The Valmiki Ramayana

by Amish Tripathi

  For a while, the elephant among apes thought. Engaged in ensuring Rama’s objective, he stood on the summit of the mountain. ‘I am incapable of entering the city of the rakshasas in this form of mine. It is protected by cruel and powerful rakshasas. The rakshasas are fierce in their energy, immensely brave and powerful. In searching out Janakee, I must deceive all of them. I must enter the city of Lanka in the night, in a tiny form that can just about be seen. To accomplish the great objective, that is what I must do, enter at the right time.’ He saw that city, which is impossible for even the gods or the asuras to assail. Hanumat thought about this repeatedly and arrived at this conclusion. ‘What means can I use to see Maithilee, Janaka’s daughter, so that I am not seen by the evil-souled Ravana, Indra among the rakshasas? How can the task of Rama, who knows about his soul, be accomplished? How can I manage to see Janaka’s daughter alone? Even if a messenger is ready to accomplish the objective, he can be harmed and rendered incapacitated if he acts against the time and the place, like darkness dispelled by the rising sun. An intelligence that cannot distinguish between gain and loss is worthless. Messengers who are insolent about their learning can defeat the objective. How can the task be accomplished? How will there be no suffering? How will leaping across the ocean not be rendered futile? Rama, who knows about his soul, desires to bring an end to Ravana. However, if I am seen by the rakshasas, that task will fail. Undetected by the rakshasas, I am incapable of going there, even in the form of a rakshasa, not to speak of any other form. It is my view that even the wind cannot go there undetected. There is nothing that is unknown to the strong rakshasas. If I remain here, shrouding myself in my own form, I will be destroyed. My master’s task will also suffer. That being the case, when it is night, I will diminish my size. To accomplish Raghava’s objective, I will thus enter Lanka. Ravana’s city is extremely difficult to approach and I will enter it at night. I will search everywhere in the mansions and seek out Janaka’s daughter.’ The ape Hanumat thought in this way and waited for the sun to set. Anxious to see Vaidehi, the brave one thought in this way.

  When it was evening, the valiant Hanumat quickly assumed an extraordinary form that was only the size of a gnat.38 He entered the beautiful city, laid out and divided well through large roads. The mansions were like garlands, with pillars made out of gold and silver. With lattice work that was made out of molten gold, it was like a city of the gandharvas. In that great city, he saw seven-storeyed and eight-storeyed buildings. The floors were made out of crystal and were decorated with gold. There were nets made out of pearls and there was wonderful work of lapis lazuli and jewels. The floors of the mansions of the rakshasas were dazzling. There were colourful and golden gates protected by rakshasas. Everything in Lanka was decorated and illuminated. The great ape saw Lanka. It was extraordinary in form and impossible to think of. Anxious to see Vaidehi, he was both happy and distressed simultaneously. The place was surrounded by garlands of pale mansions. There were extremely expensive gates, made out of nets of molten gold. It was illustrious and was protected by Ravana’s arms. It was full of demons who were terrible in their strength. As if to help him, the moon rose and was radiant amidst a large number of stars. The entire world was pervaded by this canopy of moonlight. The one with many thousands of beams arose. Its complexion was like that of a conch shell, as white as milk or the stalk of a white lotus. As it arose, it illuminated everything. The brave ape saw the moon, which looked like a swan swimming in a lake.

  Chapter 5(3)

  He stood on the summit of Lamba, which was like an elongated cloud.39 The intelligent Hanumat, the son of the wind god, resorted to his own spirit. The greatly spirited one, elephant among apes, entered Lanka at night. The city was protected by Ravana and was full of beautiful groves and waterbodies. It was adorned with the best of mansions, resembling autumn clouds. A sound arose, as if from the ocean. A breeze that arose from the ocean blew through it. It was protected by extremely well-nurtured soldiers, like Vitapavati.40 There were beautiful protected gates, with white gates and turrets. The auspicious place was protected, like Bhogavati is by serpents who roam around. The paths were illuminated by the light of stellar bodies and looked like clouds tinged with lightning. A gust of wind blew, as if in Indra’s Amaravati. There were giant ramparts that were made out of molten gold. The place was adorned with flags and there was the sound of tinkling from nets of bells. Cheerfully, he quickly climbed up a rampart. As he looked everywhere in the city, his heart was filled with wonder. The gates were made of molten gold and the platforms were of lapis lazuli. There were jewels, crystals and pearls and the floors were encrusted with gems. There were decorations made out of molten gold, embellished with sparkling white silver. The floors and stairs were of lapis lazuli, with sparkling and clear work of crystal inside. There were auspicious and beautiful assembly halls that seemed to be flying through the sky. There were the sounds of curlews and peacocks. The place was populated by swans. The sounds of trumpets and ornaments echoed everywhere. He saw the city, which seemed to have been fashioned only out of riches. Lanka seemed to be flying through the sky and the ape Hanumat was delighted. He saw the auspicious city of Lanka, which belonged to the lord of the rakshasas.

