At last he reached a palace which was even more magnificent than the rest. “This must be Ravana’, he thought. He slipped in through the doorway which was exquisitely carved and inlaid with gems and pearls. The seats, couches and beds ‘were all of gold, set with gems. The rooms glowed with the shine, emanating from all this gold and jewels. All the wealth of Kubera seemed to be here. The scene was one of revelry and rioting. Hundreds of voluptuous looking females sprawled about in various states of abandonment. Some lay on the carpets with disheveled hair and scattered jewels, some were dancing and some drinking.
The red dots on their forehead were often smeared by their lover’s hands, their girdles were loosened, clothes crushed and garlands trampled. Pearls gleamed in the moonlight between their heavy breasts and gold pendants hung from their ears. Some ladies were caressing their lovers who were totally inebriated. Others were rubbing sandal paste on their perspiring bodies, some sprawled naked, some were welcoming their lovers with eager kisses, while a few virtuous ones were ensconced in their husbands’ arms. They were all enchanting to look at, elegantly clad, fragrant with flowers, with curved eyes and long lashes and side long glances, guaranteed to entice all men.
All the most beautiful women from various parts of the world had been captured and brought to Lanka by Ravana. He had coursed through the length and breadth of all the worlds in his aerial vehicle, grabbing virgin daughters of the nagas, gandharvas, dailyas, danavas and rishis. All of them had cried and struggled when they were captured and sworn to kill themselves, but in the end they had succumbed to his charms, for his expertise in the art of love-making was proverbial. He had been cursed by their parents over and over again and by those whom he had brought forcibly. Seeing all these glamorous beauties, Hanuman began to feel sorry for Ravana. Instead of being content with all these women, he was deliberately courting death by capturing Sita. Most of the women were obviously under the influence of wine. Hanuman’s eyes roved over all of them and he knew for sure that none of these abandoned women could be Sita, however beautiful they might be.
He had created a picture of Sita as Ram had described her and he was sure that the description did not fit any of these women. Suddenly, on top of a magnificent dais, Hanuman saw a cot made of crystal, ivory, sandal-wood and gold. It was unbelievably beautiful and he stood for a while admiring it. The white umbrella of royalty was above it. Creeping up closer, he found Ravana sleeping on it. Ht was a magnificent figure of a man with huge, powerful arms and broad chest covered with white silk. Close by, was a woman, sleeping on a separate cot, wearing jewels of pearls and gems. Her beauty was such that she really did not need any ornaments.
Her skin was golden in hue and she had an elegance, which made him think that he had found Sita. Then he realised that Sita would never be able to sleep like this without Ram beside her. She would not be clad in silks and jewels. She would not be found in Ravana’s harem. Of this he was sure.
He wandered about from room to room, of the palace without finding Sita. He felt embarrassed at the thought that he was being forced to look at all these female beauties, though he was moving amongst such extraordinary beauties, ~ his mind was totally unaffected and untouched by them. Unlike all other vanaras, Hanuman was a brahmachari and had never entered the marital status. He covered every inch of space in the palace and then scoured the gardens and gardens. He was feeling more and more distressed as the night wore on. Sita was nowhere to be found. He began to think that perhaps she had killed herself or been eaten by the rakshasas. He knew that he could not return without some information about her either her demise or her whereabouts.
“If he hears that she is dead, Ram will give up his life”, he was sure of that. He knew he could not return without some news. “Better for me to go and take to a life of sannyasa, rather than return without any news”.
At last he suddenly spied another grove filled with Ashoka trees, which he had overlooked. It was the only place he had not searched so far. He jumped to the top of the wall surrounding the grove and looked down. It was obviously a favourite haunt of the demon king, for it was very well tended. Rare trees and flowers were growing in abundance. There were several beautiful ponds with banks covered with white sand. The steps leading to them were exquisitely carved. The night was passing and he had still not discovered Sita. The birds were beginning to wake up and flew up in clouds, chirping angrily, disturbed by Hanuman’s jumps. At last he decided to hide himself in the foliage of a big tree which overlooked a splendid platform, in the hope that Sita might come there.
Thus ends the first Canto called ‘Leap to Lanka’ of the Sundar Kanda in the glorious Ramyana of the Sage Valmiki.
Canto II – The Ashoka Grove
Ram had told Hanuman that Sita was extremely fond of flowers and trees and he hoped that she might come to that enchanting grove for a walk. The garden seemed to be made for her, with its flowering shrubs and waterfalls and ponds. Looking around in the light of the setting moon, he saw a small temple with white pillars. The steps were of coral and the surface covered with gold. It gleamed in the moonlight. As he peered closer, he suddenly saw her and he knew unmistakably that this was Sita – the beloved of Ram. She looked like the crescent moon, thin and wan. It was obvious that she had been fasting for a long while.
Her beauty was like a flame hidden by smoke. She was draped in a crumpled piece of yellow silk. She had no ornaments. Tears were flowing from her lovely eyes. Sorrow seemed to be her constant companion. Her long black hair was tied in a simple braid, which fell to her thighs. She was surrounded by ugly looking rakshasis – horrendous monsters, some with one eye or one ear and some without ears and some with noses on their foreheads, some hairy and some bald, some hunchbacked and some with faces resembling goats, foxes, camels and horses. In the midst of these, she looked like a frightened deer, surrounded by fierce hounds. She had never known sorrow before and now she knew only sorrow. Her eyes mirrored the depths of her despair.
Hanuman thought to himself, “This indeed is Sita. Neither the lack of ornaments nor the fact that she is clothed in rags and is frail and emaciated, can hide the fact that she is a raving beauty. She is as beautiful as Ram described her – exquisite eyebrows, graceful, rounded breasts, lips as red as the bimba berry, peacock blue throat, slender waist, lotus petal eyes – all these can be seen through her screen of sorrow”.
She sat on the bare ground like a female ascetic, bound in a net of grief, the picture of shattered hope. The ornaments which Ram had described were hanging on the branches of the tree. Though parted cruelly from her husband, her mind was full of him, alone. Her lips were constantly murmuring “Ram, Ram”. This was indeed the woman for whom Ram was pining. Hanuman could see that she belonged only to Ram – body, mind and soul.
“She is meant only for Ram and he for her. Their love for each other is so great that it is only because of it, that they have managed to remain alive”. Hanuman prostrated mentally to Ram and told him, “Lord, I have found her”.
Hanuman was overcome with sorrow at the sight of the princess of Videha who was parted so cruelly from her husband. “Fate is indeed all powerful”, he thought to himself, “or else why should this innocent lady have to suffer like this.
She was protected by no less a personage than her illustrious husband and Lakshman. Her husband killed thousands of rakshasas at Janasthana for her sake, because Shurpanekha was threatening her and now she is the captive of Ravana, surrounded by these dreadful women, with no privacy even to weep. She has no eyes for this beautiful garden. Her eyes are with her heart and her heart is with Ram”.
The night was almost gone. With the break of day, he could hear the chanting of the Vedas being recited by the bards to wake up the demon king. Drums were booming and lutes playing to welcome the dawn. Ravana woke up and his first thought was for Sita. He had never met with such resistance from any woman in all his life and he certain had a lot of experience with females of every type. Her resistance had only served to whet his appetite.
It was a challenge to him and he was determined to make the citadel fall, at all cost. He was sure that no woman could resist him for long and that it could only be a matter of time before she succumbed, like so many others.