203. Hanuman searches the palaces of Ravana and others.

         In the course of his search for Seetha, Hanuman noticed yonder a palace shining with the golden hue of the sun, surrounded by a compound wall and guarded by horrible and ferocious  rakshasas, like a forest by rapacious lions. That palace had a surprising number of archways decorated with silver and gold, strange but captivating  entrances with beautiful doors. It was also guarded by men on elephants, warriors devoid of tiredness, drivers of elephants, insuperable horses, and by charioteers. Guards with protective shields made of the skins of lion and tiger, decorated with ivory, gold and silver, were roaming by strange chariots which were making great fearsome sound.

       Hanuman further observed that palace was filled with a lot of diamond studded seats and utensils, abode of great warriors with great chariots. Filled all around with various kinds of lovely and beautiful animals and birds in thousands it was well protected by well trained rakshasas, and the inner area filled all over by attractive and important women. Hanuman noted that all those women were very happy and enjoying their life there and roaming joyously with the tinkling of the beautiful jewellery they were wearing creating a sound like that of an ocean. 

           Hanuman noted that the roof of that wealthy palace was embedded with top quality diamonds. He concluded in his mind that the palace, which was shining with its form filled with elephants, horses, chariots, etc. to be the jewel of Lanka. He correctly surmised that the palace was that of Ravana.

         Hanuman moved about from one house to another of the Rakshasas and also parks and courtyards. He looked in the houses of Prahasta and Mahaparshva. Thereafter he looked into the house of Kumbhakarna which resembled a cloud. Then he looked into the house of Vibhishana. Thereafter he covered the houses of Mahodara, Virupaaksha, Viddutjihva, Suka, Sarana and Indrajit.

        Then Hanuman looked into the houses of Jambumali, Sumali,  Rasmiketu, Suryaketu, Vajrakaaya, jumumrah, Sampati,  Vidhudrupa, Bhiima,  Ghana, Vighana, Sukhana, Vakra, Satha, Vikata,   Brahmakarna,  Damshra,  Roma,  Raksha, Ydhonmata, Indrajihva,   Hastimuka,  Karala, Pisacha and the building of Shonita.

     The indomitable son of Vayu was relentlessly checking in sequence the palaces of all rakshasas. Then he reached the house of Ravana. Hanuman cautiously entered into that palace and found some rakshasies sleeping near Ravana. Hanuman was astonished and horrified to see some of those rakshashies had horrific eyes, some had spear in their hands, some were holding in their hands some kind of grass, some were holding javelin and some were holding lance. He saw in that house of Ravana a variety of army divisions and also Rakshasas  who had huge bodies having different weapons.

      Hanuman in that house found horses in red, white and slightly whitish complexion. He noted that all of them were capable of great intrepidity. He also saw elephants of good breed with good appearance capable of harassing enemy's elephants, skilled in good elephant training. They all seemed to be as capable as Iraavata (personal elephant of Indra) and seemed to be capable of killing enemy armies, rutting like raining clouds, like mountains with water falls that are pouring down, with trumpeting resembling thundering of clouds, unassailable by enemies.

           Hanuman observed in the palace of Ravana palanquins of various shapes, wonderful bowers, art galleries and other pleasure houses which were constructed with wooden mountains, for sexual delight. 

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202. Hanuman continues his probe for Seetha.

          Hanuman noticed that the brightly shining moon in the sky was straight above his head thereby spreading the maximum  illumination of moon shine. And the moon looked like a bull in heat among cows. The full moon with its horn like spot shone like a sharp horned ox standing with a high hump, like a great white mountain with tall summits, like an elephant with golden tusks.
       Hanuman heard lovely musical notes pleasing to ears played from stringed instruments. Women with good character were sleeping with husbands.

          Hanuman saw houses with people in heat, houses filled with people, full chariots, horses, elephants and top-class furniture. Hanuman felt that the city was overflowing with immense wealth. He saw intoxicated rakshasas railing a lot at one another moving their heavy shoulders, throwing wild and incoherent words a lot, insulting one another.

      Hanuman was amused to see some rakshasas who smote breast, who threw limbs on women and who were displaying their intrepidity by sporting their strong bows. He saw some women applying sandal paste on their bodies and also some other women sleeping there. And some women with good appearance were smiling, and some other women were sighing in anger. Hanuman saw the city of Lanka was shining with great elephants making sound and also with gentlemen well respected, shone with warriors in a wresting bout, with long sighs, like serpents in a lake hissing. 