  Its prosperity was supreme and the valiant one started to think. ‘It is impossible for anyone to attack this city with force. Ravana’s soldiers protect it, wielding upraised weapons. Kumuda, Angada, the great ape Sushena, Mainda and Dvivida may be able to penetrate this region. So can the son of the sun god,41 the ape Kushaparva, the bear Ketumala and I.’ Thinking about the mighty-armed Raghava’s valour and the prowess of Lakshmana, the ape became delighted.

  The city was like a beautiful and ornamented woman attired in red garments. The treasure houses were like earrings. The large stores of machines were like her breasts. The large houses were illuminated by radiant lamps that dispelled the darkness. The giant ape saw the city of the Indra among the rakshasas. The spirited one, the son of the wind god, entered the city at night. He travelled along the great road, decorated with pearls and flowers. In front of him, there were the sounds of laughter and the blare of trumpets. The beautiful city possessed houses that were as firm as the vajra, strong like clubs and ornamented with diamonds. The city looked like the sky, decorated with clouds. Lanka blazed, with the beautiful houses of large numbers of rakshasas. There were colourful and white houses of the padma, svastika and vardhamana types.42 All of these were decorated well. Wishing to perform a good deed for the king of the apes and to accomplish Raghava’s objective, the handsome one roamed around, looking at the wonderful garlands and ornaments and delighted. He heard sweet songs, chanted in the three kinds of tones43 by women intoxicated with liquor, sounding like apsaras in heaven. The great-souled one heard the tinkling of girdles and the sound of anklets on the stairs of the houses. Here and there, there were the sounds of roaring and the slapping of arms. He saw yatudhanas engaged in studying. He saw rakshasas assemble, roaring their praise of Ravana. There were large numbers of rakshasa soldiers along the royal roads. He saw many rakshasa spies in the midst of the contingents. There were those who had been initiated into studying. There were those with matted hair or shaved heads, attired in garments made out of cowhide. Darbha grass in their hands were like weapons. Their weapons were sacrificial altars to the fire. There were others with mallets and clubs in their hands. Others wielded rods as weapons. Some possessed one eye. Others possessed many ears. There were those whose stomachs and breasts hung low. Some had cruel and malformed mouths. Others were disfigured and dwarves. Some wielded bows, swords, shataghnis and clubs as weapons. Others had excellent bludgeons in their arms, with colourful and blazing armour. Some were not very fat, others were not very lean. Some were not tall, nor were they short. Some were malformed, others had many forms. Some were excellent in form and extremely radiant. Some had lances and trees as weapons. Others wielded javelins and vajras. The giant ape saw some of them wield nooses that could be flung. Some were garlanded and smeared with p
astes. Others were adorned in the best of ornaments. There were immensely strong ones, wielding sharp spears and vajras. The ape saw a hundred thousand rakshasas attentively protecting the centre. The giant ape saw the extremities, surrounded by ramparts. It was like divine heaven and there were celestial sounds. There were the sounds of horses neighing and the tinkle of ornaments. There were chariots, vehicles and vimanas and auspicious elephants and horses. There were elephants with four tusks, resembling a mass of white clouds. The ornamented and beautiful gates were full of maddened animals and birds. The ape entered the protected residence that belonged to the lord of the rakshasas.

