And located within that excellent mansion, Hanuman, son unto the
Wind-god, saw a superior and grand structure, stainless and spacious;
half a _yojana_ in width and one in length,--belonging to the lord of
the Rakshasas, and abounding with many a palace. And searching for
Videha's daughter, the large eyed Sita, that slayer of enemies, Hanuman,
ranged all through (this edifice). And Hanuman beheld the goodly edifice
where the Rakshasas used to dwell in common. And (at length) that one
came upon the mansion itself of the lord of Rakshasas, having
three-tusked and four-tusked elephants, and protected by persons with
upraised arms, and covering a capacious area. And (Hanuman beheld) the
residence of Ravana, thronged with his Rakshasi wives, as well as with
princesses forcibly brought thither (by him),-- like unto the sea
teeming with alligators and _makaras_, abounding in _timingilas_ and
fishes and snakes, and agitated by the force of the wind. The same
enchanting splendour that is in Vaicravana or the ray-riding Moon,
remained ever constant and abiding in Ravana's abode. And the prosperity
of king Kuvera, or Yama, or Varuna, was here present in the house of the
Raksha,--or even surpassed by the prosperity (of Ravana). In the midst
of that mansion the Wind-god's offspring found another,[261] excellently
constructed, having innumerable mad elephants;--that noble car
embellished with all gems, entitled _Pushpaka_, which had been
constructed in heaven by Vicwakarma for Brahma himself,-- which Kuvera
obtained from the Great-father through high austerities,--and which,
vanquishing Kuvera by his prowess, the Rakshasa chief got possession of.
And the mighty monkey ascended the splendid car _Pushpaka_, containing
figures of wolves,--made of _Karttaswara_ and _Hiranya_; graced with
ranges of goodly pillars; as if blazing in splendour; throughout
garnished with narrow secret rooms and saloons, piercing the heavens,
and resembling Meru or Mandara, and like unto the flaming Sun; skilfully
reared by Vicwakarma; with golden staircases and graceful and grand
raised seats, rows of golden and crystal windows, and daises composed of
sapphires, emeralds and other superb gems; embellished with noble
_vidrumas_, costly stones, and round pearls, as also with plastered
terraces; pasted with red sandal, like unto gold, and furnished with a
sacred aroma; and resembling the sun new risen. And stationed
thereon,[262] Hanuman smelt the rich odour of viands and drinks that was
spreading on all sides;-- and like one dear friend smelling another, he
also smelt the mighty Air, impregnated with aroma, which seemed like
embodied Odour. And (the Air) said unto Hanuman,--"Come here, where that
Ravana is." Then (descending from _Pushpaka_ and repairing to that
sleeping apartment of Ravana), Hanuman saw the same, grand and graceful;
belonging to Ravana; of transcendent beauty; comely like unto a lovely
lady; diversified with jewelled staircases; illumined with heaps of
gems; with its terraces constructed of crystal; having statues of ivory,
pearls, diamonds, coral, silver and gold; adorned with jewelled pillars;
and embellished all round with pillasters; and upheld on all sides by
straight, elevated and gorgeously ornamented pillars of equal
dimensions, resembling prodigious wings,--(the mansion) appearing to
tower to the sky; containing spacious and parti-colored woolen cloths
bearing the marks of the Earth;[263] extensive as the Earth is, with
kingdoms and dwellings; resounding with the roars of infuriated
elephants; redolent of divine fragrance; furnished with gay canopies;
inhabited by the sovereign of the Rakshas; cloudy with _aguru_ and
_dhupa_; spotless; of a swan-like whiteness; engarlanded with flowers
and leaves like unto the dappled and brilliant cow (of Vasishtha);
bringing delight unto the heart; and enhancing the grace (of all
creatures); removing sorrow; noble; and the generatrix of Grace herself.
