Sloka 57
Sighting Suvela Malai in front
Meaning
Dear Friend! If the king of Sea sends up the mountains to provide upacArams for you, please stay on them for a little time and rest up. In these mountains, there would be lotus ponds. Please sit on one of these lotuses like you are used to sitting on at Lake Maanasarovar and elsewhere on earth. That lotus would have a lot of honey. Drink that honey and feel energized. Your fatigue from flying over long distances would disappear. After that rest, You can take off and complete the rest of the journey easily. At the end of crossing the sea, you will see Suvela malai on the shores of LankA. The waves repeatedly break on it and make its surface very smooth. You will be seeing then this beautiful mountain belonging to LankA.
Sloka 58
The strange appearance of the evening at Suvela malai
Meaning
Dear Swan friend! As you approach the Suvela Malai at sandhyA kAlam, you will find a wonderful sight. Near the Suvela Mountain, the coral trees under water would have long branches. The corals that broke away from those branches would stay as heaps under the foot of the mountain. That assembly of red corals would look like the solidified blood from the wings of the Suvela Mountain cut off by Indran. Next to these coral heaps would be pearls from the oysters brought to shore by the ceaseless waves. These pearls would appear like the stars in the sky. The brilliant white color from the pearls would fall on the deep red corals and mute somewhat latter’s intense red hue. Oh Swan! Your reflection will be seen on the ocean waters like that of the Moon. The combined images of the pearls, the corals, Your reflection on the surface of the water, the stars and the Moon will present an extraordinary scene during that evening time.
Sloka 59
The vaibhavam of the forest in the Suvela malai
Meaning
Oh dear Swan friend! Please listen some more about the glories of the Suvela mountain. You will find a forest on the sea shore at the bottom of the Suvela Mountain. Here, the strong waves of the ocean would have brought many pearls from the ocean. Pearls and other gems would mingle with the pearls and present a kaleidoscopic array of colors in the form of tender shoots of creeping plants. Further, this forest has many MandAra trees from Deva lokam planted by the devAs in fear of RaavaNan and they will be exuding divine fragrance from their honey-laden flowers, which spreads all over that forest.
Sloka 60
Sighting of LankA
Meaning
Oh Swan friend! When you stand on top of the Suvela mountain, you will see the city of LankA situated on top of the trikUTa Mountain. Because of the many white mansions of LankA, the whole city itself will appear white. The city of LankA will look like your own dear consort sitting on a wide sandy island in the broad expanse of the ocean that you just crossed. In that city of LankA, You will hear the delightful sound from many musical instruments and the flags on top of the mansions will be waving gently from side to side.
The sight of the waving flags and the sound of the musical instruments would appear like the sweet welcoming sounds of Your dear consort and waving of her wings to signal you to join her quickly. May You reach that LankA city to join your consort and deliver my message to my dear Devi!
With this ends the first Asvasam is completed.
iti SrI hamsa sandeSe prathama ASvAsa:
English Commentary by Sri Oppiliappan Sadagopan
Courtesy: Smt Jayanthi Sridharan (Carnatic vocalist)
