48. THE SEARCH IN LANKA :

FULL of hope, Hanuman alighted and
set foot in Lanka. But soon the flush of
triumph at the accomplishment of the
journey gave place to sober thinking.


"True I have crossed the sea, but that is
only the beginning of my mission. There,
on mount Trikuta, stands Ravana's
magnificent city, as if suspended in the
sky. How beautiful, how wealthy, how
well secured it is! The city and the fortress
are not inferior to Amaravati or
Bhagavati. The lovely groves, the elegant
buildings, the engines of defence, deep
moats, these fill me with much admiration
but also with greater concern. Who can
attack and vanquish this Ravana? How
can an army cross the sea that I have just
crossed? Even if it crosses the sea and
reaches this shore, how can it attack and
bring down this fortress defended by
bulwarks manned by well-armed warriors!
Neither guile nor force can bring it down.
But first I must find out whether Sita is
alive or not. Other questions can wait.
When and how can I best enter this well
guarded city? I have to search it
thoroughly, if I am to discover the place
where Sita is kept. If thoughtlessly I do
something wrong now, this error would be
irretrievable and a great purpose would
fail because of haste or negligence on my
part. If I enter the, city by day, it will be
noticed by the Rakshasas. It is best I go in
at night. But in what shape shall I go? To
ward off suspicion, I must put on a trivial,
inconspicuous shape."


Accordingly he shrank to the size of a
little monkey, no bigger than a cat. To
enter and search the palaces and parks of
this vast city, this would be most
convenient. His present form was as much
smaller than his usual size as the latter
was than the mighty proportions he had
assumed as he crossed the sea.


By now the sun had set. The little
Vanara walked towards the fortress gate.
The moon shone brightly. Hanuman was
glad and grateful for this help in his
search.


Even on a distant view Hanuman
wondered at the wealth and beauty
displayed in Ravana's capital. The streets
and mansions were bright with flags and
festoons and glittered with gold and
precious gems. The breeze blew gently
from the sea. Like Indra's Amaravati and
Kubera's Alakapuri, Ravana's capital had
attained the peak of prosperity. The
messenger of Rama was filled with
wonder and anxiety how to overcome the
master of such wealth and military power.


As he was walking along in amazement
and anxiety, he was rudely accosted by
the terrible-looking Guardian Goddess of
the city.


"Who are you, little monkey? How did
you manage to come here and why are
you here at all? Speak the truth."


"Yes, I am indeed a little monkey and I
have come here to look at this beautiful
city. I shall go back after I have gone
round and seen everything and satisfied
my curiosity."



The deity struck an angry blow at the
monkey. Hanuman returned the blow
carelessly with his left hand. It doubled
her up with agony on the ground.


But soon she got up and remembered
the prophecy that, when a monkey should
strike and throw her down, the city she
guarded would be destroyed.


She said to herself: "Ravana's sins are
many and grievous. The end of Lanka is
approaching. The word of the gods is
about to be fulfilled." And she stood aside.


The goddess of Lanka was not a servant
of Ravana. She was the spirit of the city.
Hanuman climbed over the wall and
jumped into the city. It was part of the
ancient code of warfare that one should
not enter the enemy's fortress through the
regular gate, but should make his entry in
an out-of-the-way manner.


Vowing that the Rakshasas should be
destroyed he entered the fortress of Lanka
with his left foot foremost, for that meant
defeat for the enemy.


He went along the royal street that was
strewn with beautiful flowers. Like
lightning shining through the clouds the
buildings shone against the sky.
Clambering up the mansions and going
along on their roofs, he admired the
beauty of the city. The Rakshasa mansions
and streets and their decorations shone
with ineffable beauty. The sounds of
cultivated and correct music were heard.


Lovely women moved about to the
accompaniment of tinkling anklets. The
city was filled with sounds indicating a
full and joyous life.


In some houses mantras were being
chanted. In some others Vedic chants
were heard. In others songs celebrating
the heroic exploits and glory of Ravana
were being sung. Soldiers and scouts were
everywhere. In the streets were people
dedicated to particular religious practices
and vows. There were others cruel in
looks and ugly. The guards were armed
with bows, swords, cudgels, slings, lances
and other weapons. All the warriors were
clad in armor.


Some were handsome, some ugly,
complexions varied from fair through
brown to black. Some figures were very
tall, others very short. Thus Hanuman saw
that the population had been drawn from a
wide area with varying climates and that
the army had been recruited from the pick
of many nations.


He examined mansion after mansion.


He saw women of exquisite beauty, some
of them in the company of their husbands
and others by themselves. He saw many
young damsels, bright and beautiful like
images of molten gold. Some were seated
on the terraces, others were sleeping in
their beds. Some were playing, others
singing.


Innumerable beautiful women he saw,
but not Sita pining for Rama. The sight of
so much beauty only filled Hanuman's
heart with disappointment and sadness.
He entered and examined the homes of
many Rakshasas. There were war
elephants, pure-bred horses, chariots and
armories. Soldiers stood fully armed.


After passing through many mansions
and gardens filled with merriment and
music, he came to a great palace rising
aloft in a nobility of splendor far
transcending all the magnificent buildings
around.


