Sundarakanda Sarga 43: Destruction of the Caitya Hall (Full Text & Meaning)
Sundarakanda Sarga 43: Destruction of the Caitya Hall (Full Text & Meaning)
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Read Sundarakanda Sarga 43 with full Sanskrit Shlokas and verbatim English meanings. In this sarga, Hanumān expands his theater of destruction by attacking the sacred Caitya Hall, a towering palace that served as a symbol of Rākṣasa prestige. After stunning the guards with his thunderous roar, Hanumān uproots a golden pillar and whirls it with such force that fire erupts, reducing the magnificent structure to ashes. From his position in the sky, he delivers a terrifying prophecy of the Vānara army’s arrival and the total annihilation of Laṅkā. Download PDF for convenience or read along online at Kalady.org
| Detail | Total Shlokas: 25 | Primary Character: Hanumān | Key Events: Caitya-Prāsāda-Bhañjanam (Destruction of the palace), Vānara-Bala-Ghōṣaṇam (Proclamation of Vānara strength), Laṅkā-Vināśa-Sūcanam (Prophecy of Lanka's downfall) | Location: Caitya Palace, Lanka |
athaḥ śrīmadvalmīki rāmāyaṇe suṃdarakāṃḍe tricatvāriṁśassargaḥ
Beginning of Sundarakanda from Srimad Valmiki Ramanaya - 43rd Sarga
caityaprāsādadāhaḥ Burning of the Caitya Palace
tatassa kiṅkarānhatvā hanumān dhyānamāsthitaḥ | vanaṅ bhagnaṅ mayā caityaprāsādō na vināśitaḥ || 1
tasmādtprāsādamapyēvaṅ bhīmaṅ vidhvaṅsayāmyahaṅ | iti sañcintya manasā hanumāndarśayanbalam || 2
caityaprāsādamāplutya mēruśṛṅgamivōnnatam | ārurōha kapiśrēṣṭhō hanumān mārutātmajaḥ || 3
Then, having killed the Kiṅkaras, Hanumān fell into thought: "I have destroyed the grove, but the Caitya Palace has not been ruined. Therefore, I shall also utterly destroy that magnificent palace." Having resolved this in his mind, Hanumān, displaying his immense power, leaped onto the Caitya Palace, which stood lofty like the peak of Mount Meru, and ascended it. (1 - 3)
āruhya girisaṅkāśaṅ prāsādaṅ hariyūthapaḥ | babhau sa sumahātējāḥ pratisūrya ivōditaḥ || 4
Having ascended the mountain-like palace, he, Hanumān with exceedingly great splendor, shone like a second, rising sun. (4)
saṅpradhṛṣya ca durdharṣaṅ caityaprāsādamuttamam | hanumānprajvalanlakṣmyā pāriyātrōpamō.bhavat || 5
Having completely overpowered that excellent and formidable Caitya Palace, Hanumān, blazing with immense glory, appeared like Mount Pāriyātra. (5)
sa bhūtvā sumahākāyaḥ prabhāvānmārutātmajaḥ | dhṛṣṭamāsphōṭayāmāsa laṅkāṅ śabdēna pūrayan || 6
Assuming an exceedingly huge form, the mighty Son of the Wind-god (Hanumān) boldly made a thunderous sound by slapping his upper arms, filling the entire city of Laṅkā with the noise. (6)
tasyāsphōṭitaśabdēna mahatā śrōtraghātinā | pēturvihaṅgamāstatra caityapālāśca mōhitāḥ || 7
By that great, deafening sound of his arm-slapping, the birds instantly fell from the sky, and the palace guards (Caityapālas) were left stunned. (7)
astravijjayatāṅ rāmō lakṣmaṇaśca mahābalaḥ | rājā jayati sugrīvō rāghavēṇābhipālitaḥ || 8
May the supremely powerful Śrī Rāma be victorious! May the greatly mighty Lakṣmaṇa Swāmī be victorious! May Sugrīva, King of Kishkindha and protected by Rāghava, be triumphant! (8)
dāsō.haṅ kōsalēndrasya rāmasyākliṣṭakarmaṇaḥ | hanumān śatrusainyānāṅ nihantā mārutātmajaḥ || 9
I am the servant of Rāma, the Lord of Kosala, whose deeds are pure and untiring. I am the son of the Wind-God, Hanumān, the destroyer of enemy armies. (9)
na rāvaṇasahasraṅ mē yuddhē pratibalaṅ bhavēt | śilābhistu praharataḥ pādapaiśca sahasraśaḥ || 10
ardayitvā purīṅ laṅkāmabhivādya ca maithilīm | samṛddhārthō gamiṣyāmi miṣatāṅ sarvarakṣasām || 11
