← 2.74.20 · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 74: Construction of Bharata’s route
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.74.21
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 74: Construction of Bharata’s route. Workers clear and level the ground, plant trees, dig wells and build supplied, defended camps along the road to the Gaṅgā
In the sequence: the completed route reaches the Gaṅgā.
2.74.21
sacandratārāgaṇamaṇḍitaṃ yathā nabhaḥkṣapāyām amalaṃ virājate
narendramārgaḥ sa tathā vyarājata krameṇa ramyaḥ śubhaśilpinirmitaḥ
Just as the spotless sky, adorned with the moon and hosts of stars, shines by night, so did that king's highway shine — delightful in every stretch, wrought by skilled artisans.
Words: sacandratārāgaṇamaṇḍitaṃ — adorned with the moon and hosts of stars; yathā — just as; nabhaḥkṣapāyām — the sky at night; amalaṃ — spotless, clear; virājate — shines; narendramārgaḥ — the king's highway; sa — that; tathā — so; vyarājata — shone; krameṇa — stretch by stretch, in due order; ramyaḥ — delightful; śubhaśilpinirmitaḥ — wrought by skilled artisans
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.