Sundara Kanda, Sarga 9

Meaning

In the centre of that palace, the most excellent of all edifices, Hanumān, sprung from the loins of the wind-god, espied the huge, spotless and spacious mansion of Rāvaṇa, the lord of ogres, the foremost of all buildings, half a Yojana (or four miles) wide and a Yojana (or eight miles) long and crowded with numerous edifices. (1-2)

Meaning

Looking about for the large-eyed Sītā, a princess of the Vedeha territory, Hanumān, the slayer of his foes, ranged all over in that palace. (3)

Meaning

Gazing on the excellent abode of the ogres, Hanumān, who was full of riches in the form of strength and valour, presently approached the mansion of Rāvaṇa, the ruler of ogres. (4)

Meaning

The commodious edifice was surrounded by elephants with four, two and three tusks respectively and was being guarded by ogres with uplifted weapons. (5)

Meaning

The mansion was thronged with ogresses, who were wives of Rāvaṇa as well as by princesses who had been brought away by him after showing valour. (6)

Meaning

It looked like a sea infested with crocodiles and alligators, crowded with whales and other fishes, tossed by the force of winds and teeming with serpents. (7)

Meaning

The lovely splendour that hangs about Kubera (son of Sage Viśravā), the moon and Indra (who has a greenish mount) ever existed in the abode of Rāvaṇa and never departed from it. (8)

Meaning

In the dwellings of the ogres in Laṅkā was found the same prosperity or even greater than that which reigned in the residences of King Kubera (the ruler of Yakṣas and other demigods), Yama (the god of retribution) and Varuṇa (the god of waters). (9)

Meaning

Hanumān, sprung from the loins of the wind-god, beheld another edifice in the centre of the aforesaid mansion, which was beautifully constructed and marked with the presence of numerous elephants in rut. (10)

Meaning

Conquering Kubera by dint of his superior physical strength, Rāvaṇa, the lord of ogres, had won as a booty that heavenly aerial car, Puṣpaka by name, which had been constructed in heaven for Brahmā, the creator, by Viśwakarmā, the architect of gods and was embellished with all kinds of precious stones, and which Kubera had secured by virtue of his severest asceticism from Brahmā (the grandfather of the entire creation, which was brought forth by his mind-born sons, the Prajāpatis). (11-12)

Meaning

Hanumān, the mighty monkey, leapt up the heavenly aerial car, Puṣpaka, which was supported by well-fashioned pillars of gold and silver, embellished with images of wolves, and which was ablaze, as it were, with splendour; which was graced on all sides with secret cells and pleasure-houses, resembling Meru and Mandāra mountains, brilliant as fire and the sun and scraping the heavens, as it were; which had been constructed well by Viśwakarmā, the architect of gods, had stairways of gold and charming and excellent platforms radiant with sapphires and emeralds, was provided with lattice windows of gold as well as of crystal, was embellished on all sides with floors inlaid with lovely coral and precious gems and matchless pearls and which shone like the rising sun painted as it was with the sandal, bright as heated gold and emitting a pure odour. Standing there, he smelt red heavenly odour coming from drinks and foods including cooked rice and diffused on all sides—odour which impinged on him as though it were solid air. That odour called, as it were, Hanumān, who was endowed with extraordinary vitality, even as a relation would call an esteemed relative, to the place where Rāvaṇa was, saying ‘Come hither.’ Set out from there he beheld that well-known, wonderful, spacious and cosy hall which was the most beloved of Rāvaṇa as a loved belle, had stairways of gems constructed with extra care and was adorned with lattice windows of gold; whose floors were covered with slabs of crystal inlaid with figures of ivory, pearls, diamonds and corals as well as of silver and gold; which was embellished with pillars of gems, uniform, straight and very tall and highly ornamented as well as with numerous other pillars; which, supported, as it was, on very lofty pillars looking like so many wings, had duly set out, as it were, on its flight to heaven; whose floor was covered with a large carpet with designs of mountains, trees and rivers etc., the features of the earth’s surface executed on it; which was extensive like the earth and looked charming with mural representations of various countries and dwellings; which was rendered noisy by birds in heat and ever remained scented with celestial odours; which was hung with excellent tapestries and was inhabited by Rāvaṇa, the suzerain ruler of ogres; which remained smoky with fumes of incense made of agallocum, though spotless and white as a swan; nay, which, with its offerings of leaves and flowers, looked variegated, as it were, was full of great effulgence and soul-ravishing and served as an adornment even to splendour; which banished all grief and gave birth to prosperity, as it were. Like a mother, the chamber protected by Rāvaṇa gratified on that occasion all the five senses of Hanumān with the excellent five objects of those senses. Hanumān, son of the wind-god, speculated that the place where he stood might indeed be paradise or that it might be the realm of the principal gods, the city of Indra, the ruler of gods, or that it might be the realm of Brahmā, the attainment of which constitutes the highest achievement on the material plane. (13—30)

