Sundara Kanda · Sarga 11 of 68 · 48 verses
The Drinking Hall; Hanuman’s Scruple
Shaking off that thought, the great monkey becomes steady again and turns to another thought about Sita: “Separated from Rama, that lovely woman would not sleep, nor eat, nor adorn herself, nor take drink, nor approach another man, even the lord of the gods; there is no one equal to Rama even among the thirty gods. This is someone else.” Having decided this, the best of monkeys, eager to see Sita, roams again in the drinking hall. Some women are wearied by play, some by song, some by dance, others struck down by drink; others lie on drums and tabors and cushions and on the finest coverlets. The leader of monkey troops sees the hall filled with a thousand women adorned with ornaments, given to beauty and conversation, speaking the sense of songs, attuned to place and time, speaking fitting words, given to love; elsewhere he sees a thousand young women, fine women, sleeping after beauty and conversation, attuned to place and time, speaking fitting words, asleep when love had ceased. In their midst the mighty-armed lord of the rakshasas shines like a bull among the chief cows in a great pen; surrounded by them, he shines like a great elephant in the forest surrounded by she-elephants. In the house of the lord of the rakshasas the tiger among monkeys sees the drinking hall, furnished with every pleasure: the meats of deer, buffaloes and boars laid out in portions; and in wide golden vessels, uneaten peacocks and cocks; boars and vardhrinasa birds with curds and sauvarcala salt; porcupines, deer and peacocks; krikala birds, goats of many kinds, half-eaten hares, buffaloes and fish with one bone, and well-cooked rams; foods to lick, high and low, drinks, and dishes high and low; with many sour and salty relishes and sweets; with great anklets and armlets flung aside, of great value; with fruits of many kinds scattered among the drinking cups: the ground, strewn with offerings of flowers, takes on greater beauty. With beds and seats well joined, set here and there, the drinking hall seems ablaze without fire. With meats of many kinds, prepared with fine seasonings, set out separately in the drinking hall, and divine, clear liquors of many kinds, distilled spirits, sugar wine, madhvika, flower wine and fruit wine, each scented with many kinds of fragrant powders, the ground shines, covered with garlands laid in many ways, with golden pitchers, crystal vessels and other golden jugs. The monkey sees the drinking hall with silver and golden pots; he sees golden and jewelled vessels of liquor, some full, some half left, some drunk to the last drop, some not drunk at all; here foods of many kinds, there drinks in portions, there half left; he roams looking at them. Here many women’s beds are empty; some fine women sleep embracing one another; one weak woman, overcome by sleep, has taken another’s garment and sleeps embracing her. The garments and garlands on their bodies, stirred by their breathing, move only a little, like something reached by a gentle wind. The wind, carrying in many ways the varied scent of cool sandal, sweet liquor, many garlands and flowers, of baths, sandal and incense, blows sweet in the Pushpaka chariot. Some fine women in the rakshasa’s house are dark and fair, some black, some golden in their limbs; through the power of sleep and the swoon of love, their beauty is like that of sleeping lotus pools. So the splendid great monkey sees the whole of Ravana’s inner apartments without exception, but does not see Janaki.
Looking at those women, the great monkey falls into a great fear, alarmed for dharma: “Looking at the sleeping women of another man’s household will surely do great harm to my dharma. My gaze has never moved among other men’s wives, and here I have seen another man’s wives.” Then another thought comes to the high-minded one, whose mind is fixed on one aim, showing him the decision about his task: “Certainly I have seen all Ravana’s women, trusting and unguarded; but no change has arisen in my mind at all. The mind is the cause of all the senses in acting, in good and bad states; and my mind is well settled. I could not have searched for Vaidehi anywhere else; women are always seen among women when searched for. Whatever creature is searched for is searched for among its own kind; a lost woman cannot be searched for among does. So I have searched with a pure mind; I have seen all Ravana’s inner apartments, and Janaki is not seen.” Looking at daughters of gods and gandharvas and daughters of nagas, mighty Hanuman does not see Janaki. Not seeing her there, and seeing other fine women, the hero withdraws and begins to set out. Glorious Hanuman, son of the wind, setting himself to the effort again, leaves the drinking hall and begins to search for her everywhere.
Press › to begin with verse 1.
अवधूय च तां बुद्धिं बभूवावस्थितस्तदा । जगाम चापरां चिन्तां सीतां प्रति महाकपिः ॥ १ ॥
And shaking off that thought, he became steady then; the great monkey went to another thought concerning Sita:
Commentary on the whole sarga
The Drinking Hall; Hanuman’s Scruple 1 min read.
