5.11. Introspection and removal of self guilt

Hari Om.

Let us begin the eleventh sarga of the sundara kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.

Searching through the harem of rAvaNa and seeing many a charming and ornamental woman deep asleep, hanumAn was disappointed at not finding sItA. The women who were all enamored by rAvaNa and smitten with passion were experts in playing musical instruments and dancing. They were tired after drinking and indulgence and dropped down to sleep with their instruments or in a pose of dance! Proceeding further hanumAn saw the demon king himself deep asleep and felt a bit unnerved momentarily. Then he saw the beautiful chief queen mandOdarI and because of her grace mistook her sItA and was delighted momentarily in misplaced joy. Onwards…

The great vAnara in no time realized his misjudgement and discarded the conclusion and thought –

“Without rAma by her side, sItA would neither sleep nor eat nor deck up, nor will indulge. She wouldn’t court another man other than rAma, even if he were the greatest of gods, since there exists no one superior to rAma even among the gods”.

न रामेण वियुक्ता सा स्वप्तुमर्हति भामिनी।

न भोक्तुं वाप्यलङ्कर्तुं न पानमुपसेवितुम्।।5.11.2।।

नान्यं नरमुपस्थातुं सुराणामपि चेश्वरम्।

न हि रामसमः कश्चिद्विद्यते त्रिदशेष्वपि।।5.11.3।।

अन्येयमिति निश्चित्य पानभूमौ चचार सः।

Thus making up his mind, hanumAn went around in the banquet hall. He witnessed more of the charming women who were very well decked up and were deep asleep – some tired by indulgence, some by singing, some by dance and some by drinking excessively. In the middle of them, the mighty rAvaNa who was deep asleep made quite a sight, like a bull among the cows or like the elephant in the middle of she-elephants.

There in the banquet hall, hanumAn witnessed a variety of meat dishes – that of deer, boar, buffalo, goat, peacocks and fowls, bones, salads mixed with yoghurt and other foods of four varieties – solid, semi solid, food consumed by licking and food consumed by slurping.

क्रकरान्विविधान् सिद्धांश्चकोरानर्धभक्षितान्।।5.11.14।।

महिषानेकशल्यांश्च छागांश्च कृतनिष्ठितान्।

लेह्यानुच्चावचान्पेयान् भोज्यानि विविधानि च।।5.11.15।।

The fragrance of the foods cooked by the expert cooks was in the air. He further saw salty and sour dishes, spices, variety of fruits, flowers, wine made of choicest of grapes, sugar cane and other fruits which was stored in golden pots. Many an eater set aside their heavy ornaments like the crowns, bracelets and anklets there while they indulged in food and those were lying there. The seats in the dining hall were arranged exquisitely and the ambience was just glorious with attractive gem studded silver and gold cutleries and floral decorations everywhere.

At some places there were dishes yet to be served while at others there were dishes half eaten and left over. Same was the case with drinks, some jars were full while others were half full. Some jars were broken and lying around. There were garlands, flowers, fruits strewn around.

Again, he saw many women sleeping there, some were fair, some were dark and some were in golden complexion. All of them were out of their senses overcome by sleep and were in positions not fit to be seen by others. Being asleep, they appeared like lotuses that were closed. Their heavy breaths during the sleep made their upper clothes flutter. The fragrance of the sandalwood paste, flowers, garlands, incense and wines was carried by the wind.

एवं सर्वमशेषेण रावणान्तः पुरं कपिः।।5.11.35।।

ददर्श सुमहातेजाः न ददर्श च जानकीम्।

The illustrious vAnara thus scanned every inch of the inner chambers of rAvaNa but had no glimpse of jAnakI anywhere. Then, having seen the wives of another in their inner chambers in a not-to-be-seen state, a terrible doubt arose in the mind of the great vAnara as to if he has transgressed dharma in doing so.

निरीक्षमाणश्च तदा ताः स्त्रियः स महाकपिः।।5.11.36।।

जगाम महतीं चिन्तां धर्मसाध्वसशङ्कितः।

परदारावरोधस्य प्रसुप्तस्य निरीक्षणम्।।5.11.37।।

इदं खलु ममात्यर्थं धर्मलोपं करिष्यति।

तस्य प्रादुरभूच्चिन्ता पुनरन्या मनस्विनः।।5.11.39।।

निश्चितैकान्तचित्तस्य कार्यनिश्चयदर्शिनी।

Then clarity dawned up on him and he argued within himself – “I have not looked at these wives of another in an objective manner. I had no wicked intention when I was looking at them. While I saw the loyal wives of rAvaNa, no crooked sensual thoughts came to my mind. In fact, it is the mind that controls how the senses behave in situations good and bad and my mind is firm and not fickle. One has to look for a woman among women, where else could I search for vaidEhI?

मनो हि हेतुः सर्वेषामिन्द्रियाणां प्रवर्तने।।5.11.41।।

शुभाशुभास्ववस्थासु तच्च मे सुव्यवस्थितम्।

Of course, a given being must be searched among its own species and one cannot look for a lost woman in a herd of deer!

यस्य सत्त्वस्य या योनिस्तस्यां तत्परिमार्ग्यते।

न शक्या प्रमदा नष्टा मृगीषु परिमार्गितुम्।।5.11.43।।

I have searched all over rAvaNa’s inner chamber for jAnakI with a pure mind but have not found her”.

hanumAn could find the women of gods, demigods and nAgas but not jAnaki there. The valiant hanumAn not having found sItA despite searching everywhere in the inner chambers began to think about his next move and moved out with a view to renew his efforts to find sItA.