Sundara Kanda · Sarga 54 of 68 · 51 verses
The Burning of Lanka
Looking over Lanka, his wish fulfilled, Hanuman considers what remains: the grove is broken, great rakshasas killed, part of the army destroyed; what is left is to destroy the fortress, which will make the coming war easier. And the fire on his tail deserves to be fed with these fine houses. Like a cloud with lightning, he ranges over the rooftops. He leaps onto Prahasta’s mansion and sets it alight, then Mahaparshva’s, Vajradamshtra’s, Shuka’s, Sarana’s, Indrajit’s, Jambumali’s, Sumali’s, and those of Kumbhakarna, Narantaka, Kumbha, Nikumbha and many others, sparing only Vibhishana’s house. Last he reaches Ravana’s palace, like Meru, and sets fire to it, roaring like a cloud at the end of an age.
Fanned by the wind, the fire grows like the fire of doomsday. Golden lattices, pearls and jewels, whole mansions collapse and fall like the palaces of siddhas falling from heaven when their merit is spent. Rakshasas run to save their houses, crying, “Surely this is Fire itself come in a monkey’s form!” Women with babies at the breast fall from the burning terraces like lightning from clouds. Molten diamonds, coral, lapis, pearls and silver stream from the houses. As fire is never sated with wood, Hanuman is never sated with killing rakshasas. Lanka burns as Rudra burned the three cities.
The flames, smokeless, touch the sky; the city resounds as if the egg of the universe were splitting. The rakshasas wonder: is this Indra, Yama, Varuna, the Wind, Rudra, the Sun, Kubera or the Moon? Is it Time itself, or Brahma’s wrath, or Vishnu’s supreme power come in a monkey’s form? The city weeps: “Ha father! Ha son! Ha husband, friend, lord of my life!” Lanka looks as if struck by a curse. Hanuman stands on a rooftop, wreathed in flames, like the sun in its rays; then he quenches the fire of his tail in the sea. The gods, gandharvas, siddhas and sages marvel, and all beings, taking him for the fire of Time, are afraid.
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वीक्षमाणस्ततो लङ्कां कपिः कृतमनोरथः । वर्धमानसमुत्साहः कार्यशेषमचिन्तयत् ॥ १ ॥
Then, looking over Lanka, the monkey, his wish fulfilled, his energy growing, thought about what remained to be done:
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किं नु खल्ववशिष्टं मे कर्तव्यमिह साम्प्रतम् । यदेषां रक्षसां भूयः संतापजननं भवेत् ॥ २ ॥
“What is there left for me to do here now that would cause these rakshasas still more torment?
वनं तावत्प्रमथितं प्रकृष्टा राक्षसा हताः । बलैकदेशः क्षपितः शेषं दुर्गविनाशनम् ॥ ३ ॥
“The grove has been destroyed, the best rakshasas killed, a part of the army wiped out; what remains is the destruction of the fortress.
दुर्गे विनाशिते कर्म भवेत् सुखपरिश्रमम् । अल्पयत्नेन कार्येऽस्मिन् मम स्यात् सफलः श्रमः ॥ ४ ॥
“When the fortress is destroyed, the work will be easier to carry out. With little effort in this task my labour would bear fruit.
यो ह्ययं मम लाङ्गूले दीप्यते हव्यवाहनः । अस्य संतर्पणं न्याय्यं कर्तुमेभिर्गृहोत्तमैः ॥ ५ ॥
“And this fire blazing on my tail: it is right to give it its fill with these fine houses.”
ततः प्रदीप्तलाङ्गूलः सविद्युदिव तोयदः । भवनाग्रेषु लङ्काया विचचार महाकपिः ॥ ६ ॥
Then, his tail ablaze, like a cloud with lightning, the great monkey ranged over the rooftops of Lanka.
गृहाद् गृहं राक्षसानामुद्यानानि च वानरः । वीक्षमाणो ह्यसंत्रस्तः प्रासादांश्च चचार सः ॥ ७ ॥
From house to house of the rakshasas, and the gardens, the monkey went, looking at the mansions, unafraid.
अवप्लुत्य महावेगः प्रहस्तस्य निवेशनम् । अग्निं तत्र विनिक्षिप्य श्वसनेन समो बली ॥ ८ ॥
Leaping down, very swift, onto Prahasta’s mansion, the mighty one, equal to the wind, threw fire there.
ततोऽन्यत् पुप्लुवे वेश्म महापार्श्वस्य वीर्यवान् । मुमोच हनुमानग्निं कालानलशिखोपमम् ॥ ९ ॥
Then the valiant one leapt to another house, Mahaparshva’s; Hanuman released fire there like the flame of the fire of doom.
