Sundara Kanda · Sarga 6 of 68 · 44 verses
The Palaces of the Rakshasa Lords
Moving freely among the mansions, taking whatever form he wishes, the agile monkey roams Lanka. The glorious one reaches the dwelling of the king of the rakshasas, surrounded by a shining wall the colour of the sun, guarded by terrible rakshasas as a great forest by lions. Looking at that house, the elephant among monkeys shines. It is surrounded by wonderful gateways inlaid with silver and adorned with gold, by many-coloured courts and lovely doors; attended by elephant-riders and brave, tireless warriors, by horses that cannot be stopped and chariot-borne steeds; always roamed by chariots with armour of lion and tiger skin, with ivory, gold and silver fittings, sounding and many-coloured; strewn with many jewels, adorned with costly seats, a gathering-place for great chariot-warriors; full on every side with many thousands of beasts and birds, beautiful to see; well guarded by disciplined frontier-guards and rakshasas, full of chief women of the best kind; the house of the king of the rakshasas, its women jewels of delight, resounding like the ocean with the jingle of fine ornaments, endowed with royal qualities, with the finest sandal, crowded with great people like a great forest with lions, echoing with kettledrums and drums and the sound of conches, always worshipped, celebrated at the festivals, always honoured by the rakshasas, deep as the ocean and roaring like it: the great house of the great soul, with great jewels for furnishings, strewn with great jewels, shining in its form, crowded with elephants, horses and chariots. The great monkey thinks it the ornament of Lanka. Hanuman moves about near Ravana. Unafraid, he goes from house to house of the rakshasas, looking at their gardens on every side and at their palaces. The very swift, mighty one leaps down to the dwelling of Prahasta, then to Mahaparshva’s house; then to the cloud-like dwelling of Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana’s; to those of Mahodara and Virupaksha, Vidyujjihva and Vidyunmalin, Vajradamshtra, Shuka and wise Sarana; the leader of monkey troops goes to Indrajit’s house and to those of Jambumalin and Sumalin, of Rashmiketu and Suryashatru and Vajrakaya, of Dhumraksha and Sampati, Vidyudrupa, Bhima, Ghana and Vighana, Shukanabha, Cakra, Shatha and Kapata, Hrasvakarna, Damshtra and the rakshasa Lomasha, Yuddhonmatta, Matta, Dhvajagriva and Sadin, Vidyujjihva and Dvijihva, Hastimukha, Karala, Pishacha and Shonitaksha: leaping from one to the next, the famous Hanuman, son of the wind, sees in those costly houses the wealth of those wealthy ones. Passing all their houses on every side, the glorious one then reaches the dwelling of the king of the rakshasas.
As he roams, the best of monkeys sees the rakshasis with misshapen eyes who sleep near Ravana, and in the house of the lord of the rakshasas he sees many kinds of troops carrying tridents and hammers, spears and lances; huge-bodied rakshasas ready with many kinds of weapons; red, white and pale horses, very swift; elephants of good breed and fine form, crushers of enemy elephants, trained in the elephant lore, equal to Airavata in battle, destroyers of enemy armies, like streaming clouds and mountains flowing with streams, roaring like thunderclouds, unassailable by enemies in battle. In the dwelling of Ravana, king of the rakshasas, he sees a thousand armies adorned with gold, unbroken with golden nets, like the young sun; litters of many shapes, wonderful bowers of creepers, picture-halls, other pleasure houses and wooden hills, a lovely house of love, and a house for daytime. He sees an excellent mansion like Mandara, crowded with peacock-roosts, strewn with flagpoles, a store of endless jewels, a mass of treasures on every side, its work done by the steadfast, like the house of the lord of beings. With the rays of jewels and the splendour of Ravana, that house shines like the sun with its rays. The leader of monkey troops sees golden beds and seats and bright vessels; damp with honey and wine, crowded with jewelled vessels, delightful, uncrowded, like Kubera’s dwelling, echoing with the sound of anklets and the jingle of girdles, with the beats of drums and palms, with crowds of palaces and hundreds of jewel-like women, its courts well laid out: Hanuman enters that great house.
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स निकामं विमानेषु विचरन् कामरूपधृक् । विचचार कपिर्लङ्कां लाघवेन समन्वितः ॥ १ ॥
Moving freely among the mansions, bearing forms at will, the monkey roamed Lanka, endowed with agility.