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न रामेण वियुक्ता सा स्वप्तुमर्हति भामिनी । न भोक्तुं नाप्यलंकर्तुं न पानमुपसेवितुम् ॥ २ ॥
“Separated from Rama, that lovely woman would not sleep, nor eat, nor adorn herself, nor take drink,
नान्यं नरमुपस्थातुं सुराणामपि चेश्वरम् । न हि रामसमः कश्चिद् विद्यते त्रिदशेष्वपि ॥ ३ ॥
“nor approach another man, even the lord of the gods; for there is no one equal to Rama even among the thirty gods.”
अन्येयमिति निश्चित्य भूयस्तत्र चचार सः । पानभूमौ हरिश्रेष्ठः सीतासंदर्शनोत्सुकः ॥ ४ ॥
Deciding, “This is another,” he roamed again there in the drinking hall, the best of monkeys, eager to see Sita.
क्रीडितेनापराः क्लान्ता गीतेन च तथापराः । नृत्येन चापराः क्लान्ताः पानविप्रहतास्तथा ॥ ५ ॥
Others wearied with play, and others likewise with song, and others wearied with dance, and likewise struck down by drink;
मुरजेषु मृदंगेषु चेलिकासु च संस्थिताः । तथाऽऽस्तरणमुख्येषु संविष्टाश्चापराः स्त्रियः ॥ ६ ॥
set on muraja drums, mridangas and chelikas, and other women lying on the chief coverings:
अंगनानां सहस्रेण भूषितेन विभूषणैः । रूपसंलापशीलेन युक्तगीतार्थभाषिणा ॥ ७ ॥
with a thousand women adorned with ornaments, given to beauty and conversation, speaking the sense of fitting songs,
देशकालाभियुक्तेन युक्तवाक्याभिधायिना । रताधिकेन संयुक्तां ददर्श हरियूथपः ॥ ८ ॥
attuned to place and time, saying fitting words, given to excess in love: the leader of monkey troops saw it joined.
अन्यत्रापि वरस्त्रीणां रूपसंलापशायिनाम् । सहस्रं युवतीनां तु प्रसुप्तं स ददर्श ह ॥ ९ ॥
And elsewhere he saw a thousand young women, fine women lying after beauty and conversation, asleep.
देशकालाभियुक्तं तु युक्तवाक्याभिधायि तत् । रताविरतसंसुप्तं ददर्श हरियूथपः ॥ १० ॥
Attuned to place and time, saying fitting words, asleep when love had ceased: the leader of monkey troops saw it.
तासां मध्ये महाबाहुः शुशुभे राक्षसेश्वरः । गोष्ठे महति मुख्यानां गवां मध्ये यथा वृषः ॥ ११ ॥
In their midst the mighty-armed lord of the rakshasas shone like a bull among the chief cows in a great pen.
स राक्षसेन्द्रः शुशुभे ताभिः परिवृतः स्वयम् । करेणुभिर्यथारण्ये परिकीर्णो महाद्विपः ॥ १२ ॥
That lord of the rakshasas himself, surrounded by them, shone like a great elephant in the forest surrounded by she-elephants.
सर्वकामैरुपेतां च पानभूमिं महात्मनः । ददर्श कपिशार्दूलस्तस्य रक्षःपतेर्गृहे ॥ १३ ॥
And the drinking hall of that great soul, furnished with all pleasures, the tiger among monkeys saw in the house of that lord of the rakshasas.
मृगाणां महिषाणां च वराहाणां च भागशः । तत्र न्यस्तानि मांसानि पानभूमौ ददर्श सः ॥ १४ ॥
Of deer, of buffaloes and of boars, in portions, meats set out there in the drinking hall he saw.
रौक्मेषु च विशालेषु भाजनेष्वप्यभक्षितान् । ददर्श कपिशार्दूलो मयूरान् कुक्कुटांस्तथा ॥ १५ ॥
And in wide golden vessels the tiger among monkeys saw uneaten peacocks and likewise cocks.
