Description of Lanka and Hanuman's Entry
Hanuman surveys the golden city of Lanka by night. After subduing its guardian, Lankini, he enters the city in a subtle form.
Sundar Kand · Episode 3 / 20
Episode Text
नाना तरु फल फूल सुहाए। खग मृग बृंद देखि मन भाए॥ सैल बिसाल देखि एक आगें। ता पर धाइ चढ़ेउ भय त्यागें॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nānā taru phala phūla suhāe। khaga mṛga brinda dekhi mana bhāe॥ saila bisāla dekhi eka āgeṃ। tā para dhāi chaṛheu bhaya tyāgeṃ॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
Many kinds of trees were beautiful with fruits and flowers. Seeing the flocks of birds and herds of beasts, he was delighted in his heart. Seeing a huge mountain ahead, Hanuman cast off fear and leaped up onto it.
उमा न कछु कपि कै अधिकाई। प्रभु प्रताप जो कालहि खाई॥ गिरि पर चढ़ि लंका तेहिं देखी। कहि न जाइ अति दुर्ग बिसेषी॥ ५ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
umā na kachu kapi kai adhikāī। prabhu pratāpa jo kālahi khāī॥ giri para chaṛhi laṃkā tehiṃ dekhī। kahi na jāi ati durga bisheṣī॥ 5 ॥
Meaning:
[Shiva says—] O Uma, there is no greatness of the monkey here. This is the majesty of the Lord, which devours even Time itself. Climbing the mountain, he saw Lanka. It was an exceptionally fortified stronghold; it cannot be described adequately.
कनक कोट बिचित्र मनि कृत सुंदरायतना घना। चउहट्ट हट्ट सुबट्ट बीथीं चारु पुर बहु बिधि बना॥ गज बाजि खच्चर निकर पदचर रथ बरूथन्हि को गनै। बहुरूप निसिचर जूथ अतिबल सेन बरनत नहिं बनै॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kanaka koṭa bicitra mani kṛta suṃdarāyatnā ghanā। cauhaṭṭa haṭṭa subaṭṭa bīthīṃ cāru pura bahu bidhi banā॥ gaja bāji khaccara nikara padacara ratha barūthanhi ko ganai। bahurūpa nisicara jūtha atibala sena baranata nahiṃ banai॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
There was a golden rampart adorned with wondrous jewels, and within it many beautiful houses. Crossroads, markets, fine roads, and lanes made the lovely city beautifully arranged in many ways. Who can count the hosts of elephants, horses, mules, foot soldiers, and chariots? There were troops of shapeshifting demons, and the description of their immensely powerful army cannot be fully done.
बन बाग उपबन बाटिका सर कूप बापीं सोहहीं। नर नाग सुर गंधर्ब कन्या रूप मुनि मन मोहहीं॥ कहुँ माल देह बिसाल सैल समान अतिबल गर्जहीं। नाना अखारेन्ह भिरहिं बहुबिधि एक एकन्ह तर्जहीं॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bana bāga upabana bāṭikā sara kūpa bāpīṃ sohahīṃ। nara nāga sura gaṃdharba kanyā rūpa muni mana mohahīṃ॥ kahuṃ māla deha bisāla saila samāna atibala garjahīṃ। nānā akhārenha bhirahīṃ bahubidhi eka ekanha tarjahīṃ॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
Forests, gardens, groves, orchards, lakes, wells, and stepwells all adorned the city. Women of humans, nāgas, gods, and gandharvas, beautiful in form, enchanted even the minds of sages. Here and there wrestlers, huge-bodied like mountains, roared with great strength. In many wrestling arenas they fought in various ways and challenged one another.
