Sundara Kanda 17

Chapter 17-1

Tatah kumuda shandAbho nirmalO nirmalam svayam

PrajagAma nabhas chandrO hamsO neela mivOdakam  17-1

Moon in the sky is moving like a Swan in the black water.

Valmiki described the moon when Hanuma started His search in Lanka. Then inbetween, moon was in the middle of sky. Now, again when Hanuma is looking at mother Sita, Valmiki described the moon at the other side.  The brightness of the moon illuminates the objects in the darkness. In the same way, there are three stages in the search of God viz., Thinking,  Meditation, and Realization.

Hanuma heard from Sampathi that Seeta is in Lanka. That is the stage of learning. This was described in Kishkinda Kanda.

In Sundara Kanda, other three stages (thinking, meditation and realization).

When Hanuma began the search, it was the stage of Thinking. In other words, it is the stage of Jnanam.

As Hanuma proceeds to search, He was not interested in looking at other objects, and only thinks about Sita. Then moon was in the middle of the sky. Based on the description of Sita given by Rama (ie., the knowledge imparted by Acharya), Hanuma meditates on Sita. This is the second stage.

Then Hanuma has seen Sita in Ashoka garden. Now moon has reached other

side of the sky. This is the stage of Realization.

Saachivya miva kurvan sa prabha yA nirmala prabhaha

ChandramA rashmibhih sheetaih  sishEvE pavanAtmajam  17-2

As the moon guiding Him, Hanuma is watching mother Sita while sitting on the branch of a tree.

Sa dadarsha tata seethAm poorna chandra nibhAnanAm

ShokabhArai rivan yastAm bhAraih nAva mivAmbhasi  17-3

Mother Sita was engulfed in sarrow like a overloaded boat sinking in water.

DidrikshamAnO  VaidehIm HanumAn MAruthAthmajah

Sa dadarsha vidoorastA raakshaseeh ghOra darshanaah  17-4

That Hanuma, the son of the Vayu, saw the daughter of Videha king, Sita, who was surrounded by dreadful demoness.

EkaakshIm eka karnaam ca karma praavaranaam tadhA

AkarnAm shanku karnAm ca mastaka uchvAsa nAsikAm 17-5

AtikAyOthamAngIm ca tanudIrghashirOdharAm

DvastakEshIm tadAkEshIm kEshakambaladhArinIm  17-6

Lamba karma lalAtAm ca lambOdarapayOdharAm

LambOshtIm chubukOshtIm ca lambAsyAm lambajAnukAm 17-7

Hanuma has seen the demoness named EkAkshi, Ekakarni, Akarna, Shankukarna, Atikaaya, Dhvastikeshi, Akeshi, Keshakambaladhaarini, Lambakarna, Lambodara, Lamboshti, chubukoshti, Lambaasya, Lambajaanaka etc.

Chapter 17-2

HrasvAm dIrghAm tadhA kubjAm vikatAm vAmanAm tadhA

KarAlAm bhugnavaktrAn ca pingAkshIm vikritAnanAm   17-8

VikritA: pingalA: kAlI: krodanA: kalahapriyA:

kAlAyasa mahAshUla kUta mudgaradharInI  17-9

VarAha mriga shArdUla mahishAja shivAmukhI:

GajOshtra hayapAdIshcha nikhAtashirasO parA:  17-10

EkahastaIkapadAscha kharakarnyashvakarnikA:

GOkarnIrhastikarnIscha harikarnI stadAparA:  17-11

 AnAsA atinAsAscha tiryaghnasA vinAsikA:

GajasannibhanAsAscha lalAtOchvAsanAsikA: 17-12

HastipAdA mahApAdA gopAdA: pAdachUlikA:

AtimAtrashirOgrI:vA atimAtrakuchOdarI: 17-13

AtimAtrAsyanEtrAscha dIrghajihvA nakhAstadhA

AjAmukhI:  hastimukhI: gOmukhI: ssUkaramukhI: 17-14

HayOshtra kharavaktrAscha rAkshasI: gOradarshanA:

shUlamudgarahastAshcha krodhanA: kalahapriyA:  17-15

KarAlA dhUmrakEshI: ca rAkshasI: vikritAnanA:

pibantI: satatam pAnam sadA mAmsa surA priyA: 17-16

The description of the demoness surrounding mother Seeta is given here.

These are symbolic to the demonic nature exhibited by human behavior when the soul acts against the ParamAtma . Depending on appearance of different parts of body or expressions given, some persons are nick named. Thus those who have demonic or unnatural appearance in eyes, ears, stomach, face etc are named EkAkshi, Ekakarna ,….  Those demoness are with fearful faces, drunken, eating the meat and are ready to fight.

MAmsashOnitadigdhAngI: mAmsashOnitabhOjanA:

tA dadarsha kapishreshtO: rOmaharshana darshanA 17-17

The demoness have covered their body with meat and blood. On looking at those demoness, hair on Hanuma’s body got erect with fear.

