|| om tat sat||

Sundarakanda
Sarga 49

Tattvadipika
विस्मयं परमं गत्वा !

"विस्मयं परमं गत्वा".
means very much surprised.
Who was so surprised?
That is Hanuma who was brought into the assembly of Ravana.

Normally when one sees something unexpected one is surprised.
Brought into the assembly of the Rakshasa king,
Hanuma was surprised seeing Ravana.

In this Sarga we too will see that Ravana,
who surprised Hanuma.

The Sarga starts on a different note.
ततः स कर्मणा तस्य विस्मितो भीम विक्रमः।
हनुमान् क्रोधताम्राक्षो रक्षोधिपमवैक्षत॥

First Hanuma is "विस्मितो", meaning surprised.
Hanuma was surprised by the act of Indrajit in using Brahmastra on him.
Then we hear "क्रोधताम्राक्षो",
with 'angry eyes which are red".
Hanuma looked at Ravana with anger.
Ramayana Tilaka says anger because of the act of
"सीतापहरण क्रियया", carrying away Sita
So Hanuma started with a surprise and anger.

Then Hanuma looked at Ravana.

Poet describes Ravana in the following lines.

The Rakshasa king had an innate splendor.
He was shining with a golden crown, covered with glittering strings of pearls.
He was decked with golden ornaments studded with diamonds,
adorned with small motifs of precious gems as though designed with imagination.
He was dressed in exquisite silks.
The exquisite silks had many kinds of wonderful ornamental designs,
He was smeared with red sandal paste,

Heroic, powerful, and splendid,
he appeared with blood red eyes,
with fearsome looks,
with shining sharp teeth and drooping lips,

Ravana was having ten heads.
How are those ten heads?

They looked like the peaks of Mandara mountain
filled with different kinds of beasts.
His appearance was filled with splendor

Ravana's description continues.

His chest with a pearl necklace,
looked like a black mountain of collyrium,
with pearls shining like a full moon.
The pearls in the dark background looked like
cranes flying in the background of black clouds.

Smeared with best sandal paste,
wearing armlets and shining bracelets,
his stout arms looked like five headed serpents.

He was well seated on a magnificent throne,
which is on a beautiful carpet.
The throne was encrusted with of crystal and precious stones,
Beautiful girls, exceedingly well decorated ones,
holding whisks in their hands in the vicinity, attended on him.

He was attended by learned Rakshasa ministers,
Durdhara, Prahastha. Mahaparsva, and Nikumbha.

Attended by the four arrogant Rakshasas and comfortably seated
he looked like the earth surrounded by four oceans.

Attended by learned ones,
intellectuals, ministers, and other Rakshasas,
he was like Indra attended by the gods.

Hanuman saw the highly splendid Rakshasa king
who appeared like clouds laden with water on the peaks of Meru mountain.

Though being troubled by the fearsome Rakshasas
Hanuman looked at the Rakshasa king in amazement.

Having overcome his initial surprise at Indrajit,
and anger at Ravana for his heinous crime,
looking at the king of Rakshasas and attracted by his splendor,
Hanuman started thinking in his mind.

' Oh, What form! What courage! What power! What a glow!
He is endowed with all merits.
If he is not unrighteous,
he could have been the lord of even the world of gods including Indra.
With his contemptible wicked deeds,
all people even the gods and demons fear this person.
If he is angry, he is capable of making the entire world sink into ocean'.

"इति चिन्तां बहुविधम्."
Thus, the Vanara wondered in many ways.
That is what we hear in this Sarga.

We have seen this trait of Hanuma.
Many a time being taken aback,
being surprised, plainly wondering at the first sight.
But he recovers from such surprises and moves on his path undeterred.

We hear in second Sarga about the city of Lanka.
Amazement at the city of Lanka on the Trikuta mountain looking like Amaravati.
While searching for Sita in the city of Lanka,
Hanuma wonders if it is a celestial city.

Looking at the wives of Ravana,
we hear Hanuma saying that
there is none who was not in love with him
There is none who was brought by force.
We hear praises Ravana at many places.

At every point of that praise we also hear,
'if only he did not commit the heinous crime,
he could have been the Lord of Suras too!

It seems like the poet is making a point.
One may have done many good deeds,
but one heinous crime, he must bear the fruits of that action
This is a lesson poet seems to say again and again.

Thus, we come to the end of forty ninth Sarga

|| om tat sat||
|| This is what we understood from Tattva Dipika of Shri Bhashyam, Appalacharyulu garu"||
|| om tat sat||