Sundara Kanda: Hanuman's Odyssey by BS Murthy - HTML preview

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Canto 4 

Foray into Fort

 

Lankin as thus gave visa

Set then Hanuman on his course.     

 

Having Lanka’s bird’s eye view 

Through its back door he entered.

 

So to bring it bad tidings

Put forth he then his left foot.

 

In time he went to King’s Way

Had that flowering trees on sides.

 

Dwellings in all either side

Saw he mirth ’n merry then.

 

Glow of Lanka seemed to him

As cloud of silver in the skies.

Light as creaked out from houses

Swastiks in their scores rays made.

 

Roamed as he then Ravan’s town

Well-pleased Hanuman with himself.

 

Houses he passed one by one

Each was shaped a different one.

 

Sang as dames in those dwellings

The sound of music pleased Hanuman.

 

Wore as women waist-bands all

Trinkets theirs made music scores.

 

Breathed in roars who exercised

Rhapsodic too were Vedic chants.

 

Saw he demons all there gathered

Sang they hymns in Ravan’s praise.

 

For men in arms and spies on rolls

In Lanka’s heart lay large barracks.

 

Tonsured men in penance he saw

Magical powers all seemed to have.

 

Weird men he found single-eyed

With lone ear some left him dumb.

 

Hideous many such fiends he found

Well armed with their arms varied,

Maces some had furrows-long

Discs rest held that covered acres.

 

Medium built they by and large 

Frames theirs neither long nor short.

 

Fair were some and others darkish

Lookers were there in both groups.

 

Turns took sentries to hold high

Ravan’s standards of conquests.

 

Flowers men garlands wore pastel

Frames their glowed with sandal paste.

 

Men all dressed in ways varied

Myriad all they arms carried.

 

To guard Ravan’s gynoecium

In midst garrison was that laid.

 

Archways wide of solid gold

Adorned Ravan’s famed palace.

 

Moats it had of lotus white

Wide-eyed Hanuman witnessed them.

 

Chamber music rent then air

Neighed white horses in courtyards.

 

Lined as chariots in deep files

Lay in hangers airplanes large,

Languid while in move elephants 

Scores were horses with long manes.

 

Strolled all over deer in heat

So the sentries on their beat.

 

In spite of the vigil they kept

Threw Hanuman wool in their eyes.