वज्रदंष्ट्रस्य च तथा पुप्लुवे स महाकपिः । शुकस्य च महातेजाः सारणस्य च धीमतः ॥ १० ॥
And so the great monkey leapt to Vajradamshtra’s, and the radiant one to Shuka’s and wise Sarana’s.
तथा चेन्द्रजितो वेश्म ददाह हरियूथपः । जम्बुमालेः सुमालेश्च ददाह भवनं ततः ॥ ११ ॥
So too the leader of monkey troops burned Indrajit’s house; then he burned the houses of Jambumali and Sumali,
रश्मिकेतोश्च भवनं सूर्यशत्रोस्तथैव च । ह्रस्वकर्णस्य दंष्ट्रस्य रोमशस्य च रक्षसः ॥ १२ ॥
the house of Rashmiketu and of Suryashatru, of Hrasvakarna, Damshtra and the rakshasa Romasha,
युद्धोन्मत्तस्य मत्तस्य ध्वजग्रीवस्य रक्षसः । विद्युज्जिह्वस्य घोरस्य तथा हस्तिमुखस्य च ॥ १३ ॥
of Yuddhonmatta, Matta and the rakshasa Dhvajagriva, of terrible Vidyujjihva and of Hastimukha,
करालस्य विशालस्य शोणिताक्षस्य चैव हि । कुम्भकर्णस्य भवनं मकराक्षस्य चैव हि ॥ १४ ॥
of Karala, Vishala and Shonitaksha, the house of Kumbhakarna and of Makaraksha,
नरान्तकस्य कुम्भस्य निकुम्भस्य दुरात्मनः । यज्ञशत्रोश्च भवनं ब्रह्मशत्रोस्तथैव च ॥ १५ ॥
of Narantaka, Kumbha and evil Nikumbha, the house of Yajnashatru and of Brahmashatru.
वर्जयित्वा महातेजा विभीषणगृहं प्रति । क्रममाणः क्रमेणैव ददाह हरिपुङ्गवः ॥ १६ ॥
Leaving out only Vibhishana’s house, the radiant bull among monkeys went step by step and burned them in turn.
तेषु तेषु महार्हेषु भवनेषु महायशाः । गृहेष्वृद्धिमतामृद्धिं ददाह कपिकुञ्जरः ॥ १७ ॥
In those costly houses, the greatly glorious elephant among monkeys burned the wealth of the wealthy.
सर्वेषां समतिक्रम्य राक्षसेन्द्रस्य वीर्यवान् । आससादाथ लक्ष्मीवान् रावणस्य निवेशनम् ॥ १८ ॥
Passing over all of them, the valiant, glorious one came to the dwelling of Ravana, king of the rakshasas.
ततस्तस्मिन् गृहे मुख्ये नानारत्नविभूषिते । मेरुमन्दरसंकाशे नानामङ्गलशोभिते ॥ १९ ॥
Then in that chief house, adorned with all kinds of jewels, like Meru or Mandara, beautiful with every kind of auspicious thing,
प्रदीप्तमग्निमुत्सृज्य लाङ्गूलाग्रे प्रतिष्ठितम् । ननाद हनुमान् वीरो युगान्तजलदो यथा ॥ २० ॥
releasing the blazing fire set on the tip of his tail, heroic Hanuman roared like a cloud at the end of an age.
श्वसनेन च संयोगादतिवेगो महाबलः । कालाग्निरिव जज्वाल प्रावर्धत हुताशनः ॥ २१ ॥
Joined with the wind, very swift and mighty, the fire blazed and grew like the fire of the end of time.
प्रदीप्तमग्निं पवनस्तेषु वेश्मसु चारयन् । तानि काञ्चनजालानि मुक्तामणिमयानि च ॥ २२ ॥
The wind spread the blazing fire through those houses; and those houses with golden lattices, made of pearls and jewels,
भवनानि व्यशीर्यन्त रत्नवन्ति महान्ति च । तानि भग्नविमानानि निपेतुर्वसुधातले ॥ २३ ॥
great and full of gems, broke apart; their towers broken, they fell to the ground,
भवनानीव सिद्धानामम्बरात् पुण्यसंक्षये । संजज्ञे तुमुलः शब्दो राक्षसानां प्रधावताम् ॥ २४ ॥
like the dwellings of the siddhas falling from the sky when their merit is spent. A tumultuous noise arose of rakshasas running about,
स्वे स्वे गृहपरित्राणे भग्नोत्साहोज्झितश्रियाम् । नूनमेषोऽग्निरायातः कपिरूपेण हा इति ॥ २५ ॥
their energy broken, their splendour gone, each trying to save his own house: “Surely this is Fire himself come in a monkey’s form! Alas!”
