Hari Om.
Let us begin the eighteenth sarga of the sundara kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
After a flight of amazing resolve, hanumAn reached lanka and thoroughly scanned every inch of it to find the whereabouts of sItA. He covered the houses of ordinary citizens, who’s who of lanka and finally the private chambers of rAvaNa and could not find sItA. Fighting both disappointment and moral dilemma, hanumAn successfully wards off suicidal thoughts and resolves again to search for sItA in the sylvan aSOka grove. He feels very much at home in that grove and perched on a tree, he awaits the vision of sItA. Sure enough, he spots her soon in the middle of the aSOka trees, surrounded by many a crooked and menacing ogress whose job was to make her agree to rAvaNa’s proposal through coaxing or threatening. Her sArI was soiled due to prolonged usage. She was unkempt and yet, deep in the contemplation of rAma, she was radiant. In many ways, hanumAn deliberated to ensure that she indeed was sItA. Her grief seemed saintly and not one of sulking. She was unmindful of either the dangers of the demonesses or the beauty of the gorgeous grove. She was focused on rAma and fought grief in his thought, waiting for him. The vibes were strong that she was indeed sItA who was being forced in this grove to agree to rAvaNa’s proposals. How will he approach talking to her? Onwards…
As hanumAn engaged in searching for vaidEhI in that grove filled with fully bloomed trees, only very little of the night was left and dawn was about to break. Chants of the priests among the demons who were well versed in the vEdas and its allied six-fold subjects (shadangas) and were engaged in the performance of yajnas could be heard at day break. The mighty ten-headed demon was woken up by the melodious and auspicious music.
अथ मङ्गलवादित्रशब्दैः श्रुतिमनोहरैः।
प्राबुध्यत महाबाहुर्दशग्रीवो महाबलः।।5.18.3।।
Waking up at the usual time, the chivalrous king, even without adjusting his cloth and garlands which were in disarray began to think of vaidEhI intoxicated by passion towards her, he could hardly conceal his lust for her. Decking up, he took the path filled with trees bearing abundant fruits and flowers, dotted by lotus ponds frequented by lovely birds that were cooing melodiously, with a number of deer and other pets running around where ripe fruits had fallen, he entered the ever green aSOka grove. A hundred damsels followed the path of paulastya (rAvaNA) like the consorts of the gods and demi gods follow indra.
Some of those damsels held golden lamps, some held hand fans made of yak tail, some held fans made of palm leaves, some carried water in golden pots and walked ahead, some carried cushions, one carried a golden jar filled with wine in her right hand, one of them held the royal parasol resembling the moon above rAvaNa’s head while another held a golden staff. The coveted wives of rAvaNa, with eyes still reeling in sleep, followed their husband like the lightning follows the cloud. Their armlets and necklaces were in disarray, the sandal smears were smudged, hair was disheveled and they were sweating. Reeling in the hangover of intoxication and sleep, with flowers in their unkempt braid, the concubines of rAvaNa, smitten by passion and reverence towards him followed him. As for him, the mighty rAvaNa had lost out to lust and absorbed in sItA’s thoughts took slow steps. As they walked, the tinkling emanating from the waist girdles and the anklets was heard by the son of the wind god hanumAn.
ततः काञ्चीनिनादं च नूपुराणां च निस्वनम्।
शुश्राव परमस्त्रीणां स कपिर्मारुतात्मजः।।5.18.20।।
Then he saw at the threshold of the grove, the accomplisher of unimaginable deeds and the unimaginably mighty rAvaNa, the very picture of lust, pride and vanity, whose red bloodshot eyes looked like manmatha with his bow cast aside. He was casually adjusting his rich upper cloth which resembled foam from well churned nectar and was stuck in his armlet.
मथितामृतफेनाभमरजोवस्त्रमुत्तमम्।
सलीलमनुकर्षन्तं विमुक्तं सक्तमङ्गदे।।5.18.24।।
Perched in the middle of the thick foliage of the SimSupa tree, hanumAn took position and began to take a good look at rAvaNa who was approaching. He saw the illustrious king flanked by pretty and youthful chief wives enter the grove meant for women which was abuzz with the noise made by the beasts and birds. Taking a good look at the drunk, well adorned, conch eared, mighty son of viSravasa who was surrounded by his wives like moon surrounded by stars, hanumAn was certain that this was rAvaNa and lunged a bit forward.
रावणोऽयं महाबाहुरिति सञ्चिन्त्य वानरः।
अवप्लुतो महातेजा हनुमान्मारुतात्मजः।।5.18.30।।
Although himself splendorous, hanumAn was outshone by the splendor of rAvaNa momentarily and taking a step back remained in the covering of the thick foliage.
With a desire to see the well-endowed and dark haired beauty of shapely limbs and side glances, rAvaNa returned to the aSOka grove.
Here we conclude the eighteenth 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: 5.19. The exemplar of grief for rAma
Previous: 5.17. Surviving hostility with rAma in her heart
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