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The Palaces of the Rakshasa Lords 1 min read.
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आससाद च लक्ष्मीवान् राक्षसेन्द्रनिवेशनम् । प्राकारेणार्कवर्णेन भास्वरेणाभिसंवृतम् ॥ २ ॥
And the glorious one reached the dwelling of the king of the rakshasas, surrounded by a shining wall of the colour of the sun,
रक्षितं राक्षसैर्भीमैः सिंहैरिव महद् वनम् । समीक्षमाणो भवनं चकाशे कपिकुञ्जरः ॥ ३ ॥
guarded by terrible rakshasas as a great forest by lions. Looking at the house, the elephant among monkeys shone.
रूप्यकोपहितैश्चित्रैस्तोरणैर्हेमभूषणैः । विचित्राभिश्च कक्ष्याभिर्द्वारैश्च रुचिरैर्वृतम् ॥ ४ ॥
Surrounded by many-coloured gateways inlaid with silver, adorned with gold, by many-coloured courts and lovely doors,
गजास्थितैर्महामात्रैः शूरैश्च विगतश्रमैः । उपस्थितमसंहार्यैर्हयैः स्यन्दनयायिभिः ॥ ५ ॥
attended by great elephant-riders on elephants and by brave, tireless ones, by horses not to be stopped, going with chariots,
सिंहव्याघ्रतनुत्राणैर्दान्तकाञ्चनराजतीः । घोषवद्भिर्विचित्रैश्च सदा विचरितं रथैः ॥ ६ ॥
always roamed by chariots with armour of lion and tiger, with ivory, gold and silver, sounding, many-coloured,
बहुरत्नसमाकीर्णं परार्घ्यासनभूषितम् । महारथसमावापं महारथमहासनम् ॥ ७ ॥
strewn with many jewels, adorned with costly seats, the gathering place of great chariot-warriors, the great seat of great chariot-warriors,
दृश्यैश्च परमोदारैस्तैस्तैश्च मृगपक्षिभिः । विविधैर्बहुसाहस्रैः परिपूर्णं समन्ततः ॥ ८ ॥
full on every side with visible, supremely noble beasts and birds of many kinds, by many thousands,
विनीतैरन्तपालैश्च रक्षोभिश्च सुरक्षितम् । मुख्याभिश्च वरस्त्रीभिः परिपूर्णं समन्ततः ॥ ९ ॥
well guarded by disciplined frontier guards and by rakshasas, full on every side with chief women of the best kind,
मुदितप्रमदारत्नं राक्षसेन्द्रनिवेशनम् । वराभरणसंह्रादैः समुद्रस्वननिःस्वनम् ॥ १० ॥
the dwelling of the king of the rakshasas, with delighted jewels of women, with the sound of fine ornaments, sounding like the ocean,
तद् राजगुणसम्पन्नं मुख्यैश्च वरचन्दनैः । महाजनसमाकीर्णं सिंहैरिव महद् वनम् ॥ ११ ॥
endowed with royal qualities, and with the chief, finest sandals, crowded with great people, like a great forest with lions,
भेरीमृदङ्गाभिरुतं शङ्खघोषविनादितम् । नित्यार्चितं पर्वसुतं पूजितं राक्षसैः सदा ॥ १२ ॥
sounding with kettledrums and drums, resounding with the sound of conches, always worshipped, celebrated at festivals, always honoured by rakshasas,
समुद्रमिव गम्भीरं समुद्रसमनिःस्वनम् । महात्मनो महद् वेश्म महारत्नपरिच्छदम् ॥ १३ ॥
deep like the ocean, roaring like the ocean: the great house of the great soul, with great jewels as furnishings,
महारत्नसमाकीर्णं ददर्श स महाकपिः । विराजमानं वपुषा गजाश्वरथसंकुलम् ॥ १४ ॥
strewn with great jewels, the great monkey saw, shining in body, crowded with elephants, horses and chariots.
लंकाभरणमित्येव सोऽमन्यत महाकपिः । चचार हनुमांस्तत्र रावणस्य समीपतः ॥ १५ ॥
“This is the ornament of Lanka,” so the great monkey thought. Hanuman moved there near Ravana.
