Sundara Kanda, Sarga 11

Meaning

Having dismissed that thought, Hanuman, the great monkey, became normal again. Then he indulged in further reflection concerning Sītā as follows : (1)

Meaning

“Separated from Rāma, the foresaid belle should not be able to sleep, nor to eat, nor again to adorn herself, much less to enjoy drink. (2)

Meaning

“Nor would she consort with another male, be he the lord of celestials himself; for there is none equal to Śrī Rāma even among the gods (who have only three stages in life, viz., childhood, adolescence and youth, the fourth, viz., old age, being absent in them).” (3)

Meaning

Concluding that she must be someone other than Sītā, Hanumān, the foremost of monkeys, began to move about in the banquet hall once more, keen as he was to discover Sītā. (4)

Meaning

Some had been worn out through gambling, while others had likewise got fatigued through singing. Still others had been exhausted through dancing while others had been overpowered by drink. (5)

Meaning

Nay, some had reclined on tabors, wooden tomtoms and Celikas (a kind of musical instrument); while other women had likewise lain asleep on excellent beds. (6)

Meaning

Hanumān, a commander of monkey hordes, saw the banquet hall full of thousands of belles adorned with excellent jewels, who indulged in talking of one another’s charms and discussing the apposite meaning of songs, were skilled in discerning time and place and capable of using appropriate expressions and excessively addicted to pleasure. (7-8)

Meaning

Elsewhere too he actually saw lying fast asleep thousands of young belles who were wont to lie down talking of one another’s charms: so the tradition goes. (9)

Meaning

Hanumān, a leader of monkey hordes, found these latter capable of discerning what was called for at a particular time and place and wont to use proper expression and lying fast asleep after ceaselessly indulging in sexual delights. (10)

Meaning

In their midst the mighty-armed Rāvaṇa, the lord of ogres, looked charming like a bull lying in the midst of excellent cows in a big cow-pen. (11)

Meaning

Surrounded by them, the aforesaid lord of ogres himself looked charming like a lordly elephant encircled by female elephants in a forest. (12)

Meaning

Hanumān, a tiger among monkeys, once more ransacked the banquet hall in the palace of the aforesaid lord of ogres of gigantic proportions, which was furnished with all desired objects. (13)

Meaning

He saw the meats of deer and buffaloes as well as of boars separately arranged in that banquet hall. (14)

Meaning

Hanumān further beheld placed in big vessels of gold the meats of peacocks and fowl, that had not yet been tasted by anyone. (15)

Meaning

Hanumān also perceived there the meats of boars, rhinoceroses, porcupines, deer and peacocks preserved in curds and Sochal salt, as also the meats of birds known by the name of Kṛkala, goats of various kinds, hares, half-consumed buffaloes, also Ekaśalyas (a kind of fish), and the dressed meat of rams as well as chutneys and drinks of various kinds as also dishes of different kinds that could be easily gulped, along with Rāgas* and Khāṇḍavas of every description seasoned with sour and salty sauces. (16—18)

Meaning

With large anklets and armlets of great value thrown away and drinking vessels scattered about, as also with fruits of various kinds scattered here and there, the floor of the banquet hall, on which flowers had been offered to gods, spread its charm profusely. Nay, with couches and seats set of gold and precious stones arranged in order at various places close to one another appeared inflamed, as it were, even without fire. Transparent beverages of various kinds that had trickled down from Kadamba and other trees as well as artificial liquors lying separately on the floor of the banquet hall alongside meats of various kinds and different tastes, dressed by expert cooks and flavoured with diverse excellent ingredients, as also beverages distilled from sugar, honey, flowers and fruits (such as vine and date-palms) and impregnated with aromatic powders of various kinds separately were seen by Hanumān. (19—23)

Meaning

Strewn with flowers collected at various places and covered with pitchers of gold, also vessels of crystal and pots of gold and other substances with two outlets, the floor of the banquet hall looked charming. Hanumān likewise saw the floor of that hall with excellent beverages collected in pitchers of silver as well as of gold. Hanumān also beheld different vessels of gold as well as of gems, full of wine. Here he saw wine jars which were half-full, and there he saw them wholly drained; while elsewhere he found them quite full: so the tradition goes. Hanumān, they say, roamed about beholding at one place foods of various kinds requiring mastication and beverages kept separately elsewhere; and drinks half exhausted at a third place. Here the beds of many women were lying unoccupied, while elsewhere some belles lay asleep embracing one another. (24—29)

Meaning

Moving to the bed of another, snatching away her covering and wrapping herself in it, a certain woman, who had been overpowered by pressure of slumber, lay asleep embracing her. (30)

Meaning

Due to their outgoing breaths the excellent covering and garland on their body shook gently as on facing a gentle breeze. (31)

Meaning

Nay, wafting the varied scent of cool sandal-paste, sweet-tasting wine as well as of the diverse floral wreaths and various flowers as also of sandal-paste fit to be used for bath and of incenses burning in that edifice, the wind blew hard in many ways at that time and its fragrance spread over the aerial car, Puṣpaka, standing outside. In the abode of that ogre, Rāvaṇa, some belles were of a dark-brown complexion, while others were fair-complexioned. Some were dark-complexioned, while other young women were of a golden complexion. Withered partly due to the influence of sleep and partly due to excessive indulgence in sexual delights, the elegance of those women precisely resembled the grace of closed lotus flower indeed. In this way Hanumān, the exceptionally glorious monkey, thoroughly searched the entire gynaeceum of Rāvaṇa, but he did not find Sītā, Janaka’s daughter. (32—36)

Meaning

While gazing on those women, that great Hanumān fell a victim to grave misgiving, seized as he was with apprehension regarding the infringement of the moral code on his part. (37)

Meaning

He said to himself : ‘Gazing on a group of others’ wives lying fast asleep and, therefore, deshabille, is not good. Indeed it will utterly neutralize my virtue. (38)

Meaning

‘My gaze never fell on the wives of others heretofore. Nay, this fellow Rāvaṇa, who had taken the consorts of others to wife, has also been seen by me, which in itself is sinful.’ (39)

Meaning

Another thought then cropped up in the mind of the high-minded Hanumān, whose mind was definitely devoted to a single purpose—a thought which showed to him the way of determining his duty. (40)

Meaning

He said to himself : ‘True, all the consorts of Rāvaṇa were seen by me lying unsuspicious of my presence; yet no foulness of purpose entered my mind. (41)

Meaning

‘The mind is undoubtedly instrumental in impelling all the sense-organs to good and evil actions; and that mind of mine is firmly established in righteousness. (42)

Meaning

‘Surely Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory, could not be searched for by me anywhere else; for when search has to be carried out thoroughly, women are always looked for in the midst of women. (43)

Meaning

‘One looks for a being amongst the variety which comprises it. A lost woman could not be sought for among the deer. (44)

Meaning

‘Therefore, with a pure mind only has this entire gynaeceum of Rāvaṇa been ransacked by me; Janaka’s daughter, however, is not to be seen.’ (45)

Meaning

Even while gazing on the daughters of gods, Gandharvas and Nāgas, the powerful Hanumān did not behold Janaka’s daughter at all. (46)

Meaning

Not finding Sītā there while seeing other belles, and slipping away from that place, the hero Hanumān then prepared to leave for another place. (47)

Meaning

Leaving the place of carousing, that glorious son of the wind-god began once more to search for Sītā on all sides with assiduity. (48)