Hari Om.
Let us begin the seventeenth sarga of the sundara kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Perhaps to avoid an embarrassment, hanumAn, in spite of finding sItA under a certain aSOka tree in the grove, recalled every description given by rAma about her and also supplemented it by his own assessment and evidence to finally ascertain that she indeed was sItA. Like a deer surrounded by hounds and bereft of its kin, she was surrounded by the ogresses who tormented her trying to make her agree to rAvaNa’s proposal. She treated them with indifference. She was neither interested in her surroundings, the beautiful grove nor did she pay attention to the attendants. She seemed to focus on rAma prayerfully with a focused mind. Beholding her absolute nobility and virtuous conduct, hanumAn understood why rAma pined so much for her. He also understood that if she, rejecting every luxury of lanka is focused on rAma braving heat and cold in the grove, it was because of the virtues of rAma. The two, he understood, are made for each other. Her heart is firmly devoted to his and his to hers. Making up his mind thus, hanumAn became distressed in her distress. Onwards…
The spotless moon took to the clear skies like the swan takes to dark waters. The cool rays of the moon refreshed hanumAn and helped in the mission. In that moonlight, he beheld sItA of moon-like countenance. She had been weighed down by grief like an overloaded ship in the ocean. While ascertaining that she was sItA, hanumAn saw several ogresses of terrifying forms around her.
साचिव्यमिव कुर्वन् स प्रभया निर्मलप्रभः।
चन्द्रमा रश्मिभिश्शीतैस्सिषेवे पवनात्मजम्।।5.17.2।।
One of them was one-eyed and another was one-eared! Another had huge ears that covered her face. Then there was one without ears. There was another with ears like a conch. One of them had a nose that extended to her head. One was fat, another had a thin and long neck, one had drooping lips while another had chin in place of lips. One had a long face while another had long knees. Some of them were short, tall, hunchback, crooked faced, had crooked mouth and some had cat eyes. Wielding large iron spears some of them were quarrelsome, short tempered and dark. They had the faces of boar, deer, tiger, buffalo, jackal and had feet of elephant and camel and some of them had their head stuffed into the torso. Some had one hand, some had one foot, some had ears like those of donkey, horse, cow, elephant and monkey. Some were nose less, others had a prominent nose and yet others had a crooked nose. Some had trunk like that of elephants while some breathed through their forehead where they had the nose. Some had huge heads, others had sagging breasts and bellies. Some had mouth of a horse, while others had that of a donkey. Some had disheveled hair while others had crooked teeth. They were all busy drinking and were addicted to meat and wine, so much so that those were smeared on their bodies.
तस्याधस्ताच्च तां देवीं राजपुत्रीमनिन्दिताम्।।5.17.18।।
लक्षयामास लक्ष्मीवान् हनुमान् जनकात्मजाम्।
In the middle of these horrifying and hostile surroundings, the blemish less dEvI at the root of the tree was beheld by the illustrious hanumAn. She had lost her sheen torn with grief. Her hair was unkempt and she resembled a fallen star of spent merit. Endowed with rich character, she was pining for a glimpse of her husband. She was not adorned with any rich jewels but looked well adorned by the love for her husband.
चारित्रव्यपदेशाढ्यां भर्तृदर्शनदुर्गताम्।।5.17.20।।
भूषणैरुत्तमैर्हीनां भर्तृवात्सल्यभूषणाम्।
Surrounded by the menacing ogresses she looked like a she-elephant separated from her herd and surrounded by lions. She resembled the crescent moon covered by the post-monsoon clouds. She resembled an unstringed vINA. sItA who deserved to be with her husband and was out of place among the ogresses was in a sea of grief in that grove with those ogresses surrounding her like the star rOhiNI (moon’s consort) surrounded by the planets. hanumAn beheld sItA who was like a creeper that was not in bloom. With a soiled body without bedecked by jewels, she was lusterless and looked like a lotus stalk smeared with mud.
तां देवीं दीनवदनामदीनां भर्तृतेजसा।।5.17.27।।
रक्षितां स्वेन शीलेन सीतामसितलोचनाम्।
hanumAn beheld the dEvI who had a long face and looked the very picture of misery representing the high tide in the ocean of grief, tears streaking down her face, exhaling deep and hot sighs as if she would burn down the trees around her and yet was unfazed due to the greatness of her husband and who was protected by her own chastity. Beholding the forbearing woman of a charming build, unbedecked, hanumAn was joyous. In that great delight, tears of joy streaked down his face and he saluted rAghava and lakshmaNa and by the darSan of sItA he felt accomplished and ecstatic.
Here we conclude the seventeenth 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: 5.18. Lusty twist in the dawn of hope
Previous: 5.16. Distressing and diligent deliberations
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