Looking at the elephants, horses and
foot-soldiers in front, the high walls
surrounding it and the beauty of its
structure and the richness of its
decorations, he concluded that this was
Ravana's own palace, the central glory of
splendid Lanka. He entered this palace. It
was in every way a heaven on earth
worthy of Ravana's peerless power and
glory. The park, the birds sporting there,
the shrines scattered here and there, filled
Hanuman with wonder.


He said to himself: "What wealth, what
beauty and what bliss!"


He was for a while lost in amazement.
But soon he recollected that he had not yet
found Sita. Admiration gave place to
concern over the yet unfulfilled purpose
for which he had come.


Passing through many mansions, he
entered the innermost private apartment of
Ravana and was almost overcome with
the luxury and richness of its apartments
which made it look a very abode of the
gods. Everywhere was gold and silver,
ivory and gems and pearls, and beautiful
carpets and furniture and in their midst he
saw the Pushpaka Vimana.


It was a magic vehicle obtained from
Brahma by Kubera. Vanquishing Kubera,
Ravana brought it to Lanka as his booty.
As from Vasishtha's cow, in the Pushpaka
car one could get anything one desired.
Ravana's chamber, which Hanuman
now entered, was a very ocean of delight.


Countless lovely women lay sleeping in
the spacious chamber, some linked arm in
arm and all in undress and the careless
attitudes of sleep, making the place look
like garden of bright, flower-laden
creepers.


With his spirit controlled by dharma,
Hanuman looked at all these sleeping
women, each more beautiful than the
other and all filled with joy and love, to
see if any of them could be Sita. Ravana's
power to take what shape he would and to
please all women was evident from the
sight of these lovely women.


Hanuman pulled himself together
reproachfully at his own folly in
supposing for a moment that Sita could be
in that sensual paradise of happy damsels.
"It is certain that Sita is not in this crowd.
What a fool am I to search for her in this
company! This is no place for her."


Then he went elsewhere. In another
chamber he saw many beds. He saw one
more gorgeous than the rest, covered with
gold and diamonds and Ravana stretched
on it, like another Mount Meru. His form
and majestic splendor mace made even
Hanuman tremble for it moment.


He stood on one side and scanned the
sleeping figure unable for a time to take
his eyes off the majestic and virile beauty
of that mighty form. The great muscles
now in repose, the symmetrical grace of
limbs which made the Rakshasa King at
once beautiful and terrible.


Then Hanuman looked at the women in
the beds around and on the carpets. Some,
who had fallen asleep while singing, were
still hugging their musical instruments.
His eyes finally fell on a figure lying
on a divinely beautiful cot. The
shapeliness of her limbs and the beauty of
her features made Hanuman imagine it
might be Sita. He leaped up with joy.
The next instant he cursed himself for
his folly. "Fie, fie," he said to himself,
"how foolish have I been! Could Sita
sleep thus carelessly, covered with jewels,
in a stranger's chamber? The very thought
is a sin." And he was overwhelmed with
shame and sorrow at his error.


Then he said to himself: "Because she
would not yield to him, this Rakshasa
must have killed her. What use is there in
continuing the search?"


He had now searched the inner
apartments of Ravana's palace. The
bedroom, the dining room, the hall of
drink, the music room, all places had been
searched and Sita was nowhere found. "I
have entered every nook and corner.
Against all the rules of propriety, I have
even looked at every one in the women's
chambers. But all in vain."


Saying this he left the hall of drink and
went to the garden and looked into the
little shrines and the arbours made of
creepers. But all was in vain.


"I have seen all of Lanka," he thought
with irrepressible grief. "I have seen every
inch of Ravana's palace. What more could
I do here? Am I to return without seeing
Sita? No. I shall rather end my life here.
Yes, that is the only thing for me to do."
But again he said to himself, "Fie, fie
on me for yielding to such despondency
unworthy and dishonorable."


He sprang up again and searched once
again every inch of the places he had been
through. He opened every door and
window and looked in. There were ugly
women, beautiful human and Naga
maidens, all captured by the Rakshasa, but
not Sita.


Once again his heart sank. He did not
know what to do. He said to himself: "If I
return to Kishkindha failing in my
mission, with what face shall I meet my
friends? If Rama loses all hopes of
recovering Sita, what would happen to
him? He would surely die. And after that,
what would happen to others? Instead of
going back to Sugriva and telling him that
all my labors have been wasted, it would
be far better to stay here and spend the
rest of my days in the forest and seashore
of Lanka. But why live on? Is it not best
to end my life? But, then, was Sampati
wrong in saying that Sita was in Lanka?
Or has she been killed by the Rakshasa
since Sampati sighted her in this island?
She might well have been devoured by the
Rakshasis. Nothing is clear, everything is
enveloped in doubt. What shall I do?"
Thus was Hanuman lost in anxiety and
thought. Just then his eyes lighted on what
he had so far left unexplored, a park
attached to a shrine and surrounded by
high walls. "Oh, here is a park, I have not
seen or searched so far. Here surely I shall
find Sita."


With these words as the son of Vayu
meditated on Rama, hope sprang within
his breast. The secluded park was well
protected by high walls. "Yes, Sita must
be here," he said to himself. Again he
bowed to the gods. He jumped up and sat
on the wall of the Asoka Vana and
surveyed the beautiful park.


NEXT :  49. SITA IN THE ASOKA VANAM-


Continues...