Sundarakanda Sarga 17: Household Of Rakshasas (Full Text & Meaning)
Sundarakanda Sarga 17: Household Of Rakshasas (Full Text & Meaning)
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Read Sundarakanda Sarga 17 with full Sanskrit Shlokas and verbatim English meanings. While Hanumān watches from the Simśupā tree, he observes the terrifying Rākṣasī guards who surround Sītā Devi. This sarga describes the various hideous and distorted forms of these guardians, emphasizing the sharp contrast between their monstrous appearances and the celestial purity of the daughter of Janaka. Download PDF for convenience or read along online at Kalady.org
| Detail | Total Shlokas: 32 | Primary Character: Hanuman (Maruti) & Sita Devi | Key Events: Rākṣasī-Varṇanam (Description of Demonesses), Sītā-Avasthā-Darśanam (Observing Sita's State), Hanūmad-Ananda (Hanuman's Joy) | Location: Under the Simshupa Tree, Ashoka Vatika |
athaḥ śrīmadvalmīki rāmāyaṇe suṃdarakāṃḍe saptadaśassargaḥ
Beginning of Sundarakanda from Srimad Valmiki Ramanaya - 17th Sarga
rākṣāsīparivāraḥ
Household Of Rakshasas
tataḥ kamudaṣaṇḍābhō nirmalaṅ nirmalōdayaḥ | prajagāma nabhaścandrō haṅsō nīlamivōdakam || 1
The moon, pure and shining like a cluster of white lotuses, proceeded across the sky toward the western horizon, much like a swan gliding away over blue water. (1)
sācivyamiva kurvan sa prabhayā nirmalaprabhaḥ | candramā raśmibhiśśītaissiṣēvē pavanātmajam || 2
The flawlessly shining moon seemed to be offering its service, illuminating the Pavanaputra (Hanuman) with its cool, gentle rays. (2)
sa dadarśa tataḥ sītāṅ pūrṇacandranibhānanām | śōkabhārairiva nyastāṅ bhārairnāvamivāmbhasi || 3
He (Hanuman) then saw Sītā, whose face was beautiful like the full moon, but who appeared to be submerged by the burden of her sorrow, like a boat in the water sinking under a heavy load. (3)
didṛkṣamāṇō vaidēhīṅ hanumānmārutātmajaḥ | sa dadarśāvidūrasthā rākṣasīrghōradarśanāḥ || 4
Seeking to behold Vaidehī (Sītā), Hanumān, the Son of the Wind God, turned his sight toward her and then caught view of the dreadful Rākṣasīs (demonesses) who were standing close by. (4)
ēkākṣīmēkakarṇāṅ ca karṇaprāvaraṇāṅ tathā | akarṇāṅ śaṅkukarṇāṅ ca mastakōcchvāsanāsikām || 5
atikāyōttamāṅgīṅ ca tanudīrghaśirōdharām | dhvastakēśīṅ tathā.kēśīṅ kēśakambaladhāriṇīm || 6
lambakarṇalalāṭāṅ ca lambōdarapayōdharām | lambōṣṭhīṅ cubukōṣṭhīṅ ca lambāsyāṅ lambajānukām || 7
hrasvāṅ dīrghāṅ tathā kubjāṅ vikaṭāṅ vāmanāṅ tathā | karālāṅ bhugnavaktrāṅ ca piṅgākṣīṅ vikṛtānanām || 8
Hanuman saw Rākṣasīs of varied and dreadful appearance: One was one-eyed and one was one-eared; one had ears so large they covered her body, while another was earless, and a third had ears shaped like conch shells. One had a huge, elevated nose, a massive body with an enormous head, or, conversely, one had a thin, long neck. One had disheveled hair, one had long hair, and one wore her hair like a blanket. One was seen with long ears and forehead, one with a sagging belly and pendulous breasts, one with lips fused to the chin, and one with a long face and long knees. The group also included the short, the tall, the humpbacked, the monstrous, and the dwarfish; and finally, there was one terrifying figure with a twisted mouth, another with tawny-yellow eyes, and a third with an utterly distorted face. (5 - 8)
