लङ्का

{ laṅkā }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

LAṄKĀ   The kingdom of Rāvaṇa.
1) Origin.
It is believed that the present island of Ceylon was the Laṅkā of the Purāṇas, the city of Rāvaṇa. This city of Laṅkā was situated on the top of the mountain Trikūṭa. This Trikūṭa was a peak of Mahāmeru. Because of a fight between Vāsuki and Vāyubhagavān this peak broke away from Mahāmeru and fell into the ocean. (See Para 5 under Kubera).
2) History.
Viśvakarmā constructed a magnificent city on the top of the mountain Trikūṭa for the use of Kubera. Kubera lived there adored and worshipped by all. One day Kubera travelled by air in an aeroplane of his. Kaikasī, mother of Rāvaṇa saw that and she became jealous. She called her son to her side and said that at any cost the city of Laṅkā on the mount Trikūṭa should be captured and given to her. Rāvaṇa along with his brothers went to the Himālayas and performed penance there and obtained several boons from Śiva. Then Rāvaṇa conducted a victory march as an arch-opponen of all living forces and drove away Kubera from Laṅkā and took possession of Laṅkā as the place of his abode. He took along with him all the demons residing in Pātālaloka. 3). The design of Laṅkā. Viśvakarmā, the celebrated architect designed the beautiful Laṅkā and the supreme building ability of Maya brought into form the enchanting city. On the top of Trikūṭa was the all important Navaratnaśṛṅga and on a spacious plateau on its top stood the majestic city of Laṅkā. In the centre was the ten-storeyed palace of Rāvaṇa and around it in eight different places stood the nine-storeyed buildings of the great ministers of Rāvaṇa. The nine edifices were like the Navagrahas (nine planets) of Laṅkā. Each of the nine edifices was built with one of the nine gems and the royal palace in the centre was built by using all the nine gems. Even the sun avoided passing over these buildings and changed his path either a bit to the north or to the south making what is known as the Dakṣiṇāyana and Uttarāyaṇa. [Yuddha Kāṇḍa, Kamba Rāmāyaṇa] . 4). No sand in Laṅkā. The ancient belief is that there is no sand in Laṅkā The fourth taraṅga of Kathāmukhalambaka of Kathāsaritsāgara gives a story relating to the reason for this belief. Garuḍa flew to Devaloka to bring Amṛta (nectar) to redeem his mother from her servitude to his step-mother. On his way he took an elephant and tortoise from near the āśrama of Kaśyapa for his food. He sat on a huge banyan tree to eat them. On the ground below the Bālakhilyas were performing penance. The branch on which Garuḍa sat with his food sagged and before it broke Garuḍa took away the elephant and tortoise and deposited them on the mountain Gandhamādana near the ocean. The branch broke and fell into the ocean and the city of Laṅkā was built on the branch and that was why the ancient people believed there was no sand in Laṅkā. 5). Other details.
(i) Sahadeva sent Ghaṭotkaca to collect tribute from the King of Laṅkā for the Rājasūyayajña of Dharmaputra. [Chapter 31, Dākṣiṇātyapāṭha] .
(ii) The people of Laṅkā attended the Rājasūyayajña of Dharmaputra and took charge of serving rice in the feast. [Śloka 23, Chapter 53, Vana Parva] .
(iii) Hanūmān once burnt the city of Laṅkā with a fire from his tail. (See under RĀMA).
(iv) It was Brahmā who gave Laṅkā at first to Kubera. [Śloka 16, Chapter 274, Vana Parva] .
(v) After the death of Rāvaṇa, Vibhīṣaṇa was crowned the King of Laṅkā [Śloka 5, Chapter 291, Vana Parva] .

A Sanskrit English Dictionary

लङ्का  f.  a f. See below.
लङ्का  f.  b f. N. of the chief town in Ceylon or of the whole island (renowned as the capital of the great राक्षस रावण q.v.; accord. to some accounts L° was much larger than the island of Ceylon is at present, or was even distinct from it, the first meridian of longitude which passed through उज्जयिनी being supposed to pass through L°), [MBh.]; [R.] &c.
रावण-ह्रद    N. of a lake (= ), [R.]

ROOTS:

रावण ह्रद

of a योगिनी, [Hcat.]
of a शाकिनी or evil spirit, [L.]
an unchaste woman, [L.]
a branch, [L.]
a kind of grain, [L.]

The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

लङ्का [laṅkā]   [लक्-अच् मुम् च]
 N. N. of the capital and residence of Rāvaṇa and identified with the island of Ceylon or the chief town in it; according to some Laṅkā was much larger than the present island of Ceylon. It was originally built for Mālyavat q. v.; विजेतव्या लङ्का चरणतरणीयो जलनिधिः Udb.
An unchaste woman, a prostitute, harlot.
A branch.
A kind of grain. (Mar. लांक). -Comp.
-अधिपः, -अधिपतिः, -ईशः, -ईश्वरः, -नाथः, -पतिः   'lord of Laṅkā; i. e. Rāvaṇa or Bibhīṣaṇa लङ्कानाथं पवनतनयं चोभयं स्थापयित्वा कीर्तिस्तम्भद्वयमिव गिरौ दक्षिणे चोत्तरे च [R.15.13;] लङ्केशसंपूजितपादपद्मः पायाद- नादिः परमेश्वरो नः.
-अरिः   an epithet of Rāma.
-उदयः   the equivalents of the signs in right ascension. -दाहिन्m. an epithet of Hanumat.

Shabda-Sagara

लङ्का  f.  ( -ङ्का)
1. The capital of RĀVAṆA in Ceylon; the name is ex- tended also to the island, which according to the notions of the Hindus, is much more considerable in size, and lies further from the continent than in reality; it is described as being equal to one-twelvth of the equatorial circumference of the earth, and is one of the places lying under the first meridian, whence the longitude is computed; it is thus placed in the Eastern ocean, South of Ceylon, and according to WILFORD is the peninsula of Malacca: according to some Hindu accounts also, it is distinct from Ceylon, from which island Lankā is said to be just visible. 2. A goddess or evil spirit, one of the Śākinīs, perhaps the same as the tutelary deity of the city of Lankā.
3. An unchaste woman. 4. A branch.
5. A kind of grain.
E. लक् to obtain, (happiness, in which,) aff. अच्, and नुम् irr. augment.

ROOTS:

लक् अच् नुम्

संस्कृतम् (Sanskrit) WN

noun  एका नगरी ।   Ex. लङ्कायाः उल्लेखः रामायणे वर्तते
noun  एका योगिनी ।   Ex. लङ्कायाः उल्लेखः चतुर्वर्गचिन्तामण्यां वर्तते
noun  एका शाकिनी ।   Ex. लङ्कायाः उल्लेखः कोशे वर्तते
noun  एकं सरः ।   Ex. लङ्कायाः उल्लेखः रामायणे वर्तते

SYNONYM:

रावणह्रदः

See : शाखा