The Splendour of Pushpaka

Shloka 1 (sundara.8.1)

स तस्य मध्ये भवनस्य संस्थितो महद्विमानं मणिरत्नचित्रितम् । प्रतप्तजाम्बूनदजालकृत्रिमं ददर्श धीमान् पवनात्मजः कपिः ॥ 8.1 ॥

sa tasya madhye bhavanasya saṃsthito mahadvimānaṃ maṇiratnacitritam | prataptajāmbūnadajālakṛtrimaṃ dadarśa dhīmān pavanātmajaḥ kapiḥ || 8.1 ||

Standing in the middle of that mansion, the wise monkey, son of the Wind-god, saw a great aerial car, adorned all over with gems and jewels, wrought with a network of refined gold.

Shloka 2 (sundara.8.2)

तदप्रमेयप्रतिकारकृत्रिमं कृतं स्वयं साध्विति विश्वकर्मणा । दिवं गते वायुपथे प्रतिष्ठितं व्यराजतादित्यपथस्य लक्ष्म तत् ॥ 8.2 ॥

tadaprameyapratikārakṛtrimaṃ kṛtaṃ svayaṃ sādhviti viśvakarmaṇā | divaṃ gate vāyupathe pratiṣṭhitaṃ vyarājatādityapathasya lakṣma tat || 8.2 ||

That car, of immeasurable and matchless workmanship, was fashioned by Vishvakarma himself, who pronounced it excellent; set upon the path of the wind reaching to heaven, it shone as though it were the very emblem of the sun's own path.

Shloka 3 (sundara.8.3)

न तत्र किंचिन्न कृतं प्रयत्नतो न तत्र किंचिन्न महार्घरत्नवत् । न ते विशेषा नियताः सुरेष्वपि न तत्र किंचिन्न महाविशेषवत् ॥ 8.3 ॥

na tatra kiṃcinna kṛtaṃ prayatnato na tatra kiṃcinna mahārgharatnavat | na te viśeṣā niyatāḥ sureṣvapi na tatra kiṃcinna mahāviśeṣavat || 8.3 ||

There was nothing in it not wrought with great effort; nothing in it without a priceless gem; such distinctions were not even fixed among the gods; there was nothing in it that did not possess great distinction.

Shloka 4 (sundara.8.4)

तपः समाधानपराक्रमार्जितं मनःसमाधानविचारचारिणम् । अनेकसंस्थानविशेषनिर्मितं ततस्ततस्तुल्यविशेषनिर्मितम् ॥ 8.4 ॥

tapaḥ samādhānaparākramārjitaṃ manaḥsamādhānavicāracāriṇam | anekasaṃsthānaviśeṣanirmitaṃ tatastatastulyaviśeṣanirmitam || 8.4 ||

Won by the power of concentrated austerity, it moved according to the wish of a focused mind; fashioned with many special forms, each part made with matching distinction gathered from every quarter.

Shloka 5 (sundara.8.5)

मनः समाधाय तु शीघ्रगामिनं दुरासदं मारुततुल्यगामिनम् । महात्मनां पुण्यकृतां महर्द्धिनां यशस्विनामग्ऱ्यमुदामिवालयम् ॥ 8.5 ॥

manaḥ samādhāya tu śīghragāminaṃ durāsadaṃ mārutatulyagāminam | mahātmanāṃ puṇyakṛtāṃ maharddhināṃ yaśasvināmagṟyamudāmivālayam || 8.5 ||

Swift as thought the moment the mind was fixed upon it, hard to overtake, moving with the very speed of the wind — it seemed the foremost abode of joy for great-souled, virtuous, glorious and prosperous beings.

Shloka 6 (sundara.8.6)

विशेषमालम्ब्य विशेषसंस्थितं विचित्रकूटं बहुकूटमण्डितम् । मनोऽभिरामं शरदिन्दुनिर्मलं विचित्रकूटं शिखरं गिरेर्यथा ॥ 8.6 ॥

viśeṣamālambya viśeṣasaṃsthitaṃ vicitrakūṭaṃ bahukūṭamaṇḍitam | mano'bhirāmaṃ śaradindunirmalaṃ vicitrakūṭaṃ śikharaṃ gireryathā || 8.6 ||

Resting upon its own special foundation, adorned with many wondrous peaks, delightful to the mind, pure as the autumn moon — like a mountain's peak crowned with wondrous summits.

Shloka 7 (sundara.8.7)

वहन्ति यत्कुण्डलशोभितानना महाशना व्योमचरानिशाचराः । विवृत्तविध्वस्तविशाललोचना महाजवा भूतगणाः सहस्रशः ॥ 8.7 ॥

vahanti yatkuṇḍalaśobhitānanā mahāśanā vyomacarāniśācarāḥ | vivṛttavidhvastaviśālalocanā mahājavā bhūtagaṇāḥ sahasraśaḥ || 8.7 ||

It was borne by hosts of night-roaming spirits, thousands strong, their faces adorned with earrings, mighty eaters, moving through the sky, their broad eyes wide and rolling, of tremendous speed.

Shloka 8 (sundara.8.8)

वसन्तपुष्पोत्करचारुदर्शनं वसन्तमासादपि चारुदर्शनम् । स पुष्पकं तत्र विमानमुत्तमं ददर्श तद् वानरवीरसत्तमः ॥ 8.8 ॥

vasantapuṣpotkaracārudarśanaṃ vasantamāsādapi cārudarśanam | sa puṣpakaṃ tatra vimānamuttamaṃ dadarśa tad vānaravīrasattamaḥ || 8.8 ||

There the foremost of monkey heroes saw that supreme aerial car Pushpaka — beautiful to behold as a mass of springtime blossoms, lovelier even than the season of spring itself.