Sundara Kanda, Sarga 7

स वेश्मजालं बलवान् ददर्श व्यासक्तवैडूर्यसुवर्णजालम्। यथा महत् प्रावृषि मेघजालं विद्युत्पिनद्धं सविहङ्गजालम्।।5.7.1।।

sa veśmajālaṃ balavān dadarśa vyāsaktavaiḍūryasuvarṇajālam| yathā mahat prāvṛṣi meghajālaṃ vidyutpinaddhaṃ savihaṅgajālam

Powerful Hanuman beheld the conglomeration of buildings with golden lattices encrusted with vaidurya, with flocks of birds comparable to a complex of clouds pierced by lightning during rainy season.

निवेशनानां विविधाश्च शालाः प्रधानशङ्खायुधचापशालाः। मनोहराश्चापि पुनर्विशालाः ददर्श वेश्माद्रिषु चन्द्रशालाः।।5.7.2।।

niveśanānāṃ vividhāśca śālāḥ pradhānaśaṅkhāyudhacāpaśālāḥ| manoharāścāpi punarviśālāḥ dadarśa veśmādriṣu candraśālāḥ

Attached to the spacious halls of the houses, were storehouses for valuable conches, weapons, bows and arrows. On the top of the attics on these mansions, were large and delightful terraces open to the Moon.

गृहाणि नानावसुराजितानि देवासुरैश्चापि सुपूजितानि। सर्वैश्च दोषैः परिवर्जितानि कपिर्ददर्श स्वबलार्जितानि।।5.7.3।।

gṛhāṇi nānāvasurājitāni devāsuraiścāpi supūjitāni| sarvaiśca doṣaiḥ parivarjitāni kapirdadarśa svabalārjitāni

The monkey saw numerous kinds of treasures, cherished by gods and demons, which were won by Ravana's might.

तानि प्रयत्नाभिसमाहितानि मयेन साक्षादिव निर्मितानि। महीतले सर्वगुणोत्तराणि ददर्श लङ्काधिपतेर्गृहाणि।।5.7.4।।

tāni prayatnābhisamāhitāni mayena sākṣādiva nirmitāni| mahītale sarvaguṇottarāṇi dadarśa laṅkādhipatergṛhāṇi

The mansions of the lord of Lanka built with great care and effort on earth were by all means excellent and appeared as though built personally by Maya (the divine architect wellknown for magical skills).

ततो ददर्शोछ्रचितमेघरूपं मनोहरं काञ्चनचारुरूपम्। रक्षोऽधिपस्यात्मबलानुरूपं गृहोत्तमं ह्यप्रतिरूपरूपम्।।5.7.5।।

tato dadarśochracitamegharūpaṃ manoharaṃ kāñcanacārurūpam| rakṣo'dhipasyātmabalānurūpaṃ gṛhottamaṃ hyapratirūparūpam

Hanuman beheld the magnificent and soulcaptivating palace possessing the splendour of molten gold. Of matchless beauty, it looked like a towering cloud worthy of the might of Ravana, the lord of ogresses.

महीतले स्वर्गमिव प्रकीर्णं श्रिया ज्वलन्तं बहुरत्नकीर्णम्। नानातरूणां कुसुमावकीर्णं गिरेरिवाग्रं रजसावकीर्णम्।।5.7.6।।

mahītale svargamiva prakīrṇaṃ śriyā jvalantaṃ bahuratnakīrṇam| nānātarūṇāṃ kusumāvakīrṇaṃ girerivāgraṃ rajasāvakīrṇam

It appeared splendid like a scattered piece of heaven on earth, glittering with countless gems. It looked like a mountain peak covered with pollen of flowers dropped from all kinds of trees.

नारीप्रवेकैरिव दीप्यमानं तटिद्भिरम्भोदवदर्च्यमानम्। हंसप्रवेकैरिव वाह्यमानं श्रिया युतं खे सुकृतां विमानम्।।5.7.7।।

nārīpravekairiva dīpyamānaṃ taṭidbhirambhodavadarcyamānam| haṃsapravekairiva vāhyamānaṃ śriyā yutaṃ khe sukṛtāṃ vimānam

The aerial chariot was lit up by resplendent women just as a raincloud dazzles with flashes of lightning. It was auspicious, worthy of worship. It looked as if it was drawn by royal swans in the sky.

यथा नगाग्रं बहुधातुचित्रं यथा नभश्च ग्रहचन्द्रचित्रम्। ददर्शयुक्तीकृतमेघचित्रं विमानरत्नं बहुरत्नचित्रम्।।5.7.8।।

yathā nagāgraṃ bahudhātucitraṃ yathā nabhaśca grahacandracitram| dadarśayuktīkṛtameghacitraṃ vimānaratnaṃ bahuratnacitram

A jewel among aerial chariots, it looked colourful with many gems beset. It appeared like the summit of a mountain decorated with the colours of minerals, like the sky bespangled with planets and the Moon and like a mass of multicoloured clouds adorned by a rainbow.

मही कृता पर्वतराजिपूर्णा शैलाः कृता वृक्षवितानपूर्णाः। वृक्षाः कृताः पुष्पवितानपूर्णाः पुष्पं कृतं केसरपत्रपूर्णम्।।5.7.9।।

mahī kṛtā parvatarājipūrṇā śailāḥ kṛtā vṛkṣavitānapūrṇāḥ| vṛkṣāḥ kṛtāḥ puṣpavitānapūrṇāḥ puṣpaṃ kṛtaṃ kesarapatrapūrṇam

The whole earth had been picturised on it. It was filled with rows of mountains and a canopy of trees all over. The trees were filled with lovely flowers with petals and filaments drawn on them.