करि जतन भट कोटिन्ह बिकट तन नगर चहुँ दिसि रच्छहीं। कहुँ महिष मानुष धेनु खर अज खल निसाचर भच्छहीं॥ एहि लागि तुलसीदास इन्ह की कथा कछु एक है कही। रघुबीर सर तीरथ सरीरन्हि त्यागि गति पैहहिं सही॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kari jatana bhaṭa koṭinha bikaṭa tana nagara cahuṃ disi rachchahīṃ। kahuṃ mahiṣa mānuṣa dhenu khara aja khala nisācara bhachchahīṃ॥ ehi lāgi tulasīdāsa inha kī kathā kachu eka hai kahī। raghubīra sara tīratha sarīranhi tyāgi gati paihahīṃ sahī॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
Millions of warriors with terrible bodies carefully guarded the city on all four sides. Here and there wicked demons were devouring buffaloes, humans, cows, donkeys, and goats. Tulsidas has told only a little of their story for this reason: they will surely abandon their bodies in the holy bath of Rama's arrow and attain the true state of liberation.
पुर रखवारे देखि बहु कपि मन कीन्ह बिचार। अति लघु रूप धरौं निसि नगर करौं पइसार॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
pura rakhavāre dekhi bahu kapi mana kīnha bicāra। ati laghu rūpa dharauṃ nisi nagara karauṃ paisāra॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
Seeing the many guards of the city, Hanuman reflected in his mind: 'I shall take a very tiny form and enter the city by night.'
मसक समान रूप कपि धरी। लंकहि चलेउ सुमिरि नरहरी॥ नाम लंकिनी एक निसिचरी। सो कह चलेसि मोहि निंदरी॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
masaka samāna rūpa kapi dharī। laṃkahi caleu sumiri naraharī॥ nāma laṃkinī eka nisicarī। so kaha calesi mohi niṃdarī॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
Hanuman assumed a form as small as a mosquito and, remembering Narahari, set out toward Lanka. At the gate of Lanka lived a demoness named Lankini. She said, 'Where are you going, insulting me and without asking me?'
जानेहि नहीं मरमु सठ मोरा। मोर अहार जहाँ लगि चोरा॥ मुठिका एक महा कपि हनी। रुधिर बमत धरनीं ढनमनी॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
jānehi nahīṃ maramu saṭha morā। mora ahāra jahāṃ lagi corā॥ muṭhikā eka mahā kapi hanī। rudhira bamata dharanīṃ ḍhanamanī॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
'O fool, do you not know my secret? All the thieves up to this point are my food.' The great monkey Hanuman struck her with one blow, and she vomited blood and fell rolling on the ground.
पुनि संभारि उठी सो लंका। जोरि पानि कर बिनय ससंका॥ जब रावनहि ब्रह्म बर दीन्हा। चलत बिरंचि कहा मोहि चीन्हा॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
puni saṃbhāri uṭhī so laṃkā। jori pāni kara binaya sasaṃkā॥ jaba rāvanahi brahma bara dīnhā। calata biraṃci kahā mohi cīnhā॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
That Lankini then recovered herself and rose again, joining her hands in fear and making a plea. She said: 'When Brahma gave boons to Ravana, as he departed he told me this sign of the destruction of the demons that—'
बिकल होसि तैं कपि कें मारे। तब जानेसु निसिचर संघारे॥ तात मोर अति पुन्य बहूता। देखेउँ नयन राम कर दूता॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bikala hosi taiṃ kapi keṃ māre। taba jānesu nisicara saṃghāre॥ tāta mora ati punya bahūtā। dekheuṃ nayana rāma kara dūtā॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
When you become distressed by the monkey being struck, then know that the demons have been destroyed. O father, how great is my merit, that I have seen with my own eyes the messenger of Shri Rama.
तात स्वर्ग अपबर्ग सुख धरिअ तुला एक अंग। तूल न ताहि सकल मिलि जो सुख लव सतसंग॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tāta svarga apabarga sukha dharia tulā eka aṃga। tūla na tāhi sakala mili jo sukha lava satasaṃga॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
O dear one, if the joys of heaven and liberation are placed on one side of a scale, even then, together, they cannot equal the happiness that comes from even a moment of holy company.
