Having by his vigor vanquished the excellent City of Lanka capable of
wearing forms at will, that exceedingly energetic foremost of monkeys,
Hanuman, eudeued with prodigious prowess, leaped sheer over a wall,
where doorway there was none; and that elephantine monkey gifted with
great strength entered Lanka by night. And entering the city of Lanka,
that one (ever) compassing the welfare of the monkey-king, set his left
foot on the heads of his foes.[236] And entering in by night, the
offspring of the Wind-god furnished with strength, proceeded along the
high-way strewn with blossoms. And the monkey held his sway in the
charming city of Lanka, resounding with grateful sounds mixed with
laughter, and ringing with trumpet blasts. And with multitudes of
mansions marked with the thunderbolt and the hook, and adorned with
diamond windows, the charming metropolis looked splendid, like the
welkin with clouds. And then Lanka, with handsome and variegated
mansions of Rakshasas, resembling white clouds and arranged like
lotus-leaves; and adorned on all sides with structures superscribed
'Vardhamana,' shone forth in all its glory. And that graceful one
serving in the interests of the king of monkeys, ranging for Rama's
behoof, beheld (Lanka) adorned with variegated wreaths; and was highly
delighted. And moving from house to house, that foremost of monkeys
observed on all sides various dwellings of diverse forms and color, and
heard charming songs chanted in the three octaves[237] by damsels
maddened with amour, resembling celestial Apsaras. And he also heard the
jinglings of zones and the clash of bangles; and sounds of footsteps on
stairs of edifices belonging to high-souled ones; and sounds proceeding
from clapping hands; and the roaring of lions here and there. And
(Hanuman) heard there in the mansions of the Rakshas, _Mantras_ recited
by persons engaged therein, and those occupied in Vaidika studies. And
(Hanuman) saw goblins and Rakshasas storming and eulogizing Ravana; and
mighty swarms of Rakshas stationed, covering the highway. And in the
central courtyard, he found innumerable spies of the Rakshasa (Ravana),
some initiated, some bearing matted locks, some with their heads shaven,
and some clad in cow-skins, some in cloths and some going stark naked;
and (he found there persons) carrying handfuls of _darbha_ for their
weapons, and (having) the sacrificial fire-place for their arms; and
those bearing in their hands clubs and concealed weapons,[238] or
holding rods as their aims, or having a single eye or a single
complexion,[239] or having a single breast dangling down; and those
looking dreadful with uneven attire;[240] and dwarfs frightful to
behold; and bowmen; and swordsmen; and (warriors) carrying _sataghnis_
and clubs for their arms; those bearing excellent _parighas_ in their
hands, or blazing in curious mail; persons not exceedingly fat, or
exceedingly lean; not unduly tall, or unduly short; not extremely fair,
or extremely dark; not unduly crooked, or unduly dwarfish; and those
deformed, or many-formed, or endowed with beauty, or possessing
splendour; standard bearers; and flag bearers. And (Hanuman) saw also
various weapons; and those having for their arms darts and _vrikshas_,
or bearing _patticas_ and _asanis_, or having _Kshepanis_[241] and
nooses in their hands, saw that mighty monkey, or wearing wreaths, or
having their persons daubed with pastes, or adorned with noble
ornaments, or clad in various kinds of raiment; and many a one ranging
wherever he listed; and those holding sharpened javelins; and mighty
ones bearing _Vajras_; and hundreds and thousands of warriors garrisoned
in the central courtyard and engaged in vigilantly guarding the
interior,--having been directed by the lord of the Rakshas,--saw the
monkey. And having seen that edifice situated in front of the inner
appartment, that mighty monkey saw the famous mansion of the Rakshasa
chief, pinnacled on the mountain-top, with huge golden arches over the
gateway; surrounded by a moat enriched with pale lotuses; and completely
guarded by a wall; resembling heaven itself; magnificent; resonant with
grateful sounds; resounding with the neighing of horses and wondrous
steeds; and adorned with cars and vehicles, chariots and dainty horse:
elephants[242]; and four-tusked elephants resembling masses of white
clouds;--and possessing graceful gateways. And the monkey entered the
palace protected by the Rakshasa chief,--guarded by maddened beasts and
birds, and thousands of goblins endowed with exceeding great prowess.
And he (Hanuman) entered Ravana's inner apartment girt round with a wall
consisting of blazing gold and _Jamvunada_;[243] having its top
decorated with costly gems and pearls; and worshipped with excellent
black _Aguru_ and sandal.
[236] The literal meaning is that, leaping over the wall, Hanuman first
set his left foot on the hostile soil; and this act of his, as
tending to the discomfiture of the foe, is looked upon by the
author in the light of Hanuman setting his left foot on the heads
of the Rakshasas. The setting of the left foot on an enemy's
dominions, is considered by the scriptures as very
inauspicious.--T.
[237] The three octaves referred to are _Mandra_ or the base tone,
_Madhya_, or the middle tone, and _Tara_ or the high tone. These
constitute the entire diapason of Hindu Music.--T.
[238] _Kuta_. The commentator says the word stands for a particular kind
of weapons. Wilson has _concealed weapon_ for its English
equivalent.--T.
[239] _The same complexion_ gives sense. But I render the passage
literally.--T.
[240] _Bhugnavastran_.--Perhaps the text is corrupt.
_Bhugnavahtran--person of deformed faces_--would render sense.--T.
[241] A short arrow thrown from the hand, or shot through a tube.
_Wilson_.--T.
[242] Elephants of the size of horses.--T.
[243] _Jamvunada_ is a kind of gold having sixteen diverse colors.--T.