Sundarakanda Sarga 4: Entering Into City Of Lanka (Full Text & Meaning)
Sundarakanda Sarga 4: Entering Into City Of Lanka (Full Text & Meaning)
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Read Sundarakanda Sarga 4 with full Sanskrit Shlokas and verbatim English meanings. Hanumān walks through the streets of Lanka under the cover of night, observing the various Rākṣasa households and the diverse warriors guarding the city. This sarga provides a detailed look at the cultural and military landscape of Ravana's capital. Download PDF for convenience or read along online at Kalady.org
| Detail | Total Shlokas: 29 | Primary Character: Hanuman | Key Events: Advāra-Pravēśaḥ, Rakṣō-Bala-Darśanam, Antaḥpura-Pravēśaḥ | Location: Inner Palace of Lanka |
sa nirjitya purīṅ śrēṣṭhāṅ laṅkāṅ tāṅ kāmarūpiṇīm | vikramēṇa mahātējā hanumān kapisattamaḥ || 1 advārēṇa ca mahābāhuḥ prākāramabhipupluvē | praviśya nagarīṅ laṅkāṅ kapirājahitaṅkaraḥ || 2
The mighty and valorous Hanuman, acting for the welfare of Sugriva, conquered the city's deity with his strength. He then entered Lanka not through the main entrance, but by leaping over the perimeter wall. (1 - 2)
cakrē.tha pādaṅ savyaṅ ca śatrūṇāṅ sa tu mūrdhani | praviṣṭaḥ sattvasampannō niśāyāṅ mārutātmajaḥ || 3
The mighty Hanuman, the son of the Wind-god, full of power and resolve, entered the city at night, placing his left foot forward. (3)
sa mahāpathamāsthāya muktāpuṣpavirājitam | tatastu tāṅ purīṅ laṅkāṅ ramyāmabhiyayau kapiḥ || 4
Having successfully entered the city, the monkey Hanuman proceeded along the main road of beautiful Lanka, a path that was splendidly adorned with pearls and flowers and led to the royal palace. (4)
hasitōtkṛṣṭaninadaistūryaghōṣapurassaraiḥ | vajrāṅkuśanikāśaiśca vajrajālavibhūṣitaiḥ || 5 gṛhamēghaiḥ purī ramyā babhāsē dyaurivāmbudaiḥ | prajajvāla tatō laṅkā rakṣōgaṇagṛhaiḥ śubhaiḥ || 6 sitābhrasadṛśaiścitraiḥ padmasvastikasaṅsthitaiḥ | vardhamānagṛhaiścāpi sarvataḥ suvibhūṣitāiḥ || 7
The beautiful city shone brightly with the roar of laughter and loud shouts, accompanied by the sound of musical instruments. The mansions, which were as dazzling as thunderbolts and adorned with networks of diamonds, resembled masses of clouds, causing the entire city to shine like the sky illuminated by rain-bearing clouds.
Lanka was ablaze with the auspicious and beautiful houses of the Rakshasa multitude. These elaborate houses, which looked like white clouds, were wonderfully varied in design, built in different shapes. Some of the houses were embellished with signs of the lotus and the Swastika, and some were in the shape of Vardhamaananaamaka (which does not have an entrance in the south), and splendidly embellished everywhere with symbols of prosperity. (5 - 7)
tāṅ citramālyābharaṇāṅ kapirājahitaṅkaraḥ | rāghavārthaṅ caran śrīmān dadarśa ca nananda ca || 8
The glorious Hanuman, who acts for the welfare of the King of the Vanaras (Sugriva), while wandering for the sake of Rama's mission, saw the city which was embellished with wonderful garlands and ornaments with delight (with confidence that the mission will be successful). (8)
bhavanādbhavanaṅ gacchan dadarśa pavanātmajaḥ | vividhākṛtirūpāṇi bhavanāni tatastataḥ || 9
Hanuman moved forward, observing every building, each of which was superior to the last and of varied shapes. (9)
śuśrāva madhuraṅ gītaṅ tristhānasvarabhūṣitam | strīṇāṅ madasamṛddhānāṅ divi cāpsarasāmiva || 10
Hanuman heard songs being sung by women intoxicated (by pride, joy, or substance) in three svaras (mandra, madhyama, taara), which were as melodious as the Apsaras' songs in heaven. (10)
śuśrāva kāñcīninadaṅ nūpurāṇāṅ ca, niḥsvanam | sōpānaninadāṅścaiva bhavanēṣu mahātmanām || 11
Hanuman heard delicate sounds from women's waist-belts and anklets, as well as the pleasant acoustics of footsteps on the stairs, at the houses of the rich. (11)
asphōṭitaninādāṅśca kṣvēlitāṅśca tatastataḥ | śuśrāva japatāṅ tatra mantrān rakṣōgṛhēṣu vai || 12
Hanuman heard loud claps, challenging roars, and shouts echoing from here and there. He also heard the Rakshasas chanting their mantras within their houses. (12)
svādhyāyaniratāṅścaiva yātudhānān dadarśa saḥ | rāvaṇastavasaṅyuktān garjatō rākṣasānapi || 13
Hanuman saw Rakshasas who were devoted to sacred study of Vedas, and he also saw other Rakshasas who were roaring and singing praises to Ravana. (13)
rājamārgaṅ samāvṛtya sthitaṅ rakṣōbalaṅ mahat | dadarśa madhyēna gulmē rāvaṇasya carān bahūn || 14
Hanuman saw a large Rakshasa force positioned all along roads that lead to the palace, and he also observed many of Ravana's spies within the central garrison. (14
dīkṣitān jaṭilān muṇḍān gōjināmbaravāsasaḥ | darbhamuṣṭipraharaṇānagnikuṇḍāyughāṅstathā || 15
Hanuman saw various individuals who appeared to be ascetics or religious practitioners, including those who were consecrated, those with matted hair, others who were clean-shaven, and some who wore cow-skins. He also observed those who carried bundles of darbha grass as weapons and those who performed Yagnas and used that power over others as black magic. (15)
kūṭamudgarapāṇīṅśca daṇḍāyudhadharānapi | ēkākṣānēkakarṇāṅśca lambōdarapayōdharān || 16
karālān bhugnavaktrāṅśca vikaṭān vāmanāṅstathā | dhanvinaḥ khaṅginaścaiva śataghnīmusalāyudhān || 17
Hanuman saw individuals who carried mallets and clubs, and those who wielded cudgels as weapons. He observed the physically deformed—those with one eye, one ear, large bellies, and pendulous breasts.
