Sundara Kanda · Sarga 49 of 68 · 20 verses
Hanuman Sees Ravana Enthroned
Angry at how he has been treated, yet amazed, Hanuman looks at the king of the rakshasas. Ravana blazes in a golden crown netted with pearls, in ornaments set with diamonds and jewels as if made by thought, in fine silk, smeared with red sandal and painted with designs. His ten heads shine like Mandara’s peaks crowded with snakes; his dark body, with a necklace on his chest and a face like the full moon, is like a cloud with the young sun. His arms, with armlets, are like five-headed serpents. He sits on a great crystal throne inlaid with jewels, fanned by richly adorned women, attended by his four ministers, Durdhara, Prahasta, Mahaparshva and Nikumbha, like the world surrounded by four oceans.
Hanuman is struck with wonder. “What beauty, what courage, what strength, what splendour! He has every mark of a king. If his unrighteousness were not so strong, this lord of the rakshasas could be the protector of the world of the gods, Indra included. But because of his cruel deeds, hated by the world, all the worlds with gods and danavas fear him. In anger he could turn the world into one ocean.”
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ततः स कर्मणा तस्य विस्मितो भीमविक्रमः । हनूमान् क्रोधताम्राक्षो रक्षोऽधिपमवैक्षत ॥ १ ॥
Then Hanuman of terrible valour, amazed at what the rakshasa had done, his eyes copper with anger, looked at the lord of the rakshasas,
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भ्राजमानं महार्हेण काञ्चनेन विराजता । मुक्ताजालवृतेनाथ मुकुटेन महाद्युतिम् ॥ २ ॥
shining with a crown, costly, golden, gleaming, covered with nets of pearls, of great splendour;
वज्रसंयोगसंयुक्तैर्महार्हमणिविग्रहैः । हैमैराभरणैश्चित्रैर्मनसेव प्रकल्पितैः ॥ ३ ॥
with golden ornaments, wonderful, set with diamonds and with costly jewels for their bodies, as if fashioned by thought;
महार्हक्षौमसंवीतं रक्तचन्दनरूषितम् । स्वनुलिप्तं विचित्राभिर्विविधाभिश्च भक्तिभिः ॥ ४ ॥
wrapped in costly silk, smeared with red sandal, well anointed with wonderful designs of many kinds;
विचित्रं दर्शनीयैश्च रक्ताक्षैर्भीमदर्शनैः । दीप्ततीक्ष्णमहादंष्ट्रं प्रलम्बं दशनच्छदैः ॥ ५ ॥
wonderful with eyes red and beautiful yet terrible to see, with blazing, sharp, great tusks, with hanging lips;
शिरोभिर्दशभिर्वीरो भ्राजमानं महौजसम् । नानाव्यालसमाकीर्णैः शिखरैरिव मन्दरम् ॥ ६ ॥
shining with ten heads, the mighty hero, like Mandara with its peaks crowded with many snakes;
नीलाञ्जनचयप्रख्यं हारेणोरसि राजता । पूर्णचन्द्राभवक्त्रेण सबालार्कमिवाम्बुदम् ॥ ७ ॥
like a heap of blue collyrium, with a necklace gleaming on his chest, with a face like the full moon, like a cloud with the young sun;
बाहुभिर्बद्धकेयूरैश्चन्दनोत्तमरूषितैः । भ्राजमानाङ्गदैर्भीमैः पञ्चशीर्षैरिवोरगैः ॥ ८ ॥
with arms bound with armlets, smeared with the finest sandal, with shining bracelets, terrible, like five-headed serpents;
महति स्फाटिके चित्रे रत्नसंयोगचित्रिते । उत्तमास्तरणास्तीर्णे सूपविष्टं वरासने ॥ ९ ॥
seated well on a fine throne, a great, wonderful one of crystal, decorated with inlaid jewels, spread with the finest coverings;
अलंकृताभिरत्यर्थं प्रमदाभिः समन्ततः । वालव्यजनहस्ताभिरारात्समुपसेवितम् ॥ १० ॥
attended from close by on every side by women, richly adorned, with yak-tail fans in their hands;
दुर्धरेण प्रहस्तेन महापार्श्वेन रक्षसा । मन्त्रिभिर्मन्त्रतत्त्वज्ञैर्निकुम्भेन च मन्त्रिणा ॥ ११ ॥
with Durdhara, Prahasta, the rakshasa Mahaparshva and the minister Nikumbha, counsellors who knew the essence of counsel,
उपोपविष्टं रक्षोभिश्चतुर्भिर्बलदर्पितम् । कृत्स्नं परिवृतं लोकं चतुर्भिरिव सागरैः ॥ १२ ॥
seated near him, proud of his strength, with four rakshasas, as the whole world is surrounded by four oceans;
मन्त्रिभिर्मन्त्रतत्त्वज्ञैरन्यैश्च शुभदर्शिभिः । आश्वास्यमानं सचिवैः सुरैरिव सुरेश्वरम् ॥ १३ ॥
being reassured by counsellors who knew the essence of counsel and by other ministers of good judgement, as the lord of the gods by the gods:
अपश्यद् राक्षसपतिं हनूमानतितेजसम् । वेष्टितं मेरुशिखरे सतोयमिव तोयदम् ॥ १४ ॥
Hanuman saw the lord of the rakshasas, of exceeding splendour, like a rain cloud wrapped about the peak of Meru.
स तैः सम्पीड्यमानोऽपि रक्षोभिर्भीमविक्रमैः । विस्मयं परमं गत्वा रक्षोऽधिपमवैक्षत ॥ १५ ॥
Though squeezed by those rakshasas of terrible valour, he was filled with the greatest wonder and gazed at the lord of the rakshasas.
भ्राजमानं ततो दृष्ट्वा हनुमान् राक्षसेश्वरम् । मनसा चिन्तयामास तेजसा तस्य मोहितः ॥ १६ ॥
Seeing the shining lord of the rakshasas, Hanuman, dazzled by his splendour, thought to himself:
अहो रूपमहो धैर्यमहो सत्त्वमहो द्युतिः । अहो राक्षसराजस्य सर्वलक्षणयुक्तता ॥ १७ ॥
“Ah, what beauty! Ah, what courage! Ah, what strength! Ah, what splendour! Ah, how the king of the rakshasas has every auspicious mark!
यद्यधर्मो न बलवान् स्यादयं राक्षसेश्वरः । स्यादयं सुरलोकस्य सशक्रस्यापि रक्षिता ॥ १८ ॥
“If unrighteousness were not so strong in him, this lord of the rakshasas might be the protector even of the world of the gods with Shakra.
अस्य क्रूरैर्नृशंसैश्च कर्मभिर्लोककुत्सितैः । सर्वे बिभ्यति खल्वस्माल्लोकाः सामरदानवाः ॥ १९ ॥
“Because of his cruel, merciless deeds, condemned by the world, all the worlds with the immortals and danavas are afraid of him.
अयं ह्युत्सहते क्रुद्धः कर्तुमेकार्णवं जगत् । इति चिन्तां बहुविधामकरोन्मतिमान् कपिः । दृष्ट्वा राक्षसराजस्य प्रभावममितौजसः ॥ २० ॥
“For in his anger he could make the world one ocean.” So the wise monkey thought in many ways, seeing the power of the king of the rakshasas, of boundless might.