Chapter [Sarga] 49

Book V : Sundara Kanda - Book Of Beauty

Chapter [Sarga] 49

Introduction

Hanuma sees well-adorned Ravana, who is seated on a well-decorated throne of crystal. He is surrounded by four ministers viz., Durdhara, Prahasta, Mahaparshva and Nikumbha. Surprised to behold the splendor and glory of Ravana, Hanuma believes that he could even rule heaven along with Indra, but for his gross unrighteousness, which pulled him down.

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tataH sa karmaNaa tasya vismito bhiima vikramaH |
hanumaan roSha taamra akSho rakSho adhipam avaikShata || 5-49-1

1. tataH= then; saH hanuman= that Hanuma; bhiima vikramaH= with a terrific prowess; krodha taamraakSaH= was enraged and with his red-hot eyes; avaikSata= saw; rakSodhipam= that Ravana; vismitaH= was surprised; tena tasya= by that Indrait’s; karmaNaa= deed.

Then, Hanuma with a terrific prowess, was enraged (at his capture and his being dragged) and saw Ravana with his red hot eyes. He was surprised by that deed of Indrajit.

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bhraajamaanam mahaaarheNa kaancanena viraajataa |
muktaa jaala aavR^itena atha mukuTena mahaadyutim || 5-49-2

2. (Ravana) mahaadyutim= was endowed with a great splendor; bhraajamaanam= and shone; viraajataa= with a glittering; mahaarheNa= and precious; makuTena= diadem; kaaN^chanena= of gold; atha= and; muktaa jaalaavR^itena= encircled with strings of pearls.

Ravana was endowed with a great splendor and shone with a glittering and precious diadem of gold as also encircled with strings of pearls.

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vajra samyoga samyuktaiH mahaaarha maNi vigrahaiH |
haimaiH aabharaNaiH citraiH manasaa iva prakalpitaiH || 5-49-3

3. (That Ravana was adorned) chitraiH haimaiH aabharaNaiH= with bright-coloured gold ornaments; vajra samyoga yuktaiH= inlaid with diamonds; mahaarha maNi vigrahaiH= and decorated with worthy gems; prakalpitairiva= which appeared as though prepared with the mind.

That Ravana was adorned with bright-coloured gold ornaments, inlaid with diamonds and decorated with worthy gems, which appeared as though they were prepared with the mind.

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mahaaarha kShauma samviitam rakta candana ruuShitam |
svanuliptam vicitraabhiH vividhabhiH ca bhaktibhiH || 5-49-4

4. (Ravana) mahaarha Khaumasamviitam= was attired in very costly silk; raktachandananruuSitam= and smeared with red sandal-paste; svanuliptam= and well-painted; vividhaabhishcha= with various; vichitraabhiH= brightly coloured; bhaktibhiH= designs.

Ravana was attired in very costly silk and his body was smeared with red-sandal paste and well painted with various brightly coloured designs.

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vipulaiH darshaniiyaiH ca rakSha akShaiH bhiima darshanaiH |
diipta tiikShNa mahaadamShTraiH pralamba dashanac chadaiH || 5-49-5
shirobhiH dashabhiH viiram bhraajamaanam mahaaojasam |
naanaa vyaala samaakiirNaiH shikharaiH iva mandaram || 5-49-6

5, 6. (Ravana looked) vichitram= strange; dashabhiH shirobhiH= with his ten heads; bhiimadarshanaiH= with terrible looking; darshaniiyaiH= yet good-looking; raktaakSaiH= red eyes; diipta tiikSNa mahaadamSTraiH= with brilliant sharp enormous teeth; pralamba dashanahchhadaiH= and protruding lips; viiram= a daring demon; mahaujasam= endowed with extraordinary vigour; bhraajamaanam= shining brightly; mandaram iva= as Mount Mandra; shikharaiH= with its peaks; naanaa vyaaLasamaakiirNaiH= and infested with snakes of different varieties.

Ravana looked strange with his ten heads, having terrible-looking yet good-looking pair of red eyes each, with brilliant sharp enormous teeth and protruding lips, like a daring demon endowed with extra ordinary vigour, shining brightly as Mount Mandara with its peaks and infested with snakes of different varieties.