Skandavantam upAsInA: parivArya vanaspatIm

tasyAdhastA: ccha tAm dEvIm rAjaputrI maninditAm 17-18

The tree on which Hanuma was sitting had a powerful base and demoness were sitting around that tree.

LakshayAmAsa LakshmIvAn HanumAn JanakAtmajAm

NishprabhAm shOkasantapTm malasankulamUrdhajAm 17-19

Hanuma has seen mother Seetha, the daughter of  the king Janaka, who was sitting below that tree. That Hanuma, who has achieved His goal to see mother Sita is LAKSHMIVAAN.

kshiiNapuNyaam chyutaam bhuumau taaraam nipatitaamiva |

She was lack luster being tormented by grief, with hair covered by dirt, with merits exhausted, like star fallen from heavens onto ground.

chaaritravyapadeshaaDyaaM bhartR^idarshanadurgataam || 5-17-20
bhuuSaNairuttamorhiinaam bhartR^ivaatsalyabhuuSaNaam |

She was rich with fame of lofty character, poor due to not seeing husband, lacking excellent ornaments, with husband's love as ornament.

raakshasaadhipasamruddhaam bandhubhishcha vinaa kR^itaam || 5-17-21
viyuuthaam simhasamruddhaam baddhaam gajavadhuumiva |

Being held captive by Ravana, without any relatives, She was like a she-elephant without herd, being detained by a lion.

chandrarekhaam payodaante shaaradaabrairivaavR^itaam || 5-17-22
kliSTaruupaamasamsparshaadayuktaamiva vallakiim |

She was like moon being covered by clouds at the end of rainy season with an appearance lacking lustre due to lack of contact with husband, was like an unplucked Veena.

sa taam bhartavashe yuktaamayuktaam raakshasiivashe || 5-17-23
ashokavanikaamadhye shokasaagaramaaplutaam |

Hanuma saw Seetha being suited to be with her husband, in the custody of ogresses, in the middle of Ashoka garden being immersed in an ocean of grief

taabhiH parivR^itaam tatra sagrahaamiva rohiNiim || 5-17-24
dadarsha hanumaan deviim lataamakusumaamiva |

Hanuma saw Seetha there surrounded by those ogresses, like Rohini with planets, like a creeper without flowers.

saa malena ca digdhaaN^giivapuSaa caapyalaMkR^itaa || 5-17-25
mR^iNaalii paN^kadigdheva vibhaati cha na bhaati cha |

With body smeared with dirt, being graced by Her body, that Seetha shone and also did not shine, like a lotus-fibre covered with dirt.

malinena tu vastreNa parikliSTena bhaaminiim || 5-17-26
saMvR^itaam mR^igashaabaakshiiM dadarsha hanumaan kapiH |
taam deviiM diinavadanaamadiinaaM bhartR^itejasaa || 5-17-27
rakshitaam svena shiilena siitaamasitalochanaam |

The monkey Hanuma saw that Seetha with great beauty with black eyes, covered by a cloth which was creased and dirty, with eyes of a deer, with a pitiful face, not depressed due to the brilliance of her husband, protected by her own character.

taam dR^iSTvaa hanumaan siitaam mR^igashaabanibhekshaNaam |
mR^igakanyaamiva trastaam viikshamaaNaam samantataH || 5-17-28
dahantiimiva niHshvaasairvR^ikSaan pallavadhaariNaH |
samghaatamiva shokaanaam duHkhasyormimivothitaam || 5-17-29

Hanuma became happy on seeing Seetha with eyes of a fawn, fearful like a she-deer, seeing trees with young shoots, as though being burnt by sighs, like a bundle of grief, with a wave of sorrow risen up.

taam kshamaaM suvibhaktaaN^giiM vinaabharaNashobhiniim |
praharSamatulam lebhe maarutiH prekSya maithiliim || 5-17-30

Hanuma the son of wind god on seeing Seetha that Seetha like the goddess earth, with well divided body parts shining eve without ornaments, obtained great joy.

harSajaani cha so.ashruuNi taam dR^iSTvaa madirekSaNaam |
mumuche hanumaamstatra namashcakre cha raaghavam || 5-17-31

Hanuma on seeing Seetha there with intoxicating eyes shed tears of joy and also paid obeisance to Sri Rama.

namaskR^itvaa raamaaya lakshmaNaaya cha viiryavaan |
siitaadarshanasamhR^iSTo hanumaan samvR^ito.abhavat || 5-17-32

Being joyful on seeing Seetha, Hanuma the mighty one paid obeisance to Sri Rama and to Lakshmana and became covered with leaves.

ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye sundarakaaNDe saptadashaH sargaH

Thus completes 17th Chapter of Sundara Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.