prakarair gopuragaraih

 satakumbha-paricchadaih

sarvato ’lankrtam srimad-

 vimana-sikhara-dyubhih

 

Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada: 

 

In the capital city there were many palaces, city gates and surrounding walls, which were already very, very beautiful, and on this occasion all of them were decorated with golden ornaments. The domes of the city palaces glittered, as did the domes of the beautiful airplanes which hovered over the city.

 

Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:  

 

Regarding the mention of airplanes here, it is suggested by Srimad Vijayadhvaja Tirtha that on this occasion the demigods from higher planetary systems also came in their airplanes to bestow their blessings on Dhruva Maharaja on his arrival at the capital of his father. It also appears that all the domes of the city palaces as well as the pinnacles of the airplanes were decorated with ornamental work in gold, and, being reflected by the sunshine, they were all glittering. We can observe a specific distinction between Dhruva Maharaja’s time and modern days, for the airplanes in those days were made of gold, whereas at the present moment airplanes are made of base aluminum. This just gives a hint of the opulence of Dhruva Maharaja’s days and the poverty of modern times.