Text 17
sā vānarendra-bala-ruddha-vihāra-koṣṭha-
śrī-dvāra-gopura-sado-valabhī-viṭaṅkā
nirbhajyamāna-dhiṣaṇa-dhvaja-hema-kumbha-
śṛṅgāṭakā gaja-kulair hradinīva ghūrṇā
sā — the place known as Laṅkā; vānara-indra — of the great chiefs of the monkeys; bala — by the strength; ruddha — stopped, encircled; vihāra — pleasure houses; koṣṭha — the places where food grains were stocked; śrī — the treasury houses; dvāra — the doors of palaces; gopura — the gates of the city; sadaḥ — the assembly houses; valabhī — the frontage of great palaces; viṭaṅkā — the rest houses for the pigeons; nirbhajyamāna — in the process of being dismantled; dhiṣaṇa — platforms; dhvaja — the flags; hema-kumbha — golden waterpots on the domes; śṛṅgāṭakā — and the crossroads; gaja-kulaiḥ — by herds of elephants; hradinī — a river; iva — like; ghūrṇā — agitated.
After entering Laṅkā, the monkey soldiers, led by chiefs like Sugrīva, Nīla and Hanumān, occupied all the sporting houses, granaries, treasuries, palace doorways, city gates, assembly houses, palace frontages and even the resting houses of the pigeons. When the city’s crossroads, platforms, flags and golden waterpots on its domes were all destroyed, the entire city of Laṅkā appeared like a river disturbed by a herd of elephants.