Hari Om.
Let us begin the seventh sarga of the sundara kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Having accomplished the impossible feat of crossing the ocean and knocking off the guardian deity of lanka, hanumAn now sneaked into the streets of lanka. He witnessed the high quality of life, luxury, security and matchless beauty of lanka as he moved about inconspicuously. There was heightened security, possibly because of the abduction of sItA and her presence in lanka. He kept his quest on as he noticed the nightlife in public and private places. The moon was out in the sky and almost reaching its zenith. The moonlight was assisting his quest as also exhilarating the minds and moods of the demons there. He then moved into the royal street and on the way saw the houses of who’s who of lanka. Not finding sItA anywhere there, he now zeroed in on the stunning royal palace of rAvaNa that was guarded by hundreds of thousands of soldiers who were mounted on horses, elephants and chariots and ready to mount an offensive anytime. They were guarding the inner chambers where the womenfolk of rAvaNa lived. They were very pretty, well decked and intoxicated. Rejecting all the distractions, hanumAn was single-mindedly focused on his quest of sItA. Onwards…
The mighty hanumAn beheld the bunch of majestic mansions that were studded with gold and gems and resembled a rain bearing clouds with lightning streaks and flocks of birds. In those multitudes of mansions, he saw bows, weapons and conches adorning large halls. They had delightful and large terraces. In those houses, the vAnara saw a variety of flawless objects earned by their own might that even the gods and demons would covet. The great mansions that were built with utmost care were among the best on the face of the earth sporting the best of designs and amenities and appeared as if they were built by the craftsman maya.
ततो ददर्शोछ्रचितमेघरूपम् मनोहरं काञ्चनचारुरूपम् ।
रक्षोऽधिपस्यात्मबलानुरूपम् गृहोत्तमं ह्यप्रतिरूपरूपम् ॥ 5.7.5
Then he saw the imposing and charming palace glowing like gold and towering like the clouds which was the abode of the lord of the demons and it befitted his might and stature. The greatest jewel among the flying chariots, vimAnas – the vimAna was then beheld by hanumAn. Many beautiful damsel lined up on that vimAna and the auspicious appeared like a streak of lightning and as if it was floating in the skies carried by regal swans. Replete with a variety of gems and jewels, with the front face of shining silver resembling a white mountain, decorated with variety of flowers, the vimAna resembled heaven on earth.
मही कृता पर्वतराजिपूर्णाः शैलाः कृता वृक्षवितानपूर्णाः ।
वृक्षाः कृताः पुष्पवितानपूर्णाः पुष्पं कृतं केसरपत्रपूर्णम् ॥
The vimAna had tastefully decorated galleries of canvases which had the expanse of the range of mountains drawn on it. The canvas was so detailed that, every tree was represented distinctly on the mountain and in turn, every flower and its pollen were drawn in high resolution. The vimAna also had very eye-pleasing canvases that showed white skyscrapers with lotus ponds in front of those and within the pond, the pollen on the lotus and a variety of gardens were also depicted. Then there were galleries of images of birds, serpents and horses all made with various gems and looking regal. Some of the birds with their stunningly stylish wings appeared like the image of the god of love. And then there were the canvases with drawings of lively elephants in lotus ponds, gracefully holding the lotuses in their trunks ready to shower it on the goddess lakshmI who was herself holding the lotus in her hand!
नियुज्यमानास्तु गजाः सुहस्ताः सकेसराश्चोत्पलपत्रहस्ताः ।
बभूवदेवी च कृता सुहस्ताः लक्ष्मी स्तथा पद्मिनि पद्महस्ताः ॥ 5.7.14
Famous by the name pushpaka, the opulent vimAna was towering and dwarfed many a mansion. hanumAn was wonderstuck at the sight of the vimAna in that palace that shone gloriously like a mountain with multiple caves during the spring in the mighty himAlayas.
ततः स तां कपिरभिपत्य पूजिताम् चरन् पुरीं दशमुखबाहुपालिताम् ।
अदृश्य तां जनकसुतां सुपूजिताम् सुदुःखितः पतिगुणवेगनिर्जिताम् ॥ 5.7.16
Moving about in that admirable city protected by the ten-headed rAvaNa, hanumAn felt disappointed at not sighting the revered daughter of king janaka, who was won at once by the infinite virtues of her husband. The great and virtuous hanumAn who was vigilant and observant, not sighting sItA felt sad as a number of thoughts crisscrossed his mind.
Here we conclude the seventh sarga of the sundara kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 5.08. A brief gaze at the pushpaka
Previous: 5.06. Agile, observant and scanning every inch
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 