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niila a~njana caya prakhyam haareNa urasi raajataa |
puurNa candra aabha vaktreNa sabalaakam iva ambudam || 5-49-7

7. (Ravana) raajataa= was shining; haareNa= with a pearl necklace; urasi= on his bosom; niilaaN^anachayaprakhyam= looking like a mass of blue antimony; puurNachandraabhavaktrNa= but with his countenance shining like the full moon; ambudamiva= and appearing like a cloud; sabaalaarkam= illumined by the rising sun.

Ravana was having a pearl necklace casting its splendor on his bosom. He was looking like a mass of blue antimony, but with his countenance shining like the full moon and appearing like a cloud illumined by the rising sun.

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baahubhiH baddha keyuuraiH candana uttama ruuShitaiH |
bhraajamaana angadaiH piinaiH panca shiirShaiH iva uragaiH || 5-49-8

8. baahubhiH= Ravana was distinguished by (twenty) arms; baddha keyuuraiH= adorned with bracelets; chandanottama ruuSitaiH= smeared with excellent sandal-paste; bhraajamaana aN^gadaiH= and decked with shining Angadas another type of bracelets; piinaiH paNchashiirSaiH uragairiva= and looking like large five-hooded serpents

Ravana was distinguished by (twenty) arms, adorned with bracelets, smeared with excellent sandal-paste and decked with shining Angadas another variety of bracelets and looking like large five-hooded serpents.

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mahati sphaaTike citre ratna samyoga samskR^ite |
uttama aastaraNa aastiirNe upaviShTam vara aasane || 5-49-9

9. suupaviSTam= (Ravana) was comfortably seated; mahati= on a big; varaasane= excellent throne; sphaaTike= of crystal; chitre= rendered picturesque; ratna samyoga samskR^ite= by being embedded with jewels; uttmaaastaraNa astiirNe= and overspread with an exquisite covering.

He was comfortably seated on a big excellent throne of crystal, rendered picturesque by being embedded with jewels and overspread with an exquisite covering.

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alamkR^itaabhiH atyartham pramadaabhiH samantataH |
vaala vyajana hastaabhiH aaraat samupasevitam || 5-49-10

10. samupasevitam= He was duly waited upon; aaraat= at close quarters; samantataH= on all sides; pramadaabhiH= by young ladies; atyartham alankR^itaabhiH= well adorned; vaalavajanahastaabhiH= with whisks in their hands.

He was duly waited upon at close quarters on all sides by young ladies, well-adorned and with whisks in their hands.

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durdhareNa prahastena mahaapaarshvena rakShasaa |
mantribhiH mantra tattvaj~naiH nikumbhena ca mantriNaa || 5-49-11
upa upaviShTam rakShobhiH caturbhiH bala darpitaiH |
kR^itsnaiH parivR^itam lokam caturbhiH iva saagaraiH || 5-49-12

11, 12. Balagarvitam= He was proud of his might; chaturbhiH rakSobhiH= and had four counselors; upopaviSTam= sitting nearby; rakSobhiH= all belonging to the demoniacal race; mantratattvajJNaiH= who knew the secret of good counsel; durdhareNa= namely Durdhara; prahastena= Prahasta; mahaaparshvena= Mahaparshva; rakSasaa= the demons; maNtriNaa= and the counselor; nikumbhena= Nikumbha; kR^itsnam loka iva= and looked like the entire terrestrial globe; parivR^itam= enclosed; chaturbhiH saagaraiH= by four oceans.

He was proud of his might and had four counselors sitting nearby, all belonging to the demonical race and who knew the secret of good counsel, viz. Durdhara, Prahasta, Mahaparshva the demon and the counselor Nikumbha and looked like the entire terrestrial globe enclosed by four oceans.

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mantribhiH mantra tattvaj~naiH anyaiH ca shubha buddhibhiH |
ashvaasyamaanam sacivaiH suraiH iva sura iishvaram || 5-49-13

13. aashvaasyamaanam= He was being reassured; mantribhiH= by counselors; mantratattvajJNaiH= knowing the secret of good counsel; anyaiH= and other; rakSobhiH= demons; shubhabuddhibhiH= with; rakSobhiH= demons; shubhabuddhibhiH= with auspicious minds; sureshvanam iva= as Indra the lord of celestials; ( is reassured) sraiH= by celestials.

He was being reassured by counselors knowing the secret of good counsel and other demons with auspicious minds, as Indra the lord of celestials is reassured by celestials.

