Valmiki Ramayana · Sundara Kanda · Sarga 1
स तस्य गिरिवर्यस्य तले नागवरायुते। तिष्ठन् कपिवरस्तत्र ह्रदे नाग इवाबभौ
sa tasya girivaryasya tale nāgavarāyute| tiṣṭhan kapivarastatra hrade nāga ivābabhau
As the monkey leader stood at the foot of the great mountain filled with lordly elephants he looked like an elephant standing at the centre of a pond.
— M.N. Dutt (1891)
Commentary
Hanuman stands at the foot of the mountain like an elephant in a pond — the image is one of perfect stillness before immense action. The contrast between his stationary body and his determined mind sets up the leap that will follow. The elephant (nāga) is a recurring symbol of royal dignity and controlled power in the Ramayana.
गिरिवर्यह्रदनागवर