प्रबिसि नगर कीजे सब काजा। हृदयँ राखि कोसलपुर राजा॥ गरल सुधा रिपु करहिं मिताई। गोपद सिंधु अनल सितलाई॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
prabisi nagara kīje saba kājā। hṛdayaṃ rāakhi kosalapura rājā॥ garala sudhā ripu karahiṃ mitāī। gopada sindhu anala sitalāī॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
Enter the city and do all your work while keeping Shri Rama, the king of Kosala, in your heart. For such a one, poison becomes nectar, enemies become friends, the ocean becomes as small as a cow's hoofprint, and fire turns cool.
गरुड़ सुमेरु रेनु सम ताही। राम कृपा करि चितवा जाही॥ अति लघु रूप धरेउ हनुमाना। पैठा नगर सुमिरि भगवाना॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
garuṛa sumeru reṇu sama tāhī। rāma kṛpā kari citavā jāhī॥ ati laghu rūpa dhareu hanumānā। paiṭhā nagara sumiri bhagavānā॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
And, O Garuda, even Mount Sumeru becomes like a speck of dust for one whom Shri Rama has once graciously looked upon. Then Hanuman took a very tiny form and, remembering the Lord, entered the city.
मंदिर मंदिर प्रति करि सोधा। देखे जहँ तहँ अगनित जोधा॥ गयउ दसानन मंदिर माहीं। अति बिचित्र कहि जात सो नाहीं॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
maṃdira maṃdira prati kari sodhā। dekhe jahaṃ tahaṃ aganita yodhā॥ gayau dasānana maṃdira māhīṃ। ati bicitra kahi jāta so nāhīṃ॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
He searched every palace one by one. In many places he saw countless warriors. Then he went into Ravana's palace. It was so wondrous that it could not be described.
सयन किएँ देखा कपि तेही। मंदिर महुँ न दीखि बैदेही॥ भवन एक पुनि दीख सुहावा। हरि मंदिर तहँ भिन्न बनावा॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sayana kieṃ dekhā kapi tehī। maṃdira mahuṃ na dīkhi baidehī॥ bhavana eka puni dīkha suhāvā। hari maṃdira tahaṃ bhinna banāvā॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
Hanuman saw him lying down, but Sita was not seen in the palace. Then he saw another beautiful building. There, a separate temple of the Lord had been built.
रामायुध अंकित गृह सोभा बरनि न जाइ। नव तुलसिका बृंद तहँ देखि हरष कपिराइ॥ ५ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
rāmāyudha aṃkita gṛha sobhā barani na jāi। nava tulasikā bṛṃda tahaṃ dekhi haraṣa kapirāi॥ 5 ॥
Meaning:
That house was marked with the signs of Shri Rama's weapons; its beauty cannot be described. Seeing there a fresh cluster of tulsi plants, the king of monkeys was delighted.
लंका निसिचर निकर निवासा। इहाँ कहाँ सज्जन कर बासा॥ मन महुँ तरक करैं कपि लागा। तेहीं समय बिभीषनु जागा॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
laṃkā nisicara nikara nivāsā। ihāṃ kahāṃ sajjana kara bāsā॥ mana mahuṃ taraka karaiṃ kapi lāgā। tehīṃ samaya bibhīṣanu jāgā॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
Lanka is the dwelling place of hosts of demons. Where could there be a place for the good here? Hanuman began to reason thus in his mind. At that very moment, Vibhishana awoke.
राम राम तेहिं सुमिरन कीन्हा। हृदयँ हरष कपि सज्जन चीन्हा॥ एहि सन हठि करिहउँ पहिचानी। साधु ते होइ न कारज हानी॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
rāma rāma tehiṃ sumirana kīnhā। hṛdayaṃ haraṣa kapi sajjana cīnhā॥ ehi sana haṭhi karihauṃ pahicānī। sādhu te hoi na kāraja hānī॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
He repeated 'Rama, Rama.' Hanuman recognized him as a noble soul and rejoiced in his heart. [Hanuman thought:] I shall insist on making his acquaintance, for no harm comes from a saint; rather, only benefit comes.