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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.42.13

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

1.42.13

pāṇḍuraiḥ salilotpīḍaiḥ kīryamāṇaiḥ sahasradhā
śāradābhrair ivākrītṇaṃ gaganaṃ haṃsasaṃplavaiḥ

The sky was filled, as if with autumn clouds, with pale surges of water scattered a thousandfold and with flocks of swimming swans.

Words: pāṇḍuraiḥ — pale, whitish (instr.); salilotpīḍaiḥ — with surges of water; kīryamāṇaiḥ — being scattered, strewn; sahasradhā — a thousandfold; śāradābhrair — with autumn clouds; ivākrītṇaṃ — as if filled, strewn; gaganaṃ — the sky; haṃsasaṃplavaiḥ — with flocks of swimming swans

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. 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.