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Sarg 14-Hanumaan in Ashok Vaatikaa

Hanumaan jumped on to a wall and looked at the trees in Ashok Vaatikaa. There were many types of trees: Saal, Champak, Ashok, and mango trees laden with ripen fruits. He crossed the Vaatikaa like an arrow. On the other side, Hanumaan found happy humans, animals, and birds. He saw trees of gold and silver on which birds were singing. There were many cuckoos, deer, peacocks etc birds and animals.

Hanumaan started searching for Seetaa wandering around. As he went around, birds woke up and flew over. In this process many flowers fell from the trees because of the wind of their wings. Hanumaan got all covered with flowers so he himself looked like a mountain of flowers. Then he himself shook those trees and this time their fruits fell down. Now those trees became bare and looked like people without clothes or lost gamblers who had kept their jewelry and clothes down [because of losing].

Hanuman broke the creepers, and started to search for Seetaa. He saw there the floors of gold and silver. There were ponds in which clean water was filled and their stairs were studded with gems. And there were pearls and coral (Moongaa) in those ponds instead of sand.

He saw a hillock also there which was very beautiful. A river was flowing out of that hillock. He saw many ponds also along with birds. He saw many waterfalls and many gold trees around. This was all built by Vishwakarmaa. All trees had gold platform below them.  He saw many Shinshupaa (fig) trees also there. Hanumaan thought, "If Seetaa is alive, She must have been coming here to visit this place because this is the place for Her to live." Thus he was guessing about Seetaa and searching Her here and there.

Hanumaan climbed up on th at Shinshupaa tree and tried to have a look at the whole Vaatikaa. He saw a pond which was also very beautiful. Seeing that pond Hanumaan thought that Seetaa will surely come there. Seetaa who should be surely interested in Sandhyaa rites must come here to get this austere water. This is the place worth visiting for Seetaa. Thus hiding in flowery branches Hanumaan saw everything everywhere.

Sarg 15-Hanumaan Finds Seetaa

As Hanumaan could see everything from there hw observed the whole garden. He saw Santaan trees all over like Indra's Nandan Van surrounded by birds and animals and congested by mansions. There cuckoos were singing, ponds were decorated with golden lilies, and there were many seats to sit up on. All trees were in full bloom and were shining all directions. There were thousands of Ashok trees: some were like gold, some were like fire and some were like gem stones Neel and Anjan. It was surpassing the beauty of Indra's Nandan Van or Kuber's Chitrarath Van.

Then he saw a temple which was filled with fragrance and looked like Gandhmaadan Parvat, standing on 1,000 pillars and white in color like Kailaash Parvat. Its stairs were made of coral and other gems. It was sky high.

Then he saw a woman wearing soiled clothes and surrounded by a group of Raakshasee. That beautiful woman looked like a crescent moon or a flame surrounded by smoke. She looked like a she-deer who could not see her own companions and surrounded by a group of hounds, separated from her herd. She had one plait which was shining like a black snake.

This time he guessed, She must be Seetaa. She looked to him the same woman who was abducted by that Raakshas. Her face was like Moon, eyes were like lotus flower petals, Her lips were as red as Bimb fruit, and Her good waist was very firm like Kaam Dev's wife Rati. She was undecorated [means she did not have jewelry on her body]. Seeing Seetaa in this condition Hanumaan got extremely sad.

Then he tried to match those ornaments which Raam described on Seetaa's body. They were the same. Whatever She had already thrown, Hanumaan could not see those ornaments. She was wearing the same color clothes which She dropped on the mountain at the time of abduction. Now Hanumaan had no doubts that She was Seetaa. She was the one who lived in Raam's heart. This is the one for whose sake Raam tormented Himself with compassion, from pity, from grief and from love: thinking that a woman has disappeared from compassion, depending on Him from pity, wife has been lost from grief and a dear one from love. It is really creditable for Raam to be alive and He did not die from grief. So he went to Raam by his mind and admired Him.

Sarg 16-Hanumaan Waits There

Hanumaan praised Raam and Seetaa and immersed in thought again. His eyes were filled with tears seeing Seetaa.  Raam suits Seetaa and Seetaa suits Raam. He thought this is that Seetaa for whom Raam killed Baali, killed Kabandh, killed Viraadh like Indra killed Shambhar, killed 14,000 Raakshas and Khar and Dooshan, Baali gave Sugreev his kingdom back, and I too came here after crossing such a huge sea to see Her. 

If for this Seetaa, Raam even brings sky upside down, or takes Prithvi upside sky, it is fair, this is my opinion. Among the three worlds, if there is a choice between Seetaa and kingdom, even all the three worlds will not be equal to sixteenth part of Seetaa. She, who is Pativrataa, who has appeared from Prithvi, who is the daughter of Raajaa Janak, who is the daughter-in-law of the same Raajaa Dasharath who does not run away from the battle ground and who is the wife of brave Raam, now is in the captivity of Raakshas.

But now She is under the control of Raakshasee bearing all kinds of sufferings. She looks very anxious to see Raam, as Raam is anxious to see Her, who came to forest leaving everything behind and who was happy even in forest with Raam. The same Seetaa is now so sad in separation of Raam that even Ashok trees are hurting Her. She is keeping Her body to see Raam only. She is not looking at any other thing, but just meditating at Raam. So recognizing Her as Seetaa, Hanuman got very sad and remained seated there on the same tree.

Vaatikaa
Small garden

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