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apashyat raakShasa patim hanuumaan atitejasam |
viShThitam meru shikhare satoyam iva toyadam || 5-49-14

14. hanuman= Hanuma; apashyat= saw; raakSasapatim= Ravana; ati tejasam= with a great splendor; viSThitam= being present (on the throne) satoyam toyadam iva= like a rainy cloud; merushikaare= on the peak of Mount Meru.

Hanuma saw Ravana with a great splendor, sitting on the throne, looking like a rainy cloud on the peak of Mount Meru.

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sa taiH sampiiDyamaano api rakShobhiH bhiima vikramaiH |
vismayam paramam gatvaa rakSho adhipam avaikShata || 5-49-15

15. sampiiDyamaano.api= though tortured; rakSobhiH= by the demons; saH= that Hanuman; bhiimavikramaiH= of terrific prowess; gatvaa= undergoing terrific prowess; gatvaa= undergoing; paramam= a great; vismayam= surprise; avaikSata= looked attentively; rakSodhipam= at Ravana.

Though tortured by the demons that Hanuma, of terrific prowess, experiencing a great surprise, looked attentively at Ravana.

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bhraajamaanam tato dR^iShTvaa hanumaan raakShasa iishvaram |
manasaa cintayaamaasa tejasaa tasya mohitaH || 5-49-16

16. tataH= thereupon; dR^iSTvaa= seeing; bhraajamaanam= the glittering; raakSaseshvaram= king of demons; hanuman= Hanuma; mohitaH= was bewildered; tasya= by his; tejasaa= splendor; chintayaamaasa= thought; manasaa= in his mind (as follows):

Seeing the glittering Ravana, the king of demons, Hanuma was bewildered by his splendor and thought in his mind as follows:

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aho ruupam aho dhairyam aho sattvam aho dyutiH |
aho raakShasa raajasya sarva lakShaNa yuktataa || 5-49-17

17. aho ruupam= what figure; aho dhairyam= what courage; aho sattvam= what strength; aho dyutiH= what splendor; aho sarvalakSaNa yuktaa= and what bestowal of all auspicious marks; aho raakSasaraajasya= alas, this king of demons has.

“What figure, what courage, what strength, what splendor and what amalgam of auspicious marks, alas, this king of demons has!”

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yadi adharmo na balavaan syaat ayam raakShasa iishvaraH |
syaat ayam sura lokasya sashakrasya api rakShitaa || 5-49-18

18. yadi ayam raakSaseshvaraH= (had) this lord of demons; na syaad= not perhaps; balavaan= strong; adharmaH= in unrighteousness; syaat= he would have been; raksitaa= a protector; suralokasyaapi= of even the world of celestials; sashakrasya= including Indra the Lord of celestials.

“Had this lord of demons perhaps not strong in unrighteousness, he would have been a protector of even the world of celestials together with Indra the lord of celestials.”

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asya kruurairnR^isham saishcha karmabhirlokakutsitaiH |
sarve bibhyati khalvasmaallokaaH saamaradaanavaaH || 5-49-19
ayam hyutsahte kruddhaH kartumekaarNavam jagat |

19. asya karmabhiH= by his acts; kruuraH= cruel; nR^ishamsaishcha= and violent; lokakutsitaiH= despised by the world; sarve lokaaH= all people; samara daanavaaH= including gods and demons; bibhyati hi= indeed remain frighteed; asmaat= of him; ayam= he; kruddhaH= if enraged; utsahate hi= is indeed capable; kartum= to turn; jagat= the world; ekaarNavan= into a single ocean.

“By his cruel and violent acts despised by the world, all people including gods and demons indeed remain frightened of him. If enraged he is indeed capable to turn the entire world into a single ocean.”

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iti cintaam bahu vidhaam akaron matimaan kapiH |
dR^iShTvaa raakShasa raajasya prabhaavam amita ojasaH || 5-49-20

20. dR^iSTvaa= seeing; prabhaavam= the power; raakSasaraajasya= of Ravana the king of demons; amitonjasaH= who had an unlimited vigour; matimaan= the intelligent; hariH= Hanuma; akarot= formed; bahuvidhaam= many kinds; chintaam= of thought; iti= in this way.

Seeing the power of Ravana the king of demons, who possessed an unlimited vigour, the intelligent Hanuma formulated many kinds of thoughts in this way.

ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye sundarakaaNDe ekonapaJNchaashaH sargaH

Thus completes 49th Chapter of Sundara Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.