Śrīmad Vālmīki Rāmāyana (English Translation)

Nettled by the censure uttered by Sītā, Rāvana allows her a time-limit of two months to revise her decision and threatens her with death if she does not listen to reason. Restored to confidence by the glances of Rāvana's consorts, however, Sītā condemns him once more. Leaving instructions with ogresses of terrible and ugly aspect to bring her to reason by recourse to intimidation and persuasio...

Placing a blade of grass between herself and Rāvana in order to avoid direct contact with a man of evil intentions and expostulating with him by showing him the right path, Sītā praises Śrī Rāma and, impressing on Rāvana the consequences of the latter befriending or antagonizing Śrī Rāma, advises Rāvana to make friends with Śrī Rāma through self-surrender.

Seeking to cajole Sītā by means of coaxing words, Rāvana implores her to accept him.

Finding himself unable, as it were, to depict the mental state of Sītā, who got withered up and began to shudder at the sight of Rāvana, the poet tries to portray her with the help of similes. Arrived in her presence, Rāvana tries to win her.

Perceiving Rāvana surrounded by hundreds of young women and approaching Sītā towards the close of night, swayed by passion as he was, Hanumān, who was perched on the top of the Śimśapā tree, silently comes down in order to scan the figure of Rāvana and hides himself in the boughs in order to avoid observation.

His eyes filled with joy on beholding Sītā surrounded by ogresses with hideous and deformed faces while the moon was at the meridian, Hanumān mentally bows to Śrī Rāma and Laksmana and remains hidden behind the boughs of the Śimśapā tree.

Admiring the virtue and propitious bodily marks etc.., of Sītā, Hanumān grieves at the thought of that lady, for whose sake Khara, Virādha and other ogres were killed, having been reduced to such a sad plight.

Casting his eyes all round while remaining perched on the top of that Śimśapā tree, Hanumān catches sight of Sītā in a temple and recognizes her by virtue of her characteristics and age.

Leaping down to the enclosure of the Asoka grove and watching the loveliness of the grove from the top of the wall, Hanumån enters the grove and, leaping from tree to tree in the course of his search for Sītā, catches sight of an Asoka tree. Espying a stream running beside it and expecting that Sītā might turn up on the bank of the stream to say her Sandhyā prayers, he takes up his position on tha...

Coming out of the aerial car, Puspaka, and not finding Sītā even on searching for her on all sides, Hanumān concludes her to have been killed. Believing that her untraceability, no matter whether it is reported to Śrī Rāma or not, may lead to disastrous consequences, Hanumān decides not to return to the mainland. Meanwhile, as he contemplates fasting till death or suicide or the killing of Rāvana,...

Having failed to discover Sītā even after searching for her in the picture gallery and other places, Hanumān suspects that she might have been disposed of by Rāvana and, thus meeting with frustration, falls into the quagmire of despair. On second thought, however, he deprecates despair as harmful and, falling back upon self-reliance, resumes the search. But, failing to find her even on searching f...

Banishing by recourse to reason the thought that the lady whom he had seen was Sītā, Hanumån searches for Sītā once more in the gynaeceum as well as in the banqueting hall and sees there a number of women lying in various states, as well as drinking vessels. He is seized with fear of having incurred the sin of gazing on others' wives; but the thought that he had looked on them with a lust-fre...

Hanumān catches sight of Rāvana reposing on an excellent couch decked with various ornaments, himself adorned with jewels of every description. Perceiving Mandodarī graced with bright jewels and lying asleep on a wonderful couch not far from her husband in the midst of dancing girls lying in a disorderly state with diverse musical instruments clasped to their bosom, and taking her to be Sītā, Hanu...

Leaping up the Puspaka in the course of his quest for Sītā in the palace of Rāvana, Hanumān gazes from that vantage-ground on the hosts of women lying asleep in the women's apartments in diverse states.

A further description of the aerial car, Puspaka.

The poet incidentally draws a pen-picture of Rāvana’s palace and his aerial car known by the name of Puspaka.

Reaching the palace of Rāvana, which served as an adornment to Lankā, and having looked for Sītā in the adjoining mansions of Prahasta and others, Hanumān now enters the palace of Rāvana.

Even though seeing ogres and ogresses of various grades and orders while the moon was ascending the heavens, Hanumān gives way to anxiety on his not being able to find Sītā.

Entering Lankā and hearing the music of various instruments being played upon inside, and also observing the enemyís forces armed with various weapons, Hanumān finds his way into the royal gynaeceum.

Appearing in person before Hanumān, while he was making his way into Lankā at night, the mighty ogress, Lankā, presiding over the city, stops him, striking him with the palm of her hand. Getting unnerved, even though gently smitten with his left fist, she permits the monkey to enter, repeating the words of Brahmā, the creator, that the destruction of Lankā should be concluded as imminent when she...

Reflecting on the difficulty of penetrating into Lankā, which was strongly guarded by ogres, Hanumān further contracts his body and enters it at moonrise.

Śrīmad Vālmīki-Rāmāyana Part-II, Gita Press Desirous of reaching Lankā in order to discover Sītā, Hanumān takes a leap from a peak of Mount Mahendra and honouring with the touch of his hand Mount Maināka, which rose from the bottom of the sea to provide rest on its peak to Hanumān, encounters Surasā (mother of Nāgas), sent by the gods in the form of an ogress, who was waiting for Hanumān with her...

Proclaiming his own glory in order to dispel the fears of the monkeys after assuming enormous proportions with a view to leaping across the sea, and climbing up Mount Mahendra, Hanumān prepares to take a leap across the sea. THE END OF KISKINDHĀKĀNDA Thank you once again for listening and please join us for Book 5 (Season 5) The Sundarakānda!!

Reminding Hanumān of his descent from the loins of the wind-god through Añjanā and of the circumstances which led to his getting the name of Hanumān and also how he received boons from Brahmā (the creator) and others, and glorifying him, Jāmbavān encourages Hanumān to leap across the sea and thereby deliver the monkeys from their wretched plight.

Questioned by Angada, Gaja and other leaders of monkey hordes proclaim each his own leaping capacity ranging in an increasing degree from ten Yojanas or eighty miles to ninety Yojanas or seven hundred and twenty miles. Jåmbavån in his turn submits that he can leap full one hundred Yojanas or eight hundred miles but is doubtful about his capacity to return. On Angada declaring the same thing, Jāmba...