--- title: "Sundara Kanda, Sarga 17" canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/sundara-kanda/sarga-17" lang: "en" --- # Sundara Kanda, Sarga 17 > ततः कुमुदखण्डाभो निर्मलं निर्मलोदयः। > प्रजगाम नभश्चन्द्रो हंसो नीलमिवोदकम्॥ १॥ Then at the end of the day the moon, which looked like a cluster of water-lilies and had risen quite stainless, ascended the cloudless sky like a swan swimming through blue waters. (1) > साचिव्यमिव कुर्वन् स प्रभया निर्मलप्रभः। > चन्द्रमा रश्मिभिः शीतैः सिषेवे पवनात्मजम्॥ २॥ Rendering aid to him, as it were, with its light so as to enable him to see Sītā clearly, the moon, possessed of bright lustre, ministered to Hanumān with its cool rays. (2) > स ददर्श ततः सीतां पूर्णचन्द्रनिभाननाम्। > शोकभारैरिव न्यस्तां भारैर्नावमिवाम्भसि॥ ३॥ He thereupon beheld Sītā, whose face shone like the full moon and who was weighed down by the pressure of grief even as a boat sinking in water under heavy loads. (3) > दिदृक्षमाणो वैदेहीं हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः। > स ददर्शाविदूरस्था राक्षसीर्घोरदर्शनाः॥ ४॥ While seeking openly to see Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory, the said Hanumān, sprung from the loins of the wind-god, beheld ogresses of terrible aspect sitting at a short distance from her. (4) > एकाक्षीमेककर्णां च कर्णप्रावरणां तथा। > अकर्णां शङ्कुकर्णां च मस्तकोच्छ्वासनासिकाम्॥ ५॥ > अतिकायोत्तमांगीं च तनुदीर्घशिरोधराम्। > ध्वस्तकेशीं तथाकेशीं केशकम्बलधारिणीम्॥ ६॥ > लम्बकर्णललाटां च लम्बोदरपयोधराम्। > लम्बोष्ठीं चिबुकोष्ठीं च लम्बास्यां लम्बजानुकाम्॥ ७॥ > ह्रस्वां दीर्घां च कुब्जां च विकटां वामनां तथा। > करालां भुग्नवक्त्रां च पिंगाक्षीं विकृताननाम्॥ ८॥ He found one of them single-eyed, another with a single ear, a third using her extensive ears as a covering for her body, still another without ears, another with dart-like ears, another with her nose for respiration on the forehead, another with her head disproportionately large, yet another with a thin long neck, another with her hair fallen off, still another hairless, another wearing her hair as a blanket wrapped about her person, another with long ears and brow, another with a protruding belly and breasts, another with protruding lips, another with her lips hanging over the chin, another with a long face and still another with protruding knees, another stunted, yet another tall, another humpbacked, another with a crooked body, yet another a dwarf, another frightful, yet another with her face set awry, another with tawny eyes and yet another with a deformed face. (5—8) > विकृताः पिंगलाः कालीः क्रोधनाः कलहप्रियाः। > कालायसमहाशूलकूटमुद्गरधारिणीः ॥ ९ ॥ > वराहमृगशार्दूलमहिषाजशिवामुखाः। > गजोष्ट्रहयपादाश्च निखातशिरसोऽपराः॥ १०॥ > एकहस्तैकपादाश्च खरकर्ण्यश्वकर्णिकाः। > गोकर्णीर्हस्तिकर्णीश्च हरिकर्णीस्तथापराः॥ ११॥ > अतिनासाश्च काश्चिच्च तिर्यङ् नासा अनासिकाः। > गजसंनिभनासाश्च ललाटोच्छ्वासनासिकाः॥ १२॥ > हस्तिपादा महापादा गोपादाः पादचूलिकाः। > अतिमात्रशिरोग्रीवा अतिमात्रकुचोदरीः॥ १३॥ > अतिमात्रास्यनेत्राश्च दीर्घजिह्वाननास्तथा। > अजामुखीर्हस्तिमुखीर्गोमुखीः सूकरीमुखीः॥ १४॥ > हयोष्ट्रखरवक्त्राश्च राक्षसीर्घोरदर्शनाः। > शूलमुद्गरहस्ताश्च क्रोधनाः कलहप्रियाः॥ १५॥ > कराला धूम्रकेशिन्यो राक्षसीर्विकृताननाः। > पिबन्ति सततं पानं सुरामांससदाप्रियाः॥ १६॥ > मांसशोणितदिग्धांगीर्मांसशोणितभोजनाः। > ता ददर्श कपिश्रेष्ठो रोमहर्षणदर्शनाः॥ १७॥ > स्कन्धवन्तमुपासीनाः परिवार्य वनस्पतिम्। > तस्याधस्ताच्च तां देवीं राजपुत्रीमनिन्दिताम्॥ १८॥ Hanumān, the foremost of monkeys, saw ogresses who were deformed, those who were tawny, others who were dark-complexioned, others who were irascible and fond of picking up a quarrel and wielded big darts, mallets and clubs of iron, some with heads like those of a boar, deer, tiger, buffalo, goat or fox, some with the feet of an elephant, camel or horse, and others with their heads sunk into their bosom (like Kabandha), some with a single hand and others with a single foot, some having ears of donkeys and others those of horses, some having the ears of a cow and others those of an elephant, and still others those of a lion, some having abnormally long noses and others having crooked noses, and yet others having no nose at all, some having noses like the proboscis of an elephant and others having noses for respiration fixed in their foreheads, some having the feet of elephants and others those of kine, some having enormous feet and others having a tuft of hair growing on their feet, some having abnormally large heads and necks and others having exceptionally large breasts and bellies, some having unusually large mouths and eyes, some having long tongues in their mouths, also ogresses of terrible aspect having the heads of goats, elephants, cows or boars, horses, camels or donkeys, some carrying pikes and clubs in their hands, frightful ogresses who were irascible and fond of picking up quarrels, had smoke-coloured hair and deformed faces, who constantly drank wine and were ever fond of drink and meat, who lived on meat and blood and had their bodies smeared with meat and blood and whose very sight made one’s hair stand on end and who were seated close to and round about that tree of beautiful trunk and boughs; and at the foot of the same tree he beheld that irreproachable and godlike princess. (9—18) > लक्षयामास लक्ष्मीवान् हनूमाञ्जनकात्मजाम्। > निष्प्रभां शोकसंतप्तां मलसंकुलमूर्धजाम्॥ १९॥ > क्षीणपुण्यां च्युतां भूमौ तारां निपतितामिव। > चारित्रव्यपदेशाढ्यां भर्तृदर्शनदुर्गताम्॥ २०॥ > भूषणैरुत्तमैर्हीनां भर्तृवात्सल्यभूषिताम्। > राक्षसाधिपसंरुद्धां बन्धुभिश्च विनाकृताम्॥ २१॥ > वियूथां सिंहसंरुद्धां बद्धां गजवधूमिव। > चन्द्ररेखां पयोदान्ते शारदाभ्रैरिवावृताम्॥ २२॥ > क्लिष्टरूपामसंस्पर्शादयुक्तामिव वल्लकीम्। > स तां भर्तृहिते युक्तामयुक्तां रक्षसां वशे॥ २३॥ > अशोकवनिकामध्ये शोकसागरमाप्लुताम्। > ताभिः परिवृतां तत्र सग्रहामिव रोहिणीम्॥ २४॥ > ददर्श हनुमांस्तत्र लतामकुसुमामिव। > सा मलेन च दिग्धांगी वपुषा चाप्यलंकृता। > मृणाली पङ्कदिग्धेव विभाति च न भाति च॥ २५॥ The graceful Hanumān found Sītā, Janaka’s daughter, who was shorn of lustre like a meteor fallen on the earth, its merits exhausted, was sore stricken with grief, her locks thick with dirt, and rich in fame for her lofty character, though deprived of the sight of her lord, who, though bereft of her excellent jewels, was nonetheless adorned with the affection of her husband, nay, who, having been detained by Rāvaṇa (the suzerain lord of ogres) and as such disunited from her