प्रस्रवाणि मनोज्ञानि प्रसन्नानि ह्रदानि च।
धनधान्योपपन्नानि स्त्रीरत्नैः शोभितानि च॥
हस्त्यश्वरथगाढानि नगराण्यवलोकयन्।
तं समं सर्वतः स्निग्धं मृदुसंस्पर्शमारुतम्।
अनूपं सिन्धुराजस्य ददर्श त्रिदिवोपमम्॥
prasravāṇi manojñāni prasannāni hradāni ca
dhana-dhānyopapannāni strī-ratnaiḥ śobhitāni ca
hasty-aśva-ratha-gāḍhāni nagarāṇy avalokayan
taṁ samaṁ sarvataḥ snigdhaṁ mṛdu-saṁsparśa-mārutam
anūpaṁ sindhu-rājasya dadarśa tridivopamam
prasravāṇi = waterfalls; manojñāni = charming; prasannāni = pure; hradāni ca = lakes; dhana-dhānya-upapannāni = the cities were endowed with wealth, grains; strī-ratnaiḥ = excellent women; śobhitāni = beautiful; ca = and; hasti-aśva-ratha-gāḍhāni = and crowded with elephants, horses and chariots; nagarāṇi = cities; avalokayan = he noticed; tam = the; samam = it was smooth; sarvataḥ = everywhere; snigdham = cool; mṛdu-saṁsparśa-mārutam = and the wind felt gentle there; anūpam sindhu-rājasya = seashore; dadarśa = he then saw; tridiva-upamam = the seashore resembled the heavens.
He noticed charming waterfalls, pure lakes, and beautiful cities. The cities were endowed with wealth, grains, excellent women and crowded with elephants, horses and chariots. He then saw the cool seashore. It was smooth everywhere and the wind felt gentle there. The seashore resembled the heavens.
1 This is a very nice explanation of why Śrī Vālmīki has described the landmarks between Laṅkā and Mārīca’s āśrama. After all Rāvaṇa had just gone to see Mārīca and Mārīca had sent him back. That was covered in Chapter 31. Why didn’t Maharṣi Vālmīki present this description then? That is clearly answered in the above remark by the commentator. This is why the exalted scriptures of the Vedic canon should be studied through a Vaiṣṇava-paramparā.
2 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: evaṁ bahudhā sāgarānūpa-varṇanaṁ punar bahu-dūra-mārga-gamana-prayāsena mārīcopadeśānivartyādhyavasāya-viśeṣaṁ vyañjayitum. yasya vāhana-prabhāvo ’py aparicchedyas tena rāmeṇa viruṇaddhi rāvaṇo mūḍha iti parihasann āha tatrāpaśyad ity-ādinā.
The sea coast has been described in great detail in order to reveal [Rāvaṇa’s] special determination to not turn back [to Laṅkā as per] Mārīca’s instructions while he endeavored to again go on the long path [to Mārīca’s āśrama].1
The author then laughs [at Rāvaṇa] while thinking, “Rāvaṇa who opposes Rāma is a fool [because] even His vehicle has unfathomable prowess” and speaks the next verse.2