vikṛtāḥ piṅgalāḥ kālīḥ krōdhanāḥ kalahapriyāḥ | kālāyasamahāśūlakūṭamudgaradhāriṇīḥ || 9
varāhamṛgaśārdūlamahiṣājaśivāmukhīḥ | gajōṣṭrahayapādīśca nikhātaśirasō.parāḥ || 10
ēkahastaikapādāśca kharakarṇyaśvakarṇikāḥ | gōkarṇīrhastikarṇīśca harikarṇīstathāparāḥ || 11
anāsā atināsāśca tiryaṅnāsā vināsikāḥ | gajasannibhanāsāśca lalāṭōcchavāsanāsikāḥ || 12
hastipādā mahāpādā gōpādāḥ pādacūlikāḥ | atimātraśirōgrīvā atimātrakucōdarīḥ || 13
atimātrāsyanētrāśca dīrghajihvānakhāstathā | ajāmukhīrhastimukhīḥ gōmukhīssūkarīmukhīḥ || 14
hayōṣṭrakharavaktrāśca rākṣasīrghōradarśanāḥ | śūlamudgarahastāśca krōdhanāḥ kalahapriyāḥ || 15
karālā dhūmrakēśīśca rākṣasīrvikṛtānanāḥ | pibantīḥ satataṅ pānaṅ sadā māṅsasurāpriyāḥ || 16
māṅsaśōṇitadigdhāṅgīḥ māṅsaśōṇitabhōjanāḥ | tā dadarśa kapiśrēṣṭhō rōmaharṣaṇadarśanāḥ || 17
The Rākṣasīs presented a horrifying, varied assembly: malformed, tawny-yellow, and black, filled with wrath, and notorious for fondling quarrels, with some carrying great spears, maces, and clubs made of black iron. Their grotesque faces and forms included those resembling boars, deer, tigers, buffaloes, goats, or jackals, while others had feet like those of elephants, camels, or horses, and some even had their heads sunken into their bodies. Further contributing to their dreadful appearance, some were one-handed or one-footed, some had ears like those of donkeys, horses, cows, elephants, or monkeys, some with hair on their feet, and some were nose-less, while others had very large, crooked, or elephant-like noses, or noses that rose dramatically from their foreheads. Their body distortions were manifold: some had feet like elephants or cows, some were simply huge and pointed, some had massive heads and necks, and others were distinguished by exceedingly large breasts and stomachs, very large mouths and eyes, long tongues, and long nails. They bore faces resembling goats, elephants, cows, pigs, horses, camels, and donkeys—a truly ghastly sight. This company of terrifying Rākṣasīs, carrying weapons, were perpetually wrathful and quarrelsome, with smoky-colored hair and distorted features. They were constantly imbibing intoxicating beverages and were devoted to meat and wine, with their bodies smeared and their diet consisting primarily of meat and blood. The chief of the Vānaras, Hanumān, saw these demonesses, a sight so utterly terrifying it would make the hair stand on end for any beholder. (9 - 17)
skandhavantamupāsīnāḥ parivārya vanaspatim | tasyādhastācca tāṅ dēvīṅ rājaputrīmaninditām || 18
lakṣayāmāsa lakṣmīvān hanumān janakātmajām | niṣprabhāṅ śōkasantaptāṅ malasaṅkulamūrdhajām || 19
kṣīṇapuṇyāṅ cyutāṅ bhūmau tārāṅ nipatitāmiva | cāritravyapadēśāḍhyāṅ bhartṛdarśanadurgatām || 20
The glorious Hanumān saw the daughter of Janaka, the faultless princess, Sītā, sitting beneath a sturdy tree, surrounded by the Rākṣasīs. Though supremely chaste and rich in virtue, she was devoid of her usual radiance and deeply afflicted by sorrow, her hair matted and soiled. She appeared utterly wretched due to the agony of her separation from her husband's sight, like a brilliant star that has fallen to the earth after exhausting its punya karma. (18 - 20)
bhūṣaṇairuttamairhīnāṅ bhartṛvātsalyabhūṣanām | rākṣasādhipasaṅruddhāṅ bandhubhiśca vinā kṛtām || 21
viyūthāṅ siṅhasaṅruddhāṅ baddhāṅ gajavadhūmiva | candrarēkhāṅ payōdāntē śāradābhrairivāvṛtām || 22