वराहवाध्रीणसकान् दधिसौवर्चलायुतान् । शल्यान् मृगमयूरांश्च हनुमानन्ववैक्षत ॥ १६ ॥
Hanuman looked at boars and vardhrinasa birds, joined with curds and sauvarcala, porcupines, deer and peacocks,
कृकलान् विविधांश्छागान् शशकानर्धभक्षितान् । महिषानेकशल्यांश्च मेषांश्च कृतनिष्ठितान् ॥ १७ ॥
krikalas, goats of many kinds, half-eaten hares, buffaloes and one-boned fish, and rams well cooked;
लेह्यानुच्चावचान् पेयान् भोज्यान्युच्चावचानि च । तथाम्ललवणोत्तंसैर्विविधै रागखाण्डवैः ॥ १८ ॥
foods to lick high and low, drinks and dishes high and low; likewise with many sour and salt relishes and sweets;
महानूपुरकेयूरैरपविद्धैर्महाधनैः । पानभाजनविक्षिप्तैः फलैश्च विविधैरपि ॥ १९ ॥
with great anklets and armlets flung aside, of great value, and with fruits of many kinds scattered among the drinking vessels,
कृतपुष्पोपहारा भूरधिकां पुष्यति श्रियम् । तत्र तत्र च विन्यस्तैः सुश्लिष्टशयनासनैः ॥ २० ॥
the ground, with offerings of flowers made, nourishes greater beauty. And with beds and seats well joined, set here and there,
पानभूमिर्विना वह्निं प्रदीप्तेवोपलक्ष्यते । बहुप्रकारैर्विविधैर्वरसंस्कारसंस्कृतैः ॥ २१ ॥
the drinking hall is seen as if ablaze without fire. With many kinds, with various meats prepared with fine preparations,
मांसैः कुशलसंयुक्तैः पानभूमिगतैः पृथक् । दिव्याः प्रसन्ना विविधाः सुराः कृतसुरा अपि ॥ २२ ॥
joined with skill, set separately in the drinking hall; divine, clear liquors of many kinds, and made liquors too,
शर्करासवमाध्वीकाः पुष्पासवफलासवाः । वासचूर्णैश्च विविधैर्मृष्टास्तैस्तैः पृथक् पृथक् ॥ २३ ॥
sugar wine, madhvika, flower wine and fruit wine, each scented separately with various fragrant powders,
संतता शुशुभे भूमिर्माल्यैश्च बहुसंस्थितैः । हिरण्मयैश्च कलशैर्भाजनैः स्फाटिकैरपि ॥ २४ ॥
the ground shone, spread with garlands set in many ways, and with golden pitchers and crystal vessels,
जाम्बूनदमयैश्चान्यैः करकैरभिसंवृता । राजतेषु च कुम्भेषु जाम्बूनदमयेषु च ॥ २५ ॥
and covered with other jugs made of gold. And in silver pots and those made of gold,
पानश्रेष्ठां तथा भूमिं कपिस्तत्र ददर्श सः । सोऽपश्यच्छातकुम्भानि सीधोर्मणिमयानि च ॥ २६ ॥
the monkey saw there the best drinking ground. He saw golden and jewelled vessels of liquor,
तानि तानि च पूर्णानि भाजनानि महाकपिः । क्वचिदर्धावशेषाणि क्वचित् पीतान्यशेषतः ॥ २७ ॥
and those various vessels, full; the great monkey saw some half remaining, some drunk without remainder,
क्वचिन्नैव प्रपीतानि पानानि स ददर्श ह । क्वचिद् भक्ष्यांश्च विविधान् क्वचित् पानानि भागशः ॥ २८ ॥
some not drunk at all, drinks. Some foods of many kinds, some drinks in portions,
क्वचिदर्धावशेषाणि पश्यन् वै विचचार ह । शयनान्यत्र नारीणां शून्यानि बहुधा पुनः । परस्परं समाश्लिष्य काश्चित् सुप्ता वरांगनाः ॥ २९ ॥
some half remaining, seeing, he roamed. Here again many beds of women were empty. Some fine women slept embracing one another.
काचिच्च वस्त्रमन्यस्या अपहृत्योपगुह्य च । उपगम्याबला सुप्ता निद्राबलपराजिता ॥ ३० ॥
And some weak woman, having taken another’s garment and embraced her, approaching, slept, conquered by the strength of sleep.
तासामुच्छ्वासवातेन वस्त्रं माल्यं च गात्रजम् । नात्यर्थं स्पन्दते चित्रं प्राप्य मन्दमिवानिलम् ॥ ३१ ॥
By the wind of their breathing, garment and garland on the body move not too much, as if wonderful, having reached a gentle wind.