  Chapter 5(4)

  The moon reached the midpoint in the sky.44 The giant cascade of moonlight spread everywhere. The intelligent one looked at the radiant body in the sky,45 resembling a crazy bull roaming around amidst a herd of cows. This was the one who destroyed the sins of the worlds and made the great ocean wax. It was the one who illuminated all creatures. He saw the one with the cool rays rise up. The prosperity that is there on earth in Mandara, in the ocean during the evening and in the water in Pushkara—all that radiant beauty existed in the moon. The radiant moon illuminated the sky like a swan inside a cage made out of silver, like a lion in a cavern in Mandara and like a brave and proud elephant. The radiant moon was full, without any horns.46 It was stationed there, with the sharp-horned one with humps.47 It was like a giant white mountain with tall peaks. It was like an elephant with tusks made out of molten gold. When the moon appeared, all the sins disappeared, including the sins caused by rakshasas who flourished by surviving on flesh. All the taints vanished from the minds of women.48 The illustrious one illuminated the evening with a radiance that was like that of heaven. Sounds that were pleasant to hear started from stringed musical instruments. Women who possessed good characters slept with their husbands. The ones who wander around in the night, creatures who are terrible in their conduct, started to roam around. The intelligent ape saw houses that were full of maddened and intoxicated people and places where chariots, horses and excellent seats were kept. There were brave and prosperous people. They49 lunged excessively at each other, nudging each other with their thick arms. They were intoxicated and spoke excessively to each other. Since they were intoxicated, they abused each other. The rakshasas beat their chests and hurled themselves on the bodies of women. He saw beautiful women smear themselves with unguents before sleeping. Large elephants trumpeted. The virtuous ones were honoured properly. The radiant and brave ones sighed, like serpents hissing in a lake. There were those who were intelligent, indulging in beautiful speech. There were faithful ones, foremost in the world. There were those who possessed many kinds of beautiful names. He also saw such yatudhanas in the city. He rejoiced when he saw the ones with beautiful forms. They possessed many qualities, qualities that were worthy of them. They were radiant in those forms. However, he also saw some who were malformed. Among them, there were extremely generous women, extremely pure in their sentiments and best among beautiful ones. They were devoted to their loved ones and addicted by nature to drinking. He saw some extremely radiant ones who were like stars. There were prosperous women, blazing in their ornaments. In the middle of the night, they were engaged in intercourse. He saw some women who clung to their loved ones, like birds cling to flowers. There were yet others who were seated on the floors of the mansions, happily lying down in the laps of their beloveds. They loved their husbands and were devoted to dharma. The intelligent one saw some who were in the throes of love. There were naked women with golden complexions. There were some with complexions of refined gold, meant for others.50 There were also those who were like the moon in complexion. Some with beautiful complexions in their limbs were separated from their beloveds. He saw women who obtained their handsome beloveds and were filled with great delight. The best among apes saw such extremely beautiful women, happy in their homes. There were garlands of faces that were like the moon. There were garlands of beautiful eyebrows and curved eyelashes. He saw garlands of ornaments and beautiful garlands that were like lightning. However, the extremely noble Sita, based on a virtuous path and born in a royal lineage, wasn’t there. Born in a virtuous lineage, she was like a blossoming creeper. But he did not see the slender one, born through mental powers.51 She was established on the eternal path of looking towards Rama, filled with desire for him. The beautiful one was always established in her husband’s mind. She was supreme among women and special. She was afflicted by the heat52 and her throat was choked with tears. Earlier, she wore extremely expensive and excellent jewels around her throat. She was born with beautiful eyelashes and a sweet voice. She was like a female peacock53 that was no longer dancing in the forest. It was as if the marks on the moon were indistinct marks. It was as if a mark made with gold was covered with dust. It was like the mark left by an arrow in a deep wound. It was as if the lines made by clouds had been dispelled by the wind. He did not see Sita, the wife of Rama, lord of men and supreme among eloquent ones. For some time, the ape was therefore filled with distress and for some time, he was numbed.

