"Among those palaces Hanuman the son of Vayu saw one which is foremost among them"

Sundarakanda

Chapter 9

Among those palaces Hanuman, the son of Vayu, saw one which is the foremost among them It is half a Yojana wide and one Yojana long and is surrounded by many other palaces . Hanuman who is capable of defeating all enemies and who is in search of Sita looked at that palace complex including Ravana's palace.

That palace was secured by well armed Rakshasas. The palace was full with Rakshasa wives of Ravana and also princesses brought by force. The palace itself looked like an ocean full of crocodiles and fiery fish as well as poisonous serpents among waves that the touch sky. It looked like all the riches of Kubera , all the riches of Indra who rides the celestial horse Ucchaisravas, seemed to be part of Ravana's wealth. The wealth associated with Ravana seems to eclipse the wealth of all his sons , brothers , ministers, even the wealth of Lord Yama , Varuna .

Hanuman again saw the Pushpaka Vimana which was constructed in the heavens for Brahma and embellished with precious stones. Kubera won the Pushpaka by virtue of severe penances from Brahma only to lose it to Ravana who won it by his physical prowess.

Standing on the Arial car Hanuman smelt the heavenly odor coming from the drinks and variety of food including cooked rice. The odor called out to Hanuman as though it were calling an esteemed relative.

As he set out from there , Hanuman saw the hall which was the most beloved palace hall of Ravana . The steps of that hall were paved with gold adorned with gems and inlaid with figures of ivory . It had pillars made of gold and silver and all of them of uniform architecture. On the floor of the hall was a carpet filled with features of the earth . The palace was rendered noisy by the variety of birds in heat.

Looking at that hall of palaces Hanuman wondered if it is heaven itself or the City of Gods or the City of Indra or is it the result of great penance. There Hanuman saw women in thousands wearing clothes of different colors, wearing flowers of different hues, wearing variety of ornaments attires and lying on the carpet . Those women having been tired by the playful acts and wine were in deep sleep. With them lost in sleep, the ornaments worn were still and the silence prevailed all over. In deep sleep their eyes were closed and the lips concealed the teeth. Hanuman thinking that the faces of the Rakshasa women whose faces were like the full blown lotuses of the day , looked like lotuses with petals closed. He thought the drunken bees were repeatedly making efforts to drink the juices presuming the faces to be lotus petals themselves.

With such women radiating pleasure, the Ravana's palace was shining like the cloudless sky on autumn day. Surrounded by them Ravana looked like the moon surrounded by stars. Hanuman thought the that the women are the none other then the stars who fell off the heavens with residual merits. Like the stars in the clear autumn skies the women were radiating beauty all around

Because of drink and dalliance the garlands being worn were displaced. The ornaments worn were also displaced. And being tired they were overcome by sleep. Some of the beauties had their beauty spots erased. The anklets fell off some , bracelets fell off from some, and for some the gold chain hung from the side. Some ones pearl necklace was torn, some ones cloth fell off too. They were all under influence of wine and were lying down fatigued like young mares which were made to carry loads. Some had lost their earrings , some had their garlands broken and crushed and they looked like creepers crushed by the lordly elephant. The women resembled a flowing river with tiny bells forming part of the girdle looking like buds, the gold ornaments looking like lotuses, the amorous gestures on their bodies looking like alligators, and their splendor looking like the river banks !

Some women covered their faces with the upper garment which fluttered again and again shaken by the breath of their mouths.

There are daughters of royal sages, Brahmanas, Daityas , Gandharvas, who had come on their own being smitten with love. There is no woman who was not born in a upper strata, or who was not pretty ,or a woman of inferior capability, or a woman who could not demand respect or a women who could not attract her husband.

Thus thinking, Hanuman felt if only Ravana left Sita live with her Husband like the Wives of Ravana were living with him, Ravana would indeed have been blessed.

Hanuman thinking that Sita was of superior capability , felt that Ravan the king of Lanka though of Superior birth behaved in a unbecoming of his race. Hanuman became sorrowful.

Thus ends Chapter 9 of Sundarakanda

om tat Sat

Hanuman thinking that Sita was of superior capability , felt that Ravan the king of lanka though of Superior birth behaved in a unbecoming of his race. Hanuman became sorrowful.