛtam
nāgaiḥ suparṇair gandharvaiḥ kinnaraiś ca sahasraśaḥ
ajair vaikhānasair māṣair vālakhilyair marīcipaiḥ
atyanta-niyatāhāraiḥ śobhitaṁ paramarṣibhiḥ
jita-kāmaiś ca siddhaiś ca cāraṇair upaśobhitam
divyābharaṇa-mālyābhir divya-rūpābhir āvṛtam
krīḍā-rati-vidhijñābhir apsarobhiḥ sahasraśaḥ
sevitaṁ deva-patnībhiḥ śrīmatībhiḥ śriyā vṛtam
deva-dānava-saṅghaiś ca caritaṁ tv amṛtāśibhiḥ
haṁsa-krauñca-plavākīrṇaṁ sārasaiḥ sampraṇāditam
vaiḍūrya-prastaraṁ ramyaṁ snigdhaṁ sāgara-tejasā
sa-śailam = with its mountains; sāgara-anūpam = at the sea coast; vīryavān = the strong Rāvaṇa; avalokayan = glanced; nānā-puṣpa-phalaiḥ = with a variety of flowers and fruits; vṛkṣaiḥ = trees; anukīrṇam = were densely scattered there; sahasraśaḥ = thousands of; śīta-maṅgala-toyābhiḥ = containing cool and auspicious water; padminībhiḥ = by lotus-ponds; samantataḥ = on all sides; viśālaiḥ = and by spacious; āśrama-padaiḥ = grounds of āśramas; vedimadbhiḥ = containing sacrificial platforms; samāvṛtam = it was surrounded; kadalī-āḍhaki-sambādham = it was crowded by plantains and plantations of red gram crops; nālikera-upaśobhitam = it was ornamented by coconut trees; sālaiḥ = with sāla; tālaiḥ = tāla; tamālaiḥ = tamāla; ca = and; puṣpitaiḥ = [other] flowered; tarubhiḥ = trees; vṛtam = and filled; nāgaiḥ = by nāgas; suparṇaiḥ = suparṇas; gandharvaiḥ = gandharvas; kinnaraiḥ = kinnaras; ca = as well as; sahasraśaḥ = in the thousands; ajaiḥ = unborn; vaikhānasaiḥ = Vaikhānasas; māṣaiḥ = descendants of Māṣa; vālakhilyaiḥ = Vālakhilyas; marīcipaiḥ = ascetics who subsisted on sunrays alone; atyanta-niyata-āhāraiḥ = who were extremely restricted in their eating; śobhitam = it was beautified; parama-ṛṣibhiḥ = and exalted sages; jita-kāmaiḥ ca = who had conquered lust; siddhaiḥ = by siddhas; ca = and; cāraṇaiḥ = cāraṇas; upaśobhitam = it was adorned; divya-ābharaṇa-mālyābhiḥ = who wore celestial ornaments and garlands; divya-rūpābhiḥ = who were of celestial appearance; āvṛtam = it was surrounded; krīḍā-rati-vidhijñābhiḥ = and who knew the means to bring about sportful enjoyment; apsarobhiḥ = apsarās; sahasraśaḥ = by thousands of; sevitam = visited; deva-patnībhiḥ = by the wives of the devas; śrīmatībhiḥ = beautiful; śriyā = with splendor; vṛtam = it was filled; deva-dānava-saṅghaiḥ = by hosts of other devas and dānavas; ca = and; caritam tu = it was visited; amṛtāśibhiḥ = by nectar-drinking devas; haṁsa-krauñca-plava-ākīrṇam = it was full of haṁsa swans, cranes and water-fowls; sārasaiḥ = sārasa swans; sampraṇāditam = it resounded with [the cries of]; vaiḍūrya-prastaram = it was [strewn] with stones filled with cat’s eye gems; ramyam = it was beautiful; snigdham = and cool; sāgara-tejasā = by the grandeur of the ocean.
The strong Rāvaṇa glanced at the sea coast with its mountains. Thousands of trees with a variety of flowers and fruits were densely scattered there. It was surrounded by lotus-ponds on all sides containing cool and auspicious water and by spacious grounds of āśramas containing sacrificial platforms. It was crowded by plantains and plantations of red gram crops. It was ornamented by coconut trees and filled with sāla, tāla, tamāla and [other] flowered trees. It was beautified by nāgas, suparṇas, gandharvas, kinnaras in the thousands as well as unborn Vaikhānasas, descendants of Māṣa, Vālakhilyas, ascetics who subsisted on sunrays alone and exalted sages who were extremely restricted in their eating.1 It was adorned by siddhas, who had conquered lust, and cāraṇas. It was surrounded by thousands of apsarās who were of celestial appearance, who wore celestial ornaments and garlands and who knew the means to bring about sportful enjoyment. Visited by the beautiful wives of the devas, it was filled with splendor. It was visited by nectar-drinking devas and by hosts of other devas and dānavas. It was full of haṁsa swans, cranes and water-fowls. It resounded with [the cries of] sārasa swans. It was [strewn] with stones filled with cat’s eye gems. It was beautiful and cool by the grandeur of the ocean.2
1 Suparṇas are celestial birds according to Vācaspatyam: svarṇa-cūḍa-khage.
2 Technical note: sāgara-tejasā sāgarormi-vaibhavena snigdhaṁ sāndraṁ śītalam.
1 The literal meaning of each of these technical expressions is quite interesting. Ṛta means “truth,” amṛta “immortal,” mṛta “mortal,” pramṛta “fatal” and satyānṛta “truth and falsehood.” It is obvious that these are graded from high to low.