गृहाद् गृहं राक्षसानामुद्यानानि च सर्वशः । वीक्षमाणोऽप्यसंत्रस्तः प्रासादांश्च चचार सः ॥ १६ ॥
From house to house of the rakshasas, and looking at the gardens on every side, unafraid, he moved among the palaces too.
अवप्लुत्य महावेगः प्रहस्तस्य निवेशनम् । ततोऽन्यत् पुप्लुवे वेश्म महापार्श्वस्य वीर्यवान् ॥ १७ ॥
Leaping down, the very swift one to Prahasta’s dwelling; then the mighty one leapt to another house, Mahaparshva’s.
अथ मेघप्रतीकाशं कुम्भकर्णनिवेशनम् । विभीषणस्य च तथा पुप्लुवे स महाकपिः ॥ १८ ॥
Then the great monkey leapt to Kumbhakarna’s dwelling, like a cloud, and likewise to Vibhishana’s,
महोदरस्य च तथा विरूपाक्षस्य चैव हि । विद्युज्जिह्वस्य भवनं विद्युन्मालेस्तथैव च ॥ १९ ॥
and likewise to Mahodara’s and Virupaksha’s indeed, the house of Vidyujjihva and likewise of Vidyunmalin,
वज्रदंष्ट्रस्य च तथा पुप्लुवे स महाकपिः । शुकस्य च महावेगः सारणस्य च धीमतः ॥ २० ॥
and likewise Vajradamshtra’s the great monkey leapt to, the very swift one, and Shuka’s and wise Sarana’s.
तथा चेन्द्रजितो वेश्म जगाम हरियूथपः । जम्बुमालेः सुमालेश्च जगाम हरिसत्तमः ॥ २१ ॥
And so the leader of monkey troops went to Indrajit’s house; the best of monkeys went to Jambumalin’s and Sumalin’s,
रश्मिकेतोश्च भवनं सूर्यशत्रोस्तथैव च । वज्रकायस्य च तथा पुप्लुवे स महाकपिः ॥ २२ ॥
and the house of Rashmiketu and likewise of Suryashatru, and likewise of Vajrakaya the great monkey leapt to;
धूम्राक्षस्याथ सम्पातेर्भवनं मारुतात्मजः । विद्युद्रूपस्य भीमस्य घनस्य विघनस्य च ॥ २३ ॥
then the son of the wind to the house of Dhumraksha and Sampati, of Vidyudrupa, Bhima, Ghana and Vighana,
शुकनाभस्य चक्रस्य शठस्य कपटस्य च । ह्रस्वकर्णस्य दंष्ट्रस्य लोमशस्य च रक्षसः ॥ २४ ॥
of Shukanabha and Cakra, of Shatha and Kapata, of Hrasvakarna and Damshtra and the rakshasa Lomasha,
युद्धोन्मत्तस्य मत्तस्य ध्वजग्रीवस्य सादिनः । विद्युज्जिह्वद्विजिह्वानां तथा हस्तिमुखस्य च ॥ २५ ॥
of Yuddhonmatta and Matta, of Dhvajagriva and Sadin, of Vidyujjihva and Dvijihva, and likewise of Hastimukha,
करालस्य पिशाचस्य शोणिताक्षस्य चैव हि । प्लवमानः क्रमेणैव हनुमान् मारुतात्मजः ॥ २६ ॥
of Karala and Pishacha and Shonitaksha too: leaping in order, Hanuman, son of the wind,
तेषु तेषु महार्हेषु भवनेषु महायशाः । तेषामृद्धिमतामृद्धिं ददर्श स महाकपिः ॥ २७ ॥
in those various very costly houses, the very famous great monkey saw the wealth of those wealthy ones.
सर्वेषां समतिक्रम्य भवनानि समन्ततः । आससादाथ लक्ष्मीवान् राक्षसेन्द्रनिवेशनम् ॥ २८ ॥
Having passed the houses of all of them on every side, then the glorious one reached the dwelling of the king of the rakshasas.
रावणस्योपशायिन्यो ददर्श हरिसत्तमः । विचरन् हरिशार्दूलो राक्षसीर्विकृतेक्षणाः ॥ २९ ॥
The best of monkeys saw the women sleeping near Ravana; roaming, the tiger among monkeys saw the rakshasis with misshapen eyes.