Meaning

Hanumān found the lights burning steadily inside lamps of gold mounted on lamp posts also of gold and bedimmed, as it were, by the splendour of Rāvaṇa in that chamber as though they were in deep contemplation like gamblers worsted in gambling by expert gamblers. (31)

Meaning

He thought that the chamber was ablaze with the brilliance of the lights and the glory of Rāvaṇa as also with the splendour of the ornaments. (32)

Meaning

Next he found lying on the carpet at that moment thousands of belles wearing clothes and garlands of diverse hues and clad in various attires, nay, fallen dead asleep at night under the influence of drink and slumber, having retired after sport, half of the night having already passed. (33-34)

Meaning

Fast asleep and adorned with jewels such as girdle and anklets which did not make their peculiar tinkling sound, that bevy shone brightly like a large bed of lotuses with the swans and bees sitting calm and quiet without any noise. (35)

Meaning

Hanumān, son of the wind-god, saw the faces of those belles with their teeth concealed by their sealed lips and their eyes closed and emitting a fragrance akin to that of a lotus. (36)

Meaning

Assuming the shape of full-blown lotuses at the close of night, their faces again looked at that time like lotuses with their petals closed at night. (37)

Meaning

By recourse to reason the glorious and mighty Hanumān presumed that the drunken bees must be repeatedly invoking the hospitality of these lotus-like faces as they do in the case of expanded lotuses; for he regarded the former akin to lotuses (lit., flowers sprung from water). (38-39)

Meaning

Irradiated by those women that chamber of Rāvaṇa shone like the cloudless sky spangled on all sides with stars in autumn. (40)

Meaning

And, surrounded by them, Rāvaṇa, the suzerain lord of ogres, actually shone like the glorious moon (lit., the lord of stars) encircled by stars. (41)

Meaning

Hanumān thought at that time that all those meteors that fell from the heavens, wrapped up in the residue of their exhausted stock of merit had been (re-) united there. (42)

Meaning

Nay, the lustre, complexion and grace of the women lying there very vividly resembled the brilliance, charm and clearness of big stars radiating bright lustre. (43)

Meaning

Their locks and thick garlands thrown into disorder and their excellent jewels scattered at the time of drinking and dancing etc., they had fallen unconscious under the influence of slumber. (44)

Meaning

Some of them had the sacred marks on their forehead wiped off, others had their anklets thrown on their ankles, while still other belles had their necklaces fallen off by their side. (45)

Meaning

Some lay covered by their broken necklaces, while others had their raiment slipped off, while yet others, who had the strings of their girdles snapped, lay like young mares which had been made to carry loads and fallen asleep under a spell of exertion. (46)

Meaning

Some did not have any earrings (which had obviously dropped in the course of their dancing etc.,) while others had their garlands broken and crushed and looked like blossomed creepers lying crushed by a lordly elephant in a large forest. (47)

Meaning

Again, the pearl-necklaces of some women which had come out, shone like the rays of the moon and the sun, appeared like swans lying asleep in the space between their breasts. (48)

Meaning

Necklaces of cat’s-eye gems on the breasts of some ladies looked like Kadamba birds (a species of geese with dark-grey wings), while chains of gold on the breasts of others appeared like Cakrawāka birds. (49)

Meaning

With their thighs for banks, they looked like rivers characterized by swans and ducks and graced by Cakrawākas. (50)

Meaning

With the tiny bells forming part of their girdles for buds, the gold ornaments for big lotuses, the amorous gestures appearing on their person in their dream for alligators and their splendour for river banks, the women while asleep looked like so many streams.(51)

Meaning

The charming marks of ornaments imprinted on their tender limbs as well as on the nipples of some women looked like so many ornaments. (52)