कृतानि वेश्मानि च पाण्डुराणि तथा सुपुष्पाण्यपि पुष्कराणि। पुनश्च पद्मानि सकेसराणि धन्यानि चित्राणि तथा वनानि।।5.7.10।।

kṛtāni veśmāni ca pāṇḍurāṇi tathā supuṣpāṇyapi puṣkarāṇi| punaśca padmāni sakesarāṇi dhanyāni citrāṇi tathā vanāni

There were pictures of mansions white in colour and pools of crystalclear water filled with lovely flowers. There were pictures of beautiful lotuses drawn on it.

पुष्पाह्वयं नामविराजमानं रत्नप्रभाभिश्च विवर्धमानम्। वेश्मोत्तमानामपि चोच्यमानं महाकपिस्तत्र महाविमानम्।।5.7.11।।

puṣpāhvayaṃ nāmavirājamānaṃ ratnaprabhābhiśca vivardhamānam| veśmottamānāmapi cocyamānaṃ mahākapistatra mahāvimānam

There, the great Hanuman indeed saw a splendid chariot called Pushpaka. It was glowing with glittering gems. Taller than the biggest mansion, it was a great chariot.

कृताश्च वैडूर्यमया विहङ्गाः रूप्यप्रवालैश्च तथा विहङ्गाः। चित्राश्च नानावसुभिर्भुजङ्गाः जात्यानुरूपास्तुरगाः शुभाङ्गाः।।5.7.12।।

kṛtāśca vaiḍūryamayā vihaṅgāḥ rūpyapravālaiśca tathā vihaṅgāḥ| citrāśca nānāvasubhirbhujaṅgāḥ jātyānurūpāsturagāḥ śubhāṅgāḥ

Inside were birds made of vaidurya, silver and corals. There were colourful serpents made of various gems, and highclass horses of exquisite limbs drawn.

प्रवालजाम्बूनदपुष्पपक्षाः सलीलमावर्जितजिह्मपक्षाः। कामस्य साक्षादिव भान्ति पक्षाः कृता विहङ्गाः सुमुखाः सुपक्षाः।।5.7.13।।

pravālajāmbūnadapuṣpapakṣāḥ salīlamāvarjitajihmapakṣāḥ| kāmasya sākṣādiva bhānti pakṣāḥ kṛtā vihaṅgāḥ sumukhāḥ supakṣāḥ

It had curved figures of birds with beautiful wings carved out of corals and gold The wings were shining as if they were really the wings of allies of Cupid, the god of love.

नियुज्यमानास्तु गजाः सुहस्ताः सकेसराश्चोत्पलपत्रहस्ताः। बभूवदेवी च कृता सुहस्ता लक्ष्मी स्तथा पद्मिनि पद्महस्ता।।5.7.14।।

niyujyamānāstu gajāḥ suhastāḥ sakesarāścotpalapatrahastāḥ| babhūvadevī ca kṛtā suhastā lakṣmī stathā padmini padmahastā

He saw on it lotus ponds, artificial elephants with shapely trunks, offering to Laxmi who herself was a lotus, holding in her beautiful hands blue lotuses shining with filaments.

इतीव तद्गृहमभिगम्य शोभनम् सविस्मयो नगमिव चारुशोभनम्। पुनश्च तत्परमसुगन्धि सुन्दरम् हिमात्यये नगमिव चारुकन्दरम्।।5.7.15।।

itīva tadgṛhamabhigamya śobhanam savismayo nagamiva cāruśobhanam| punaśca tatparamasugandhi sundaram himātyaye nagamiva cārukandaram

Thus he reached the auspicious palace appearing like a beautiful mountain and stood wonderstruck. Once again he looked at that beautiful palace which appeared like a mountain with lovely caverns in spring time filled with wonderful fragrance

ततः स तां कपिरभिपत्य पूजितां चरन् पुरीं दशमुखबाहुपालिताम्। अदृश्य तां जनकसुतां सुपूजितां सुदुःखितः पतिगुणवेगवर्जिताम्।।5.7.16।।

tataḥ sa tāṃ kapirabhipatya pūjitāṃ caran purīṃ daśamukhabāhupālitām| adṛśya tāṃ janakasutāṃ supūjitāṃ suduḥkhitaḥ patiguṇavegavarjitām

Then Hanuman moved about that cherished city ruled by the strength of arms of the tenheaded king. Unable to find venerable Sita, who was deprived of the benefit of her husband's virtuous proximity, he became deeply sad.

ततस्तदा बहुविधभावितात्मनः कृतात्मनो जनकसुतां सुवर्त्मनः। अपश्यतोऽभवदतिदुःखितं मनः सुचक्षुषः प्रविचरतो महात्मनः।।5.7.17।।

tatastadā bahuvidhabhāvitātmanaḥ kṛtātmano janakasutāṃ suvartmanaḥ| apaśyato'bhavadatiduḥkhitaṃ manaḥ sucakṣuṣaḥ pravicarato mahātmanaḥ

Unable to find Sita, the disciplined and foresighted Hanuman, who always kept the righteous path, felt distressed while moving about, his mind oppressed by all kinds of thought. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये सुन्दरकाण्डे सप्तमस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the seventh sarga of Sundarakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.