  Chapter 5(5)

  The one who could assume any form at will roamed around the mansions, but did not find what he desired. Full of dexterity, the ape wandered around Lanka. He approached the prosperous residence of the Indra among the rakshasas. It was surrounded by radiant ramparts that possessed the complexion of the sun. It was protected by terrible rakshasas, the way a great forest is protected by a lion. Having looked at the residence, the elephant among apes climbed up. It was decorated with silver and the colourful gates were adorned with gold. There were wonderful chambers, surrounded by beautiful gates. There were brave elephant riders on elephants, devoid of exhaustion. There were horses with attendants and chariots with drivers. There was armour for the body, made out of the skins of lions and tigers and decorated with ivory, gold and silver. Chariots always roamed around, making wonderful sounds. There were many jewels there and excellent seats and vessels. There were maharathas there, giant chariots and large seats. Here and there, extremely beautiful animals and birds could be seen. In every direction, the place was full of many thousands of these. It was protected well by rakshasas and the guards for the inner quarters were humble. In every direction, the place was full of foremost and excellent women. There were happy gems among women in the residence of the Indra among the rakshasas. The sound made by excellent jewellery was like the sound that arose in the ocean. There was excellent and supreme sandalwood, possessing qualities that could be used by a king. There were the sounds of tambourines and drums. The noise of conch shells resounded. The rakshasas always worshipped it54 on every auspicious day of festivities, offering oblations. It was as deep as the ocean and made a sound like that of the ocean. The great-souled one possessed a great residence. It was full of great jewels and garments. The great ape saw that it was filled with great people. Full of elephants, horses and chariots, its form was radiant. The great ape thought that this was like Lanka’s jewel. The ape roamed around from one house to another house and in the groves of the rakshasas. Without any fear, he wandered around everywhere in that palace. With great force, he leapt on to Prahasta’s residence. With another leap, he went to the residence of the valiant Mahaparshva. Thereafter, the great ape leapt to Kumbhakarna’s residence, which was like a cloud, and from there to Vibhishana’s. He went to the houses of Mahodara, Virupaksha, Vidyutjihva and Vidyunmali. The great ape then leapt to that of Vajradamshtra. With great force, the intelligent leader of the apes then went to the houses of Shuka, Sarana and Indrajit. The leader of the apes went to the houses of Jambumali, Sumali, Rashmiketu and Suryashatru. Hanumat, the son of the wind god went to the houses of Dhumraksha, Sampati, Vidyutrupa, Bhima, Ghana, Vighana, Shukanabha, Vakra, Shatha, Vikata, Hrasvakarna, Damshtra, the rakshasa Romasha, Yuddhanmatta, Matta, Dvajagriva, Nadina, Vidyutjihva, Indrajihva, Hastimukha, Karala, Pishacha, Shonita, Kramamana and Krama. In those extremely expensive houses, the great ape, the son of the wind god, saw their pros
perity and wealth. In every direction, he passed through all their houses and approached the prosperous residence of the Indra among the rakshasas.

  As he wandered around, the supreme among apes, tiger among apes, saw rakshasis with malformed eyes sleeping near Ravana. They held spears and clubs in their hands. They wielded javelins and spikes. He saw many contingents of soldiers in the house of the lord of the rakshasas.55 There were extremely swift horses that were red, white and black. There were handsome elephants born in noble lineages, capable of taking on elephants of the enemy. These elephants were skilled and trained, Airavata’s equal in a battle. They were capable of slaying the soldiers of the enemy and he saw them in that house. Like clouds, they exuded musth. They exuded minerals like mountains. They roared like clouds and the enemy found them unassailable in a battle. There were thousands of vahinis56 there, decorated in molten gold. They were covered in nets of gold and looked like the rising sun. He saw these in the residence of Ravana, Indra among rakshasas. The ape who was the wind god’s son saw palanquins of different shapes. There were collections of colourful creepers and chambers where paintings were kept. There were other chambers for sporting, with mountains made out of wood. There was a beautiful chamber for satisfying sexual desires and another chamber for the day. He saw these in the residence of Ravana, Indra among the rakshasas. There was an excellent spot that was like the plains of Mandara and it was full of pens for peacocks. He saw an excellent house that was filled with standards and staffs. There was an infinite quantity of jewels and everywhere, heaps of riches. Patient and attentive supervisors tended to these, like in the residence of the lord of the bhutas.57 The rays of these jewels indicated Ravana’s energy. Because of this, that residence was radiant, like the rays of the one with the rays.58 There were couches and seats made out of molten gold. The leader of the apes saw sparkling vessels. The bejewelled vessels were moist with madhu and asava.59 Delightful and without obstructions, it was like Kubera’s residence. There was the tinkling of anklets and the sound of girdles. There was the noise of drums and the clapping of hands. The many chambers in the palace were filled with hundreds of jewels among women. Hanumat entered that large residence, with many extensive chambers.