And as soon as Hanuman entered the mansion protected by Ravana, it like
a mother regaled his senses with their proper objects. "This must be
_swarga_, or the region of the immortals, or the city of Amaravati, or
the supreme Siddhi--"[264] thought the Wind-god's offspring. And he saw
the golden lamps (shorn of their brightness),[265] like unto gamblers
worsted at dice by others exceedingly skilful, and, in consequence,
plunged in thought. And (Hanuman) conceived that (Ravana's sleeping
apartment) was in a conflagration, on account of the display of the
lamps, Ravana' s energy, and the splendour of the ornaments. And when
the night had been half spent, (Hanuman) saw thousands of superb dames,
adorned in various attires, and bearing apparels of diverse hues, and
wreaths,--who having given up sport, and come under the influence of
wine and sleep,-- were fast asleep on woolen sheets. And in consequence
of the silence that reigned (in that apartment) embellished with
(ornaments), it resembled a large lotus-grove, where the swans and the
black bees are silent. And the Wind-god's offspring beheld the
countenances of those beauteous women, with closed eyes,--having their
lashes shut through languor; and odorous with lotus-perfume. And their
faces appeared like lotuses blowing on the expiry of night and closing
their petals by night. "These lotus-faces like unto very lotuses
themselves, ever the six-footed ones[266] seek once and again." Thus
thought with discrimination the graceful, mighty monkey; and on account
of their perfections, he confessed those countenances to be equal to
water-sprung[267] (lotuses). And that apartment, in consequence of being
graced by those women, appeared splendid, like the autumnal, complacent
sky decorated with the stars. And surrounded by them, the Rakshasa chief
resembled the fair Moon encircled by the stars. "Those stars that drop
from the firmament on their virtue deteriorating, have assembled here in
a body," thus thought the monkey at that time. And the shine, form, and
splendour of those females resembled, forsooth those of magnificently
displayed, noble and lustrous stars. And on account of their having been
bereft of consciousness through sleep, induced by fatigue brought on by
drink (and dance), their hair was dishevelled, and their full wreaths
and goodly ornaments lay scattered about. And some of those paragons had
got their beauty-spots, smudged; and some, their bangles loosening off;
some, their chains running to one side. And others had their pearl
necklaces burst,-- and their cloths getting away (from their persons),
and the chains of their zones straying irregularly;--resembling way-worn
mares. And others again were without their ear-rings, and had their
garlands torn and crushed; and resembled blossoming creepers, trodden
down in a vast forest by mighty elephants. And the pearl chains of some
sinning females resembling moon beams, having got topsy-turvy, was lying
like sleeping swans between the breasts of the damsels. And the lapis
chains of some resembled water-crows;[268] and the fine golden chains
turned upside down of others appeared like ruddy geese. And those ladies
resembled rivers having hips for banks; containing swans and Karandavas,
and beautified with ruddy geese. And those sleeping females appeared
like streams; having _Kinkinis_ for their ripples; and large gold
lotuses;[269] marks[270] of amorous encounter on their persons for
ferocious aquatic animals; and perfections,[271] for their banks. And on
the tender frames, as well as on the tops of the breasts, of some
graceful scratches consequent on pressure, appeared like ornaments. And
the scarf-ends of some stirred by the air that was blowing about their
faces, flapped on them again and again. And at the nether part of the
faces of Ravana's wives, they (the scarf-ends)appeared beauteous like
uplifted streamers of exceeding elegance, composed of many-hued golden
yarn. And the ear-rings of some dames possessed of a pleasant sheen,
stirred by the air that was breathing about their faces, were undulating
gently. And the sweet breath of their faces, naturally fragrant, and
redolent of sugar and dsava, was then regaling Ravana. And out of fear
sprung from sleep and intoxication, some of Ravana's wives were again
and again smelling the faces of those, co-wives with them, taking the
faces to belong to Ravana. And from their hearts being firmly fixed on
Ravana, those excellent women, having their sense af separateness
removed, (albeit thus dealt with), did what was dear unto them.[272] And
other females, making their gay scarf-ends (for their sheets), and
making their arms, their pillows, were lying down there. And some were
lying on others' bosoms and others again, on the arms of the latter. And
some lay on the laps of others; and others, again, on the breasts of the
latter. And they reposed on each other's thighs, flanks, waists, and
backs; and coming under the influence of wine and amour, they lay on
each other's persons. And those females having elegant waists, receiving
pleasure from the contact with others' persons, were sleeping there,
with their hands fastened by each other. And that garland of females
strung by the threads of their hands, appeared beauteous, like a real
wreath strung on a thread, with maddened black bees (seated thereon).