Meaning

Shaken by the breaths of their mouths, the ends of the upper garments drawn over the faces of some women fluttered again and again. (53)

Meaning

Those pieces of cloth drawn over the lower parts of the faces of Rāvaṇa’s consorts of diverse lovely complexions waved like streamers of agreeable splendour. (54)

Meaning

The earrings of some women of charming splendour gently vibrated due to the movements of the breaths escaping from their nostrils/mouths. (55)

Meaning

Emitting the odour of spirituous liquor extracted from sugar, the well-known breath escaping from their mouth, which was naturally fragrant and delightful, was refreshing Rāvaṇa at that time. (56)

Meaning

Nay, some consorts of Rāvaṇa smelt again and again the mouths of other co-wives, suspecting them to be Rāvaṇa’s mouth due to infatuation caused by intoxication and sleep. (57)

Meaning

No longer master of themselves, their mind being excessively attached to Rāvaṇa, the aforesaid belles thereby brought delight only at that time to other co-wives, who too in their turn smelt the mouths of other co-wives, mistaking them to be Rāvaṇa’s. (58)

Meaning

Some young woman lay there placing their arms adorned with bracelets under their heads by way of a pillow, while others did so placing their lovely garments under their head. (59)

Meaning

A certain woman lay with her head resting an another’s bosom, while another lay using the latter’s arm as a pillow. Yet another for her part lay converting the lap of another into a pillow, while a third lay turning the latter’s breasts into a pillow. (60)

Meaning

Yielding to the influence of intoxication and love, they rested their heads on the thighs, sides, waist and backs of one another, their limbs placed on one another’s limbs. (61)

Meaning

Feeling delighted with the touch of one another’s limbs, their arms intertwined, all the women, who were distinguished by their slender waist, were lying asleep there. (62)

Meaning

Strung on the arms of one another intertwined as one string, drunken black bees in heat resting over it (in the form of hair and nipples etc.,) the aforesaid garland of women looked really charming like a wreath of flowers strung on a thread. (63)

Meaning

Shaken by the breaths from their mouths (in the shape of their covering), that gathering of the consorts of Rāvaṇa, strung together in the form of a garland, with their bunches of flowers joined with one another, their boughs in the form of shoulders interlocked and the black bees in the form of hair promiscuously mixed, looked like a cluster of creepers blossomed in the vernal month of Vaiśākha (corresponding to April) due to the caress of the southern breeze. (64-65)

Meaning

It was not possible to distinguish at that moment the jewels, the limbs, the raiment and the garlands of those women lying intertwined, as they were, even though the jewels etc., very vividly figured in their customary places. (66)

Meaning

While Rāvaṇa lay comfortably asleep, the deities presiding over the lights burning on lamp posts of gold gazed with unwinking eyes, as it were, on those women of varying splendour whom they dared not look at for fear of Rāvaṇa so long as he was awake. (67)

Meaning

Fallen a prey to lust, unmarried daughters of royal sages, Brahmnas and demons, as well as of Gandharvas (celestial musicians) and ogres had chosen to become his wives. (68)

Meaning

Many other women had been borne away by him because he was fond of war (since he thought that their relatives would offer resistance); while yet others, who were drunk with passion, had come of their own accord, infatuated as they were through love. (69)

Meaning

Even though he was full of prowess, no women among them, excepting, of course, the daughter of Janaka, who was worthy of being adored even by the best, had been forcibly carried off by him; they had been won through eminence in valour, prowess, comeliness etc. Nor was there any who longed for another, nor anyone who had belonged to another in the past. (70)

Meaning

Again, no consort of his was low-born, nor devoid of beauty, nor clumsy, nor unadorned, nor feeble, nor repulsive to her husband. (71)

Meaning

The following thought actually entered the mind of the pious-minded Hanumān, the leader of monkeys, that if Sītā, the lawful wife of Śrī Rāma, had been allowed by Rāvaṇa to remain as happy with her husband as those consorts of the mighty Rāvaṇa were, the birth of Rāvaṇa would indeed have been blessed. (72)

Meaning

Nay, Hanumān thought a second time that surely Sītā was superior to all these in point of excellences; that having assumed a deceptive form, this mighty ruler of Laṅkā perpetrated a painful and ignoble deed (in the shape of her abduction) with reference to her. (73)