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Sarg 9-Hanumaan in Raavan's Palace

Now Hanumaan saw a building, one Yojan long and half Yojan wide. Hanumaan searched Seetaa all around but couldn't see Her anywhere. He saw 2-, 3- and 4-tusk elephants and many Raakshas carrying swords were guarding that house. This house was for those princesses who were stolen and abducted by Raavan from various places. Thus Lankaa's beauty and riches never faded and Raavan had more wealth than Kuber, Yam and Indra.

Hanumaan saw another house in the middle of that house which consisted of many elephants. Whatever Vimaan (see side bar) Vishwakarmaa built for Brahmaa, Kuber got the same Vimaan from Brahmaa by defeating Kuber. Its name was Pushpak Vimaan. It contained several huge houses, many gold and gem-studded images of wolf etc. Vishwakarmaa built gold stairs and Vedee (alter) studded with sapphire (Neelam). Its platforms were made of sapphire and emerald. Hanumaan climbed up the Vimaan and smelled the smell of cooked rice, sandalwood, betel leaves etc.

He got down from it and came to a hall in Raavan's house. Its stairways were diamond-studded, floors were studded with ivory and crystals. It had beautiful pillars which looked like as if they were there to lift it up to the sky. This hall had all characteristics of earth - mountains, rivers, oceans, forests painted over. It had best tapestries.

It was made smoky by the fumes of agallocum (Dhoop) which was all white like a divine cow. That hall was causing happiness in heart. When Hanumaan entered this building, his all five Indriyaan (eyes, nose, skin, tongue, ears) got fully satisfied. When Hanumaan saw himself in this state, he thought whether it was Swarg Lok or Dev Nagaree? Hanumaan thought "Indeed, this is heaven. This is Raavan's abode."

In the light of golden lamps of that room he saw many women on the carpet decorated in various ways. After midnight they were sleeping. They looked like beautiful lotuses amongst quiet swans. Hanumaan saw their faces. Raavan was shining like a radiant moon amongst those women. Hanumaan thought that all those women were like fallen stars. They looked tired of dancing. Their clothes were displaced from their bodies, their garlands were broken and their make-up had faded away.

Some women's jewelry was shaking with the breath of other women. Another woman was sleeping on another ones bosom, another one was sleeping on her shoulder. Raavan got pleased to smell liquor from their mouth. Raavan was sleeping comfortably there.  They came from all kinds of dissents - Naag, Gandharv sage, Braahman, Raakshas. They all had to surrender to lust of Raavan.

Some of them came to Raavan themselves and some of them were won by him. Not even one woman was there who was brought forcefully by Raavan and  had another lover there. And there was no wife who was not from a good lineage, no one with less beauty, no one without skill, no one without service, none with low intellect, and none had a desire for any other lover.

Once a thought came to Hanumaan's mind, that Raavan could have left Seetaa with Raam so that She could be happier there as these Raakshas wives are happy.

Sarg 10-Hanumaan in Raavan's Palace

In the same building, Hanumaan saw a portion with best beds and couches made of crystal, studded with diamonds, many parts made in ivory and gold and studded with cat's eye and other gems. Then Hanumaan saw a very best couch made of gold and spread with Ashok flowers. It was surrounded by many women who were fanning there. Many fragrances were fumigated  there. It was covered by the best sheep skin bed spread. Hanumaan saw there Raavan sleeping with earrings of brilliant shine. His body was smeared with red sandal paste and he had worn various kinds of jewelry and had a good appearance.  

Hanumaan went near him but moved away as somebody moves away from a hissing serpent. Then he went to some other place to see him. Raavan had red eyes and long arms His arms looked like Indra's flag. He wore gold Baajooband (armlets, see also side bar). His shoulders were strong and his fingers were well-formed. His nails were beautiful and shiny. He had silken clothes on his body. His crown got displaced from his face in sleep, but his face was shining in the light of his ear-rings. He covered himself with a yellow sheet.

Hanumaan saw Raavan's wives at his feet. They were wearing best jewelry. They were skilled in musical instruments and dance. They were tired of Raavan's lust and were sleeping. Their jewelry and clothes were also displaced. Some still had betel leaf in their mouth. One woman was sleeping with Sitaar (an Indian string musical instrument) on her side. One woman was sleeping hugging another woman. Another woman was sleeping with Mridang (an Indian beating drum) in her arms.

Then he saw a beautiful woman sleeping on a beautiful couch arranges at one side alone. She had lots of gems on her body. She had fair complexion and was the most beautiful among all women. She was Raavan's wife Mandodaree. He thought she was Seetaa so he got very happy to see her, he started beating his tail and played like a monkey. [But she was not Seeataa]

Sarg 11-Hanumaan in Raavan's Palace

But then he had another thought that a separated woman like Seetaa cannot enjoy like this, nor she can drink liquor, nor she can go to other man even though he may be Indra. There is nobody like Raam for Seetaa in the whole world. This should be another woman, thinking thus he moved from that place.

While coming out from there, Hanumaan saw a bar where there were different kinds of meats - pig's meat, deer's meat, buffalo's meat, wild boar's meat - kept at separate places in gold plates. He saw meat of porcupine, deer and peacock preserved in yogurt and salt. He saw many gold pitchers full of many kinds of liquors and cups half-filled with those liquors. Many kinds of meats were arranged separately in that bar.

There were some beds and couches also. Some beds were empty. They might be empty because some women were sleeping together. He saw sandalwood paste too for bathing. It smelled a lot to fill the whole atmosphere of Pushpak Vimaan.

There some women had fair complexion, some had black and some had golden. All looked like sleeping lotus flowers. He sieved every corner of Raavan's palace but couldn't find Seetaa anywhere.

When Hanumaan was looking at all this, once it came to his mind that "looking at these sleeping other women like this will destroy my Dharm", but the next moment he thought, "if my mind is pure and clean then why should I be A-Dharmee? Otherwise also where possibly else could I look for Seetaa? Because whoever belong to whichever species, he can be searched among the same species only, so since Seetaa is a woman, that is why She should be searched among women."

Vimaan
Air plane, or aerial cars

Baajooband
An ornament worn on the upper part of arm

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