शूलमुद्गरहस्तांश्च शक्तितोमरधारिणः । ददर्श विविधान्गुल्मांस्तस्य रक्षःपतेर्गृहे ॥ ३० ॥
He saw many kinds of troops in the house of that lord of the rakshasas, with tridents and hammers in hand, bearing spears and lances,
राक्षसांश्च महाकायान् नानाप्रहरणोद्यतान् । रक्तान् श्वेतान् सितांश्चापि हरींश्चापि महाजवान् ॥ ३१ ॥
and huge-bodied rakshasas, raised with many kinds of weapons, and red, white and pale horses, very swift,
कुलीनान् रूपसम्पन्नान् गजान् परगजारुजान् । शिक्षितान् गजशिक्षायामैरावतसमान् युधि ॥ ३२ ॥
of good family, endowed with form, elephants crushing enemy elephants, trained in elephant lore, equal to Airavata in battle,
निहन्तॄन् परसैन्यानां गृहे तस्मिन् ददर्श सः । क्षरतश्च यथा मेघान् स्रवतश्च यथा गिरीन् ॥ ३३ ॥
destroyers of enemy armies: he saw them in that house, like clouds raining and like mountains flowing,
मेघस्तनितनिर्घोषान् दुर्धर्षान् समरे परैः । सहस्रं वाहिनीस्तत्र जाम्बूनदपरिष्कृताः ॥ ३४ ॥
with the roar of thundering clouds, unassailable by enemies in battle. A thousand armies there, adorned with gold,
हेमजालैरविच्छिन्नास्तरुणादित्यसंनिभाः । ददर्श राक्षसेन्द्रस्य रावणस्य निवेशने ॥ ३५ ॥
unbroken with nets of gold, like the young sun: he saw them in the dwelling of Ravana, king of the rakshasas.
शिबिका विविधाकाराः स कपिर्मारुतात्मजः । लतागृहाणि चित्राणि चित्रशालागृहाणि च ॥ ३६ ॥
Litters of many shapes the monkey son of the wind saw, and wonderful bowers of creepers and picture-galleries,
क्रीडागृहाणि चान्यानि दारुपर्वतकानि च । कामस्य गृहकं रम्यं दिवागृहकमेव च ॥ ३७ ॥
and pleasure houses and others, and wooden hills, a lovely house of love, and a daytime house:
ददर्श राक्षसेन्द्रस्य रावणस्य निवेशने । स मन्दरसमप्रख्यं मयूरस्थानसंकुलम् ॥ ३८ ॥
he saw them in the dwelling of Ravana, king of the rakshasas. He saw the best of mansions, equal to Mandara, crowded with peacock stations,
ध्वजयष्टिभिराकीर्णं ददर्श भवनोत्तमम् । अनन्तरत्ननिचयं निधिजालं समन्ततः । धीरनिष्ठितकर्माङ्गं गृहं भूतपतेरिव ॥ ३९ ॥
strewn with flagpoles; a store of endless jewels, a net of treasures on every side, a house whose work was done by the steadfast, like that of the lord of beings.
अर्चिर्भिश्चापि रत्नानां तेजसा रावणस्य च । विरराज च तद् वेश्म रश्मिवानिव रश्मिभिः ॥ ४० ॥
With the flames of jewels and with Ravana’s splendour, that house shone like the rayed sun with its rays.
जाम्बूनदमयान्येव शयनान्यासनानि च । भाजनानि च शुभ्राणि ददर्श हरियूथपः ॥ ४१ ॥
The leader of monkey troops saw beds and seats made of gold, and bright vessels,
मध्वासवकृतक्लेदं मणिभाजनसंकुलम् । मनोरममसम्बाधं कुबेरभवनं यथा ॥ ४२ ॥
damp with honey and wine, crowded with jewelled vessels, delightful, uncrowded, like Kubera’s house,
नूपुराणां च घोषेण काञ्चीनां निःस्वनेन च । मृदङ्गतलनिर्घोषैर्घोषवद्भिर्विनादितम् ॥ ४३ ॥
resounding with the sound of anklets and the jingle of girdles, and with sounding beats of drums and palms,
प्रासादसंघातयुतं स्त्रीरत्नशतसंकुलम् । सुव्यूढकक्ष्यं हनुमान् प्रविवेश महागृहम् ॥ ४४ ॥
joined with crowds of palaces, crowded with hundreds of jewels of women, with well-laid courts: Hanuman entered that great house.