relations, resemble a female elephant separated from its herd, detained by a lion and tied with a cord of affection for her own herd, or the disc of the moon obscured by autumnal clouds at the end of the monsoon; who, through lack of contact with her husband had got faded in appearance like the untouched strings of a Vīṇā by its master and was reduced to a dumb state, not merited by her; nay, who was devoted to the good of her husband and had fallen under the sway of ogres, though not deserving it; who, though living in the midst of the Aśoka grove (consisting of trees which are supposed by their name to rid all, who live in their midst, of all grief), was nonetheless plunged in grief and was surrounded there by ogresses even like the star Rohiṇī fallen under the sway of some unpropitious planet. Hanumān found her there like a creeper divested of its blooms. Nay, graced with her body, which was clothed with a natural charm, even though unadorned, even though her limbs were stained with dirt, she looked charming as well as without charm like a lotus-fibre stained with mud. (19—25) > मलिनेन तु वस्त्रेण परिक्लिष्टेन भामिनीम्। > संवृतां मृगशावाक्षीं ददर्श हनुमान् कपिः॥ २६॥ > तां देवीं दीनवदनामदीनां भर्तृतेजसा। > रक्षितां स्वेन शीलेन सीतामसितलोचनाम्॥ २७॥ Hanumān saw the dark-eyed young godlike belle, Sītā, with eyes like a fawn’s and actually covered with a soiled and tattered cloth, wretched in appearance, though undepressed in spirit, her confidence being restored by the thought of her husband’s glory and protected by her own virtue. (26-27) > तां दृष्ट्वा हनुमान् सीतां मृगशावनिभेक्षणाम्। > मृगकन्यामिव त्रस्तां वीक्षमाणां समन्ततः॥ २८॥ > दहन्तीमिव निःश्वासैर्वृक्षान् पल्लवधारिणः। > संघातमिव शोकानां दुःखस्योर्मिमिवोत्थिताम्॥ २९॥ > तां क्षमां सुविभक्तांगीं विनाभरणशोभिनीम्। > प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे मारुतिः प्रेक्ष्य मैथिलीम्॥ ३०॥ Hanumān, son of the wind-god, derived immense and excessive joy on beholding the celebrated Sītā, that princess of Mithilā, who was lovely to look at, whose eyes resembled those of a fawn and who was looking all round timidly like a frightened fawn, who was burning, as it were, with her sighs the trees bearing leaves, nay, who was a personification of griefs, as it were, and resembled a towering wave of sorrow, who was emaciated and had well-proportioned limbs and who looked charming even without ornaments. (28—30) > हर्षजानि च सोऽश्रूणि तां दृष्ट्वा मदिरेक्षणाम्। > मुमोच हनुमांस्तत्र नमश्चक्रे च राघवम्॥ ३१॥ Hanumān shed tears born of joy on beholding that lady with maddening eyes and saluted Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, on that happy occasion. (31) > नमस्कृत्वाथ रामाय लक्ष्मणाय च वीर्यवान्। > सीतादर्शनसंहृष्टो हनुमान् संवृतोऽभवत्॥ ३२॥ Having bowed down to Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, the powerful Hanumān, who was overjoyed at the sight of Sītā, then went into hiding once more behind the boughs. (32) Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana --- Source: Gita Press, Gorakhpur editions. Buy the book: https://gitapress.org/product/sri-ramcharitmanas-special-edition Ramayana.com, a free, ad-free project of Ved Vyas Foundation.