And that multitude of females in a medley appeared like an assemblage of
blooming plants in the month of Chaitra,[273] with its wreaths formed in
consequence of their coming in contact with one another, and of its
clusters touching each other, on account of the breeze blowing;--with
the plants encircling the graceful (necks of the trees),--and rife with
Bhramaras chasing each other.--And although the ornaments of those women
wearing ornaments, attires and wreaths, were put on proper places; yet
(on account of the profusion of the ornaments themselves, as well as
because of the circumstance of the dames' sleeping),[274] it was
difficult to ascertain which ornament belonged to one damsel and which
to another. And it seemed as if, Ravana having attained rest (through
sleep), the flaming golden lamps furnished with various rays, were
gazing at the girls with winkless eyes. Daughters of Rajarshis, of
Vipras, of Daityas, of Gandharbas. and of Rakshasas, having come under
the influence of desire, had become his wives. And all those women had
been procured by Ravana because he sought fight (with their relations)
and some haughty dames, rapt with desire, had of themselves come to this
place. And there was no woman there, who had been won by force by
(Ravana), possessed as he was of prowess; but they had all been subdued
by his qualities. And save the surpassingly worthy daughter of Janaka,
no female (had been brought), who had set her heart on another, or who
had known any other before. And there was none who, being his wife, was
not of high extraction; none who was defective in grace; none who was
not of sterling merit; none who was not decked out in ornaments and
attire; and none who was infirm; and none who was not an object of
desire of her lover. And the lord of monkeys endowed with uprightness of
sense, thought,--"If the righteously wedded wife of Raghava were as one
of the wives of the king of the Rakshasas, it would well for him." Again
reflected he,-- "Sita is crowned with chastity and other virtues; and
the powerful lord of Lanka, assuming an illusory form, hath with much
ado perpetrated this ignominious act."
[261] _The car Pushpaka_, according to Tirtha, whose view is accepted by
Ramanuja. According to Kataka, _Vesma_ means a _bedchamber of
husband and wife.--T._
[262] _i. e._ on Pushpaka.--T.
[263] _i. e._ four-cornered, The Earth, in Hindu cosmogony, is a flat
surface having four corners.--T.
[264] _Svarga_ is the region where persons reap the fruit of
Jyotishtoma, etc. _Siddhi_ is Illusion spread by Gandharbas.--T.
[265] By the superior splendour of Ravana.--T.
[266] _Shatpada_--six-footed--a name of the black bee.--T.
[267] _Salilodbhavas_,--water-sprung--a name of the lotus.--T.
[268] _Kadamva_--a drake; or, according to some, a teal; a gander; or
the species _gallinula porphyria.--T._
[269] _i.e._ the faces of the females are meant. Another meaning is,
_gold for large lotuses.--T._
[270] Vilasa may also mean arch displays by way of coquetry.--T.
[271] _Yasa_, according to some, here means _grace_.--T.
[272] The sense is very imperspicuous only by reason of the unskilful
use of the pronouns. _The damsels kissed did not resent the act;
but kissed the kissers in turn.--T._
[273] March-April.
[274] In consequence also, remarks the commentator, of the uniformity
running through the ornaments, as well as of the close contact of
the persons of the ladies.--T.