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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.42.12

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 42: Story of Sagara: Gaṅgā’s descent through Śiva’s hair. Śiva catches the falling river in his matted hair, Bhagīratha wins her release and leads the purifying waters across the earth

In the sequence: fish, crocodiles, and serpents flash through the falling water, while pale sprays and swimming swans resemble clouds

1.42.12

śiṃśumāroragagaṇair mīnair api ca cañcalaiḥ
vidyudbhir iva vikṣiptair ākāśam abhavat tadā

With hosts of crocodiles and serpents, and darting fishes too, the sky then became as though scattered with flashes of lightning.

Words: śiṃśumāroragagaṇair — with hosts of crocodiles and serpents; mīnair — with fishes; api — also; ca — and; cañcalaiḥ — darting, quivering; vidyudbhir — with lightnings; iva — as if, like; vikṣiptair — scattered, flung about; ākāśam — the sky; abhavat — became, was; tadā — then

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.