This article is part of Sundara Kandam of Sage Valmiki
Fifth Chapter
Seeing of Rakshasa and Rakshasis
( Hanuman is searching the houses and streets of Lanka for Sita and is able to see many women but not her.)
Then the intelligent Hanuman saw the moon, which was in the center of the sky, which was with rays and which was spreading the sheet of moon light, like an enthusiastic bull wandering in its stable. 1
(According to commentators, this sloka indicates that Hanuman entered Ravana’s house after midnight. Since the moon increases the pain of parting to Sita and Rama, Hanuman thought him as scorching with rays like the sun)
Then he saw the moon, which destroys the sorrows of the world, which increased the levels of the great sea and which traveled by giving light to all beings. 2
That Goddess Lakshmi who shined normally on the Mandara Mountain of earth, in the sea during dusk and on the lotus in the ponds, at that time shined sitting on the moon. 3
The moon in the sky was similar to the swan in the sliver cage, a lion in the caves of Mandara Mountain and the heroic soldier sitting on a proud elephant. 4
The moon, which was full of all its crescents, resembled the bullock with its sharpened horns, the silver mountain with its peaks, and the elephant whose tusks were decorated by gold. 5
That moon who did not loose the luster due to dense dew drops, who had borrowed light from the sun by which he drove away darkness, who was serving the luminous Lakshmi in his crystal clear mien and who had the rabbit mark, shined in the sky. 6
The moon shone with great light like the lion climbing on the stone clusters, like the great elephant reaching the war and like the king getting his kingdom. 7
The early part of the night was devoid of darkness due to the rise of the moon and was tainted by the eating of meat food by the Rakshasas and was full of lovers joining together after romantic quarrels. 8
At that the time musical instruments like Veena gave strumming sounds from their strings, which was sweet to the ears and virtuous wives were sleeping with their husbands and Rakshasas started wandering about with very wonderful and horrible acts. 9
The intelligent monkey chief saw many houses where people were in the trance induced by consuming alcohol and which had garages for chariots, elephant and horse stables. 10
Those tipsy ones were teasing each other, placing their stout hands on each other and were shouting vulgar words at each other. 11
Those Rakshasas were baring their chest, putting their body on their sweet hearts, assuming various shapes and leaving free the tightly held bows. 12
He also saw several well made up maidens, some ladies who were sleeping, some who were laughing and some who were upset and very angry. 13
That city was full of trumpeting of elephants, well-honoured friends, gasping heroes and hissing snakes. 14
He also saw their some Rakshasas who were very intelligent, who talked sweetly, who were full of attention, who were considered noble in this world , who were made up in different manners and who had very good names. 15
That Hanuman became very pleased on seeing them who were handsome people, who had all sort of good qualities and who were looking good and suitable to their good qualities. He also saw some ugly people who had made up themselves so as to look as handsome. 16
He saw many star like women who were pretty, who had a very clean mind, who were of good character, who were well known, who in spite being drunk were passionate towards their husbands. 17
He also saw many woman like the birds hidden by flowers, who were shining because of their wealth, who were very shy, who were attracted by tremendous passion and to whom their husbands were making passionate love in the mid of night. 18
The intelligent Hanuman also saw some married women sitting in comfort on the laps of their husbands, who were making passionate love with their husbands and putting on nice behavior because of good upbringing, some who were having an interest in Dharma and some who were sitting at the top of their houses. 19
(Here he describes virtuous woman of the house)
That monkey chief Hanuman, saw also many women with the colour of the flash of gold and some with the colour of molten gold, some noble ladies with out the upper cloth covering them, some with very pretty sensual organs with attractive colour, some who are of the colour of the moon because they were separated from their lovers, some who were glowing in light because they have got the lovers of their choice and also many happy and very pretty girls in those houses. 20-21
(Here the poet describes unmarried women in love)
He also saw some with faces as pretty as the full moon, some with curved eyelids over pretty eyes and some with ornaments like the flash of lightning. 22
( He was seeing their eyes and faces to see whether they were human beings or Rakshasis and their ornaments to see whether they were wearing Sita’s ornaments)
But he did not see Sita who was brought up in a royal family of good lineage, who had very high celestial birth, who was with a body like a fully developed climbing plant and who was born outside the womb as per her will. 23
He became extremely sad and felt foolish because in spite of a long search he was not in a position of being able to locate Sita who permanently dwells in the path of justice, who had very pretty eyes, who was full of love, who for ever lived in the mind of her husband, who was anytime much greater than any great lady, who was suffering because of the absence of her husband, who had a neck made wet with tears, who in earlier days used to wear dollar hanging from her neck, who was like a peahen which with its very pretty wings was dancing in the forest , who was like a faded crescent of the moon, who was like a piece of gold dimmed by dust, who was like the wound pierced by an arrow and who was the wife of Lord Rama who was greatest among those who speak and who was lord of human beings, 24-27
Thus ends the fifth chapter of Sundara Kanda which is in the Ramayana which is the first epic written by Valmiki.
Read Next
Chapter 6: Entering palace of ravana