2 The great Vedānta-deśika who appeared a hundred years after Śrī Rāmānujācārya’s disappearance is said to have accepted the process of śiloñchanam.
“Unborn” in this context means “not born from the womb [of a female].” Vaikhānasas are born from Lord Brahmā’s nails for the Śruti states: ye nakhās te vaikhānasāḥ. Vālakhilyas are born from Lord Brahmā’s hair for the Śruti states: ye vālās te vālakhilyāḥ.
[Deva-dānava-saṅghaiś ca caritaṁ tv amṛtāśibhiḥ also indicates that the sea coast] was visited by those who ate without [even] begging [for food]. Manu refers to them as follows:
ṛtāmṛtābhyāṁ jīveta mṛtena pramṛtena vā
satyānṛtābhyām api vā na śvavṛttyā kadā cana
ṛtam uñchaśilaṁ jñeyam amṛtaṁ syād ayācitam
mṛtaṁ tu yācitaṁ bhaikṣaṁ pramṛtaṁ karṣaṇaṁ smṛtam
satyānṛtaṁ tu vāṇijyaṁ tena caivāpi jīvyate
sevā śva-vṛttir ākhyātā tasmāt tāṁ parivarjayet
“[A brāhmaṇa householder] should subsist on ṛta, amṛta, mṛta, pramṛta or even on satyānṛta, but never on the profession of a dog. Gleaning and picking should be understood to be ṛta. What is received unasked should be considered amṛta. Almsfood that is begged is considered mṛta and agriculture is considered pramṛta. Trade is satyānṛta and he can even subsist on that. [Salaried] employment is referred to as the profession of a dog; so he should avoid it altogether.” (Manu-saṁhitā 4.4-6)
According to some, plava means “frogs” [which indicates that the sea coast was full of haṁsa swans, cranes and frogs].
GLOSS. [Sages] named Māṣa [beautified the sea coast]. Jita-kāmaiḥ also indicates that the cherished desires of the siddhas had been fulfilled.
NOTE. The subject of ṛta, amṛta, mṛta, pramṛta, satyānṛta and “the profession of a dog” have been clarified in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.11.18-20 thus:
ṛtāmṛtābhyāṁ jīveta mṛtena pramṛtena vā
satyānṛtābhyām api vā na śva-vṛttyā kadācana
ṛtam uñchaśilaṁ proktam amṛtaṁ yad ayācitam
mṛtaṁ tu nitya-yācñā syāt pramṛtaṁ karṣaṇaṁ smṛtam
satyānṛtaṁ ca vāṇijyaṁ śva-vṛttir nīca-sevanam
varjayet tāṁ sadā vipro rājanyaś ca jugupsitām
sarva-vedamayo vipraḥ sarva-devamayo nṛpaḥ
“In time of emergency, one may accept any of the various types of professions known as ṛta, amṛta, mṛta, pramṛta and satyānṛta, but one should not at any time accept the profession of a dog. The profession of uñchaśila, collecting grains from the field, is called ṛta. Collecting without begging is called amṛta, begging grains is called mṛta, tilling the ground is called pramṛta, and trade is called satyānṛta. Engaging in the service of low-grade persons, however, is called śva-vṛtti, the profession of the dogs.1 Specifically, brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas should not engage in the low and abominable service of śūdras. Brāhmaṇas should be well acquainted with all the Vedic knowledge, and kṣatriyas should be well acquainted with the worship of demigods.”
PURPORT. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.13), cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: the four divisions of human society were created by the Supreme Lord according to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them. Formerly, the principle of dividing human society into four sections—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra—was strictly followed, but because of gradual neglect of the varṇāśrama principles, varṇa-saṅkara population developed, and the entire institution has now been lost. In this Age of Kali, practically everyone is a śūdra (kalau śūdra-sambhavāḥ), and finding anyone who is a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya is very difficult. Although the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a movement of brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, it is trying to reestablish the divine varṇāśrama institution, for without this division of society there cannot be peace and prosperity anywhere.
The uñcha-śilā that is referred to in the translation also appears as śiloñchanam in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.11.16. Prabhupāda’s synonyms to this verse notes: śilā—picking up the grains left in the field by the proprietor; uñchanam—picking up the grains that have fallen from bags in shops. From the translation to that verse, we understand that this indicates that a brāhmaṇa “may collect paddy left in a field by its proprietor, or he may collect food grains left here and there in the shops of grain dealers.” Prabhupāda’s purport to that verse states:
A brāhmaṇa is sometimes offered land and cows in charity, and thus for his livelihood he may act in the same way as a vaiśya, by cultivating land, giving protection to cows and trading off his surpluses. A better process, however, is to pick up grains from a field or from a dealer’s shop without begging.2