चन्दनस्य च शीतस्य सीधोर्मधुरसस्य च । विविधस्य च माल्यस्य पुष्पस्य विविधस्य च ॥ ३२ ॥
Of cool sandal and of liquor with sweet taste, of many garlands and of many flowers,
बहुधा मारुतस्तस्य गन्धं विविधमुद्वहन् । स्नानानां चन्दनानां च धूपानां चैव मूर्च्छितः ॥ ३३ ॥
carrying in many ways its varied scent, mingled with baths, sandal and incense,
प्रववौ सुरभिर्गन्धो विमाने पुष्पके तदा । श्यामावदातास्तत्रान्याः काश्चित् कृष्णा वरांगनाः ॥ ३४ ॥
the fragrant wind blew then in the celestial chariot Pushpaka. Others there, fine women, were dark and fair, some black,
काश्चित् काञ्चनवर्णांग््यः प्रमदा राक्षसालये । तासां निद्रावशत्वाच्च मदनेन विमूर्च्छितम् ॥ ३५ ॥
some women in the rakshasa’s house golden in their limbs. From their being in sleep’s power, swooned by love,
पद्मिनीनां प्रसुप्तानां रूपमासीद् यथैव हि । एवं सर्वमशेषेण रावणान्तःपुरं कपिः । ददर्श स महातेजा न ददर्श च जानकीम् ॥ ३६ ॥
their beauty was just like that of sleeping lotus pools. So the whole inner apartments of Ravana without remainder the very splendid monkey saw, and did not see Janaki.
निरीक्षमाणश्च ततस्ताः स्त्रियः स महाकपिः । जगाम महतीं शंकां धर्मसाध्वसशंकितः ॥ ३७ ॥
And looking at those women then, the great monkey went to great fear, alarmed for dharma:
परदारावरोधस्य प्रसुप्तस्य निरीक्षणम् । इदं खलु ममात्यर्थं धर्मलोपं करिष्यति ॥ ३८ ॥
“The looking at the sleeping women of another’s household will surely make for me a very great loss of dharma.
न हि मे परदाराणां दृष्टिर्विषयवर्तिनी । अयं चात्र मया दृष्टः परदारपरिग्रहः ॥ ३९ ॥
“For my gaze has never moved in the realm of others’ wives; and here another’s wives have been seen by me.”
तस्य प्रादुरभूच्चिन्ता पुनरन्या मनस्विनः । निश्चितैकान्तचित्तस्य कार्यनिश्चयदर्शिनी ॥ ४० ॥
Another thought appeared again to that high-minded one, his mind fixed on one point, showing the decision of the task:
कामं दृष्टा मया सर्वा विश्वस्ता रावणस्त्रियः । न तु मे मनसा किंचिद् वैकृत्यमुपपद्यते ॥ ४१ ॥
“Indeed all Ravana’s women, trusting, have been seen by me; but no change at all arises in my mind.
मनो हि हेतुः सर्वेषामिन्द्रियाणां प्रवर्तने । शुभाशुभास्ववस्थासु तच्च मे सुव्यवस्थितम् ॥ ४२ ॥
“For the mind is the cause of all the senses in acting, in good and bad states; and that of mine is well settled.
नान्यत्र हि मया शक्या वैदेही परिमार्गितुम् । स्त्रियो हि स्त्रीषु दृश्यन्ते सदा सम्परिमार्गणे ॥ ४३ ॥
“Vaidehi could not be searched for by me elsewhere. For women are seen among women always in searching.
यस्य सत्त्वस्य या योनिस्तस्यां तत् परिमार्गते । न शक्यं प्रमदा नष्टा मृगीषु परिमार्गितुम् ॥ ४४ ॥
“Whatever creature’s womb is, it is searched for in that. A lost woman cannot be searched for among does.
तदिदं मार्गितं तावच्छुद्धेन मनसा मया । रावणान्तःपुरं सर्वं दृश्यते न च जानकी ॥ ४५ ॥
“So this has been searched by me with a pure mind. All Ravana’s inner apartments are seen, and Janaki is not.”
देवगन्धर्वकन्याश्च नागकन्याश्च वीर्यवान् । अवेक्षमाणो हनुमान् नैवापश्यत जानकीम् ॥ ४६ ॥
Looking at daughters of gods and gandharvas and daughters of nagas, mighty Hanuman did not see Janaki.
तामपश्यन् कपिस्तत्र पश्यंश्चान्या वरस्त्रियः । अपक्रम्य तदा वीरः प्रस्थातुमुपचक्रमे ॥ ४७ ॥
Not seeing her there, and seeing other fine women, the hero, withdrawing then, began to set out.
स भूयः सर्वतः श्रीमान् मारुतिर्यत्नमाश्रितः । आपानभूमिमुत्सृज्य तां विचेतुं प्रचक्रमे ॥ ४८ ॥
Glorious Hanuman, son of the wind, resorting again to effort on every side, leaving the drinking hall, began to search for her.