क्रन्दन्त्यः सहसा पेतुः स्तनंधयधराः स्त्रियः । काश्चिदग्निपरीताङ्ग्यो हर्म्येभ्यो मुक्तमूर्धजाः ॥ २६ ॥
Crying out, women carrying babies at the breast suddenly fell; some, their bodies wrapped in fire, their hair loose, falling from the mansions,
पतन्त्योरेजिरेऽभ्रेभ्यः सौदामन्य इवाम्बरात् । वज्रविद्रुमवैदूर्यमुक्तारजतसंहतान् ॥ २७ ॥
shone like lightning falling from clouds in the sky. Masses of diamond, coral, lapis, pearl and silver,
विचित्रान् भवनाद्धातून् स्यन्दमानान् ददर्श सः । नाग्निस्तृप्यति काष्ठानां तृणानां च यथा तथा ॥ २८ ॥
wonderful minerals, he saw flowing out of the houses. As fire is never sated with wood and grass,
हनूमान् राक्षसेन्द्राणां वधे किंचिन्न तृप्यति । न हनूमद्विशस्तानां राक्षसानां वसुन्धरा ॥ २९ ॥
so Hanuman was never sated in the slaughter of the lords of the rakshasas; and the earth was never sated with the rakshasas Hanuman killed.
हनूमता वेगवता वानरेण महात्मना । लङ्कापुरं प्रदग्धं तद् रुद्रेण त्रिपुरं यथा ॥ ३० ॥
By Hanuman, the swift and great-souled monkey, that city of Lanka was burned, as the three cities were by Rudra.
ततः स लङ्कापुरपर्वताग्रे समुत्थितो भीमपराक्रमोऽग्निः । प्रसार्य चूडावलयं प्रदीप्तो हनूमता वेगवतोपसृष्टः ॥ ३१ ॥
Then on the mountain-top of the city of Lanka the fire, of terrible power, rose up, spreading its circle of crests, blazing, released by swift Hanuman.
युगान्तकालानलतुल्यरूपः समारुतोऽग्निर्ववृधे दिवस्पृक् । विधूमरश्मिर्भवनेषु सक्तो रक्षःशरीराज्यसमर्पितार्चिः ॥ ३२ ॥
Like the fire of the end of an age in form, the fire with the wind grew and touched the sky; smokeless, its rays clung to the houses, its flames fed with the butter of the rakshasas’ bodies.
आदित्यकोटीसदृशः सुतेजा लङ्कां समस्तां परिवार्य तिष्ठन् । शब्दैरनेकैरशनिप्ररूढै- र्भिन्दन्निवाण्डं प्रबभौ महाग्निः ॥ ३३ ॥
Like ten million suns, splendid, standing all round the whole of Lanka, with many sounds like the crack of thunderbolts, the great fire shone as if splitting the cosmic egg.
तत्राम्बरादग्निरतिप्रवृद्धो रूक्षप्रभः किंशुकपुष्पचूडः । निर्वाणधूमाकुलराजयश्च नीलोत्पलाभाः प्रचकाशिरेऽभ्राः ॥ ३४ ॥
There the fire, grown enormous from the sky, harsh in its light, crested with flowers like the kimshuka, and the clouds, with lines of smoke from the dying flames, shone like blue lotuses.
वज्री महेन्द्रस्त्रिदशेश्वरो वा साक्षाद् यमो वा वरुणोऽनिलो वा । रौद्रोऽग्निरर्को धनदश्च सोमो न वानरोऽयं स्वयमेव कालः ॥ ३५ ॥
“This is no monkey: it is Indra with his thunderbolt, lord of the thirty, or Yama himself, or Varuna or the Wind, or the fierce Fire, the Sun, Kubera or the Moon; or it is Time itself.
किं ब्रह्मणः सर्वपितामहस्य लोकस्य धातुश्चतुराननस्य । इहागतो वानररूपधारी रक्षोपसंहारकरः प्रकोपः ॥ ३६ ॥
“Is it the wrath of Brahma, grandsire of all, creator of the world, the four-faced, come here bearing a monkey’s form to destroy the rakshasas?
किं वैष्णवं वा कपिरूपमेत्य रक्षोविनाशाय परं सुतेजः । अचिन्त्यमव्यक्तमनन्तमेकं स्वमायया साम्प्रतमागतं वा ॥ ३७ ॥
“Or is it Vishnu’s supreme splendour, unthinkable, unmanifest, infinite, one, come now by its own power of illusion, taking a monkey’s form, for the destruction of the rakshasas?”
इत्येवमूचुर्बहवो विशिष्टा रक्षोगणास्तत्र समेत्य सर्वे । सप्राणिसङ्घां सगृहां सवृक्षां दग्धां पुरीं तां सहसा समीक्ष्य ॥ ३८ ॥
So spoke many of the leading rakshasas, all gathered there, seeing that city suddenly burned with its hosts of creatures, its houses and its trees.
