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Sarg 9 - Hanumaan in Raavan's Palace

Now Hanumaan saw a building, one Yojan long and half Yojan wide in which there were many rooms up there. Hanumaan searched Seetaa all over. Then he saw a house which was guarded by 3 and 4-tusk elephants and many Raakshas carrying swords. This house was for those princesses who were stolen and abducted by Raavan from various places. Thus Lankaa's beauty never faded and Raakshas had as much wealth as Kuber.

Whatever Vimaan Vishwakarmaa built for Brahmaa, Kuber got the same Vimaan from his grandfather [Pulastya Rishi] through his Tapasyaa. Its name was Pushpak Vimaan. Raavan got it by defeating Kuber. It contained several houses. Vishwakarmaa built gold stairs and Vedee studded with sapphire (Neelam). Hanumaan climbed up the Vimaan and smelled the smell of betel leaves etc.

He got down from it and came to a building which was Raavan's house. Its floors were studded with ivory and gems. It had beautiful pillars which looked like as if they were there to lift it up to the sky. This building was like Vashishth's cow [see Kapilaa cow] who gave everything according to one's wish. When Hanumaan entered this building, his all five Indriyaan (eyes, nose, skin, tongue, ears) got fully satisfied. When Hanumaan saw himself in this state, he thought whether it was Swarg Lok or Dev Nagaree?

In the light of lamps of that room, Raavan's jewelry was shinning. There he saw many women sleeping on carpets. They looked like fallen stars to Hanumaan as if they have fallen after their Punya are over. They looked tired of dancing. Their clothes were displaced from their bodies, their garlands were broken and their make-up was faded away. Raavan got pleased to smell liquor from their mouth. They were Naag and Gandharv women. Some of them came to Raavan themselves and some of them were won by him. They were all maidens to him.

Once a thought came to Hanumaan's mind, that if Seetaa had also become like them? then there is no reason for Raam to attack Raavan, and then how he will be killed? Then immediately he thought, 'It cannot be possible. Seetaa is a Pativrataa, She will not agree for this. And if at all She had any feelings for Raavan then there was no reason for Raavan to abduct Her.

Sarg 10 - Hanumaan in Raavan's Palace

In the same building, Hanumaan saw a bed on which there were very valuable sheets lying and a very valuable umbrella too. Many sweet smelling things were burning there.  Raavan was sleeping on that bed. Many women were fanning Raavan with tine fans. Raavan had red eyes and long arms His arms looked like Indra's flag. He wore gold Baajooband. His shoulders were strong and his fingers were well-formed. His nails were beautiful and shiny. He had silken clothes on his body. His crown got displaced from his face in sleep, but his face was shining in the light of his ear-rings. He covered himself with a yellow sheet.

Some women were sleeping to his feet side. Their jewelry and clothes were also displaced. Some still had betel leaf in their mouth. One woman was sleeping with Sitaar on her side. Then he saw a beautiful woman who had lots of gems on her body. She had fair complexion and was the most beautiful among all women. She was Raavan's wife Mandodaree. He thought she was Seetaa so he got very happy to see her, he started beating his tail and played like a monkey. [But she was not Seeataa]

Sarg 11 - Hanumaan in Raavan's Palace

But then he thought that a separated woman like Seetaa cannot enjoy like this, nor she can drink liquor, nor she can go to other man even though he may be Indra. There is nobody like Raam for Seetaa in the whole world. So he moved from that place.

While coming out from there, Hanumaan saw there different kinds of meats - pig's, deer's, buffalo's - kept at separate places in gold plates. He saw many gold pitchers full of liquor and cups half-filled with liquor. Some beds were empty. They might be empty because some women were sleeping together. He saw sandalwood paste too for bathing. It smelled a lot to fill the atmosphere. He sieved every corner of Raavan's palace but couldn't find Seetaa anywhere.

When Hanumaan was looking at all this, once it came to his mind that "looking at these women like this will destroy my Dharm", but the next moment he thought, "if my mind is pure and clean then why should I be A-Dharmee? Otherwise also where possibly else could I look for Seetaa? Because whoever belong to whichever species, he can be searched among the same species only, so since Seetaa is a woman, that is why She should be searched among women."

Vimaan
Air plane

Baajooband
An ornament worn on the upper part of arm

Sitaar
An Indian musical string instrument

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