      Hanuman was also seeing people with good appearance who seemed to possess good virtues, as well as some who seemed to be according to their character, and as well as those who were radiant and happy.
       He also saw some of their women who obviously were born in the family of noble distinction. Hanuman saw also some women who looked brilliant with radiance, adorned a lot of bashfulness, and some who were hugged by lovers in the middle of night, and some who were hugged with great pleasure, and some who were hugged by flowers like birds. The intellectual Hanuman also saw some other women there comfortably sitting on the laps of their lovers, some at the top of their buildings, doing so on the laps of their dear  husbands and some other women interested in virtuous deeds alone, and some possessed by the lord of love. He also saw women with golden complexion lacking clothes, women with a complexion of refined gold suitable for mating and some other women also with the colour of moon and some other women with beautiful bodies lacking a lover. Thereafter that curious vanara warrior saw those with great happiness, those who obtained lovers who entertained, those who attracted like flowers, those with great beauty and women in their houses filled with happiness.

       Hanuman saw rows of faces shining like the moon, beautiful rows of eyes with curved eyebrows and rows of ornaments like beautiful rows of lighting. Alas! He did not see Seetha, one with great beauty born in a royal family following a virtuous path, well brought up, like a creeper in full blossom, one who was thin, and one who was born from the mind of the creator.

         Hanuman did not see that Seetha who stood in the path of ancient righteousness with her sight on Sri Rama, who was possessed by the love for Sri Rama, and always better than any woman who was considered  the best. 

      Hanuman did not see Seetha who was like a crescent with a blurred outline, like an arrow in an injury, like a series of clouds scattered by wind. He became a numb minded one for sometime, stricken with grief for not able to locate Seetha, wife of Sri Rama.

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201. Hanuman started his probe.

                 Hanuman started entering Lanka by placing deliberately his LEFT foot first. He did this because he had heard that if any one enters a house, a city or a country by placing his/her left foot will pronounce a very bad omen for that house, city or the country.  

          After moving a few cautious steps he heard various musical instruments being played. He also observed the movement of the guards. Avoiding them dexterously he entered the city at that night and took the grand road ahead shining by flowers and pearls. 

         He found the beautiful city shining like the cloudless sky. The beautiful  houses were rocking with the sounds of laughter and with sounds of musical instruments at the interior. He noticed that the houses were as strong as diamonds.The windows were decorated with diamonds. The city of Lanka was shining brilliantly with the well decorated houses of the Rakshasas. These were modern houses which looked like white clouds, and were in the shape of lotus and swastika both of which were auspicious.

         Going from one building to another, Hanuman observed that the buildings were in various shapes and forms on every side. Hanuman heard a sweet song which was decorated by the sound from the three svaras - Mandra, Madhya and Tara - of love borne women like Apsara women in heaven. Hanuman also heard there the sounds from the tinkling of ornaments worn around the waist of women as well as by some men in the houses of wealthy people, sounds of footfall over stair, sounds from clapping of arms by warriors and roar of ogres. Hanuman heard ritual chants muttered by rakshasas in their houses. He saw ogres engaged in the study of Vedas. He also saw roaring rakshasas who came together to praise Ravana. He saw many spies of Ravana and a big army of ogres which stood surrounding the royal highway in the central zone of the city. Hanuman noticed with amusement some rakshashas were initiated into various Vedic practices; some with matted locks on their head, some with shaven heads, some wearing cow hides, some were carrying Kusa grass as weapons, some had fire vessels as weapons, some carried hammers and clubs in their hands, some had worn staffs as weapons, some were one-eyed, some had one ear, some were pot-bellied and with hanging breast, some had horrible appearances, some with twisted mouths, some were horrific, some were very short, some carried bows and arrows, some carried swords, some carried pestles and clubs as weapons, some carried excellent iron mace in their hands, some with strange armour, some were not very fat, some were not too thin, some were neither tall nor short, some were not very fair, some were not very dark, some were not very hunchbacked, some were not very short, some had great brilliance, some carried banners, some carried flags and some carried different weapons. Hanuman saw many people, who had great might, who carried javelins and trees as weapons. Some carried spear with a sharp edge or some other weapon with three points, some carried thunderbolts, some carried in their hands sling and nooses, some carried flowered garlands, some wearing sandal paste and decorated with lovely jewellery, some had various kinds of appearances roaming freely at will. Hanuman noticed at the front of the inner city, a hundred thousand central protective force which was attentive and was strategically positioned. 

         Then Hanuman noticed an  amazingly wonderful golden doorway. He  presumed it to be the palace of Ravana. That lovely palace was on the top of a mountain. Motes filled with white lotuses surrounded it. It was also surrounded by a compound wall. He simply could not take his eyes away from that lavishing and opulent building. 

          Hanuman noted that the city looked like paradise, but rendered noisy by the neighing of horses and the tinkling of ornaments, by chariots, vehicles and aerial-cars. There were decorated auspicious elephants and horses and great elephants with four tusks. It had beautiful entrances and was protected by thousands of mighty rakshasas.

       Hanuman entered the inner city of Ravana without being spotted. He noted that it was filled with gold, had a golden court-yard, a central area decorated by pearls and diamonds of very top quality and sprinkled (obviously daily) with water containing aloe wood or Agalloch  [aromatic resin embedded wood] and sandal-wood.

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