ततस्तु लङ्का सहसा प्रदग्धा सराक्षसा साश्वरथा सनागा । सपक्षिसङ्घा समृगा सवृक्षा रुरोद दीना तुमुलं सशब्दम् ॥ ३९ ॥
Then Lanka, suddenly burned, with its rakshasas, horses, chariots and elephants, with its flocks of birds, its beasts and its trees, wept piteously with a tumultuous noise:
हा तात हा पुत्रक कान्त मित्र हा जीवितेशाङ्ग हतं सुपुण्यम् । रक्षोभिरेवं बहुधा ब्रुवद्भिः शब्दः कृतो घोरतरः सुभीमः ॥ ४० ॥
“Ha father! Ha little son! Beloved! Friend! Ha lord of my life! Our merit is destroyed!” Speaking so in many ways, the rakshasas made a most dreadful, terrible noise.
हुताशनज्वालसमावृता सा हतप्रवीरा परिवृत्तयोधा । हनूमतः क्रोधबलाभिभूता बभूव शापोपहतेव लङ्का ॥ ४१ ॥
Covered with flames of fire, her heroes slain, her warriors routed, overcome by the force of Hanuman’s wrath, Lanka became like one struck by a curse.
ससम्भ्रमं त्रस्तविषण्णराक्षसां समुज्ज्वलज्ज्वालहुताशनाङ्किताम् । ददर्श लङ्कां हनुमान् महामनाः स्वयंभुरोषोपहतामिवावनिम् ॥ ४२ ॥
Great-minded Hanuman saw Lanka in confusion, its rakshasas terrified and despairing, marked with blazing flames of fire, like the earth struck by the Self-born’s wrath.
भङ्क्त्वा वनं पादपरत्नसंकुलं हत्वा तु रक्षांसि महान्ति संयुगे । दग्ध्वा पुरीं तां गृहरत्नमालिनीं तस्थौ हनूमान् पवनात्मजः कपिः ॥ ४३ ॥
Having broken the grove full of jewel-like trees, killed great rakshasas in battle, and burned the city garlanded with jewel-like houses, Hanuman, the monkey son of the Wind, stood still.
स राक्षसांस्तान् सुबहूंश्च हत्वा वनं च भङ्क्त्वा बहुपादपं तत् । विसृज्य रक्षोभवनेषु चाग्निं जगाम रामं मनसा महात्मा ॥ ४४ ॥
Having killed very many rakshasas, broken that grove of many trees, and released fire on the rakshasas’ houses, the great soul went in his mind to Rama.
ततस्तु तं वानरवीरमुख्यं महाबलं मारुततुल्यवेगम् । महामतिं वायुसुतं वरिष्ठं प्रतुष्टुवुर्देवगणाश्च सर्वे ॥ ४५ ॥
Then all the hosts of the gods praised that chief of monkey heroes, mighty, swift as the wind, of great intelligence, the best son of the Wind.
देवाश्च सर्वे मुनिपुङ्गवाश्च गन्धर्वविद्याधरपन्नगाश्च । भूतानि सर्वाणि महान्ति तत्र जग्मुः परां प्रीतिमतुल्यरूपाम् ॥ ४६ ॥
All the gods and the bulls among sages, gandharvas, vidyadharas and serpents, and all the great beings there felt the highest, incomparable joy.
भङ्क्त्वा वनं महातेजा हत्वा रक्षांसि संयुगे । दग्ध्वा लङ्कापुरीं भीमां रराज स महाकपिः ॥ ४७ ॥
Having broken the grove, killed rakshasas in battle, and burned the terrible city of Lanka, the radiant great monkey shone.
गृहाग्र्यशृङ्गाग्रतले विचित्रे प्रतिष्ठितो वानरराजसिंहः । प्रदीप्तलाङ्गूलकृतार्चिमाली व्यराजतादित्य इवार्चिमाली ॥ ४८ ॥
Standing on the wonderful peak of the finest house, the lion among the king of monkeys, garlanded with the flames made by his blazing tail, shone like the sun garlanded with rays.
लङ्कां समस्तां सम्पीड्य लाङ्गूलाग्निं महाकपिः । निर्वापयामास तदा समुद्रे हरिपुङ्गवः ॥ ४९ ॥
Having harried all Lanka, the great monkey, the bull among monkeys, then quenched the fire of his tail in the ocean.
ततो देवाः सगन्धर्वाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः । दृष्ट्वा लङ्कां प्रदग्धां तां विस्मयं परमं गताः ॥ ५० ॥
Then the gods with the gandharvas, the siddhas and the supreme sages, seeing Lanka burned, were filled with the greatest wonder.
तं दृष्ट्वा वानरश्रेष्ठं हनूमन्तं महाकपिम् । कालाग्निरिति संचिन्त्य सर्वभूतानि तत्रसुः ॥ ५१ ॥
Seeing that best of monkeys, the great monkey Hanuman, all beings thought, “This is the fire of Time,” and were afraid.