He saw the fearsome and terrifying; those with crooked faces, grotesque bodies, and dwarfs. He also saw archers and swordsmen, as well as those equipped with the Śataghni (a weapon designed to slay many) and maces (musala). (16 - 17)
parighōttamahastāṅśca vicitrakavacōjjvalān | nātisthūlānnātikṛśānnātidīrghātihrasvakān || 18 nātigaurānnātikṛṣṇānnātikubjānna vāmanān | virūpān bahurūpāṅśca surūpāṅśca suvarcasaḥ || dhvajīn patākinaścaiva dadarśa vividhāyudhān || 19
He saw soldiers who wielded excellent iron clubs (parigha) and those shining brightly in varied and colorful armor. He noted that they were of every conceivable physical type: neither too stout nor too thin, neither too tall nor too short, neither too fair nor too dark, neither hunchbacked nor dwarfs.
He saw the deformed, the multi-formed, the handsome, and the splendidly radiant. He also observed those who carried standards and banners, and wielded diverse weapons. (18 - 19)
śaktivṛkṣāyudhāṅścaiva paṭṭisāśanidhāriṇaḥ | kṣēpaṇīpāśahastāṅśca dadarśa sa mahākapiḥ || 20 sragviṇastvanuliptāṅśca varābharaṇabhūṣitān | nānāvēṣasamāyuktān yathāssvairagatān bahūn | tīkṣṇaśūladharāṅścaiva vajriṇaśca mahābalān || 21
There were also those who carried spears, tree-trunks as weapons, and those bearing the Paṭṭisa (a sharp-edged weapon) and the thunderbolt. Some were holding oars and ropes (whips).
Hanuman saw many Rakshasas, who were adorned with garlands, anointed with fragrant pastes, and decked with magnificent jewelry. They wore various types of attire and moved about freely. He also observed the extremely powerful ones who carried sharp spears and those who wielded the thunderbolt as a weapon (Vajrayudham). (20 - 21)
śatasāhasramavyagramārakṣaṅ madhyamaṅ kapiḥ | rakṣōdhipatinirdiṣṭaṅ dadarśāntaḥpurāgrataḥ | 22
Hanuman saw a vigilant central guard of thousands of soldiers, appointed by Ravana (the lord of the Rakshasas), stationed in front of the inner palace. (22)
sa tadā tadgṛhaṅ dṛṣṭvā mahāhāṭakatōraṇam | rākṣasēndrasya vikhyātamadrimūrdhni pratiṣṭhitam | 23 puṇḍarīkāvataṅsābhiḥ parikhābhiralaṅkṛtam | prākārāvṛtamatyantaṅ dadarśa sa mahākapiḥ || 24
Hanuman then saw Ravana's famous palace, which was situated on the summit of trikuta mountain. It had a massive golden archway, was entirely encircled by a protective fort, and with surrounding moats that were filled with white lotuses, it was enchanting. (23 - 24)
triviṣṭapanibhaṅ divyaṅ divyanādanināditam | vājihēṣitasaṅghuṣṭaṅ nāditaṅ bhūṣaṇaistathā || 25 rathairyānairvimānaiśca tathā hayagajaiḥ śubhaiḥ | vāraṇaiśca caturthantaiḥ śvētābhranicayōpamaiḥ || 26
It was divine, comparable to heaven, and resounded with divine sounds, the neighing of horses, and the jingling of ornaments. It was splendidly furnished with chariots, vehicles, and aerial cars (vimānas), as well as fine horses and elephants, and large, four-tusked elephants that resembled masses of white clouds. (25 - 26)
bhūṣitaṅ ruciradvāraṅ mattaiśca mṛgapakṣibhiḥ | rakṣitaṅ sumahāvīryairyātudhānaiḥ sahasraśaḥ || 27 rākṣasādhipatērguptam āvivēśa mahākapiḥ || 28
The palace had beautiful gates, adorned with excited (or intoxicated) deer and birds, and was guarded by thousands of extremely mighty Rakshasas. Despite this formidable defense, Hanuman entered the inner palace of Ravana. (27- 28)
sa hēmajāmbūnada cakravālaṅ mahārha muktāmaṇi bhūṣitāntam | parārthya kālāgurucandanāktaṅ sa rāvaṇāntaḥpuramāvivēśa || 29
Hanuman entered the inner palace of Ravana, which was embellished with circles of gold, beautifully decorated inside with invaluable pearls and precious gems, and anointed with supreme black Aguru and sandalwood paste. (29)
ityārśe śrīmadramāyaṇe vālmīkīye ādikāvye suṃdarakaṃde caturthassargaḥ
Thus ends the fourth sarga of the Sundarakanda, which is a part of Srimad Ramayana, the epic poem (Adikavya) authored by sage Valmiki
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