Not even a thousand Rāvaṇas would be a match for me in battle, for I strike with thousands of rocks and trees. Having completely crushed the city of Laṅkā and perform namaskaram to Maithilī (Sītā), I shall depart with my mission accomplished, while all the Rākṣasas look on helplessly. (10 - 11)
ēvamuktvā vimānasthaścaityasthānhariyūthapaḥ | nanāda bhīmanirhrādō rakṣasāṅ janayanbhayam || 12
Having spoken in this manner, the Hanumān, standing on the Caitya Palace, roared with a terrifying sound, striking fear into the Rākṣasas. (12)
tēna śabdēna mahatā caityapālāśśataṅ yayuḥ | gṛhītvā vividhānastrān prāsānkhaṅgān paraśvathān || 13
By that mighty sound, a hundred Caitya Palace guards rushed out, seizing various weapons including javelins, swords, and axes. (13)
visṛjantō mahākāyā mārutiṅ paryavārayan | tē gadābhirvicitrābhiḥ parighaiḥ kāñcanāṅgadaiḥ || 14
ājaghnurvānaraśrēṣṭhaṅ bāṇaiścādityasannibhaiḥ | āvarta iva gaṅgāyāstōyasya vipulō mahān || 15
The huge-bodied Rākṣasas surrounded the Māruti, discharging their weapons. They then struck him with various marvelous maces and with bludgeons adorned with golden bands. The host of Rākṣasas, having completely surrounded the Hanumān, appeared vast and mighty, like a great whirlpool of the Gaṅgā's waters. (14 - 15)
parikṣipya hariśrēṣṭhaṅ sa babhau rakṣasāṅ gaṇaḥ | tatō vātātmajaḥ kruddhō bhīma rūpaṅ samāsthitaḥ || 16
prāsādasya mahantasya stambaṅ hēmapariṣkṛtam | utpāṭayitvā vēgēna hanumān pavanātmajaḥ || 17
tatastaṅ bhrāmayāmāsa śatadhāraṅ mahābalaḥ | tatra cāgnissamabhavatprāsādaścāpyadahyata || 18
Then, Hanumān, enraged, assumed a terrifying form. Hanumān, the Son of the Wind, quickly tore out a great, gold-adorned pillar from the palace. The greatly mighty one then whirled that pillar around, creating a terrible, hundred-fold destructive force. Instantly, a fire broke out from it, and the entire palace was burned. (16 - 18)
dahyamānaṅ tatō dṛṣṭvā prāsādaṅ hariyūthapaḥ | sa rākṣasaśataṅ hattvā vajrēṇēndra ivāsurān | antarikṣē sthitaśśtīmānidaṅ vacanamabravīt || 19
Seeing the palace now burning, Hanumān—the wise hero who had just slain hundreds of Rākṣasas, like Indra destroying the Asuras with his thunderbolt—took his position in the sky and spoke these words. (19)
mādṛśānāṅ sahasrāṇi visṛṣṭāni mahātmanām || 20 balināṅ vānarēndrāṇāṅ sugrīvavaśavartinām | aṭanti vasudhāṅ kṛtsnāṅ vayamanyē ca vānarāḥ || 21
Thousands of great-souled, powerful chiefs of the Vānaras, just like me, who are obedient to Sugrīva, traverse the entire earth. We, and other Vānaras, are constantly roaming. (20 - 21)
daśanāgabalāḥ kēcitkēciddaśaguṇōttarāḥ | kēcinnāgasahasrasya babhūvustulyavikramāḥ || 22
Some possess the strength of ten elephants; others are ten times stronger than that. And some possess valor equal to that of a thousand elephants. (22)
santi caughabalāḥ kēcitkēcidvāyubalōpamāḥ | apramēyabalāścānyē tatrāsanhariyūthapāḥ || 23
Some possess the strength of an ocean's surging flood, and others are comparable in might to the Wind-God (Vāyu). There are yet other chiefs of the Vānara hosts whose power is beyond measure. (23)
īdṛgvidhaistu haribhirvṛtō dantanakhāyudhaiḥ | śataiśśatasahasraiśca kōṭībhirayutairapi || 24
āgamiṣyati sugrīvaḥ sarvēṣāṅ vō niṣūdanaḥ | nēyamasti purī laṅkā na yūyaṅ na ca rāvaṇaḥ | yasmādikṣvākunāthēna baddhaṅ vairaṅ mahātmanā || 25
Sugrīva will arrive, accompanied by Vānaras of this caliber—whose weapons are their teeth and claws—and he will be the destroyer of you all. Because of the enmity you have incurred from the great-souled Lord of the Ikṣvākus (Rāma), this city of Laṅkā will no longer stand, you yourselves will perish, and neither will there be Rāvaṇa. (24 - 25)
ityārśe śrīmadramāyaṇe vālmīkīye ādikāvye suṃdarakaṃde tricatvāriṁśassargaḥ
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