Devoid of her finest ornaments, she was adorned only by the profound devotion she held for her husband. Confined by the lord of the Rākṣasas (Rāvaṇa) and separated from all her kinsfolk, she appeared like a female elephant, bound and separated from her herd, while surrounded by lions. She shone like the slender streak of the moon, veiled by autumnal clouds at the edge of a dark rain cloud. (21 - 22)
kliṣṭarūpāmasaṅsparśāt ayuktāmiva vallakīm | sītāṅ bhartṛvaśē yuktāmayuktāṅ rākṣasīvaśē || 23
aśōkavanikāmathyē śōkasāgaramāplutām | tābhiḥ parivṛtāṅ tatra sagrahāmiva rōhiṇīm || 24
dadarśa hanumān dēvīṅ latāmakusumāmiva | sā malēna ca digdhāṅgī vapuṣā cāpyalaṅkṛtā | mṛṇālī paṅkadigdhēva vibhāti na vibhāti ca || 25
malinēna tu vastrēṇa parikliṣṭēna bhāminīm | saṅvṛtāṅ mṛgaśābākṣīṅ dadarśa hanumān kapiḥ || 26
Hanumān, the Kapi (Vānara), saw Sītā Devi. Her distressed form was like a beautiful veena (vallakī) that was unplayed and discordant, yet she remained completely devoted to her husband, with the Rākṣasīs' words failing to reach her ear. Plunged into an ocean of sorrow within the Ashoka garden and surrounded by the Rākṣasīs, she resembled the star Rohini when seized by an evil planet, or a vine stripped of its flowers. Her deer-like eyes were veiled, and her limbs were smeared with dirt, yet her inherent beauty still adorned her, causing her to both radiate and yet not radiate, like a lotus stalk smeared with mud. Hanumān gazed upon that radiant woman, who was afflicted and covered only by a single, soiled garment. (23 - 26)
tāṅ dēvīṅ dīnavadanāmadīnāṅ bhartṛtējasā | rakṣitāṅ svēna śīlēna sītāmasitalōcanām || 27
Hanumān saw that Goddess Sītā, whose face was marked by sorrow yet whose spirit remained undiminished—she was fearless because of Rāma's spiritual power, and her own chastity was her protection. (27)
tāṅ dṛṣṭvā hanumān sītāṅ mṛgaśābanibhēkṣaṇām | mṛgakanyāmiva trastāṅ vīkṣamāṇāṅ samantataḥ || 28
Yet, seeing her dark eyes and her gaze like that of a young deer, she appeared terrified, constantly glancing all around like a frightened fawn. (28)
dahantīmiva niḥśvāsairvṛkṣān pallavadhāriṇaḥ | saṅghātamiva śōkānāṅ duḥkhasyōrmimivōtthitām || 29
tāṅ kṣamāṅ suvibhaktāṅgī vinābharaṇaśōbhinīm | praharṣamatulaṅ lēbhē mārutiḥ prēkṣya maithilīm || 30
Even though she appeared to be a massive heap of sorrows, a rising wave of distress whose sighs seemed to burn the sprout-laden trees, she remained a woman of great forbearance, with beauty embodied to perfection, who shone even without her ornaments. Upon seeing Maithilī (Sītā), Māruti (Hanumān) felt an incomparable calm and sense of peace. (29 - 30)
harṣajāni ca sō.śrūṇi tāṅ dṛṣṭvā madirēkṣaṇām | mumucē hanumāṅstatra namaścakrē ca rāghavam || 31
Upon seeing Sītā, the one with captivating eyes, Hanumān shed tears born of pure joy and immediately bowed down to Rāghava (Rāma). (31)
namaskṛtvā ca rāmāya lakṣmaṇāya ca vīryavān | sītādarśanasaṅhṛṣṭō hanumān saṅvṛtō.bhavat || 32
The valiant Hanumān, overjoyed at the sight of Sītā, then offered namaskār to both Rāma and Lakshmana, and remained hidden within the leaves, contemplating how he could relieve Sītā of her great sorrow. (31 - 32)
ityārśe śrīmadramāyaṇe vālmīkīye ādikāvye suṃdarakaṃde saptadaśassargaḥ
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