The Wonder of Pushpaka

Shloka 1 (sundara.7.1)

स वेश्मजालं बलवान् ददर्श व्यासक्तवैदूर्यसुवर्णजालम् । यथा महत्प्रावृषि मेघजालं विद्युत्पिनद्धं सविहङ्गजालम् ॥ 7.1 ॥

sa veśmajālaṃ balavān dadarśa vyāsaktavaidūryasuvarṇajālam | yathā mahatprāvṛṣi meghajālaṃ vidyutpinaddhaṃ savihaṅgajālam || 7.1 ||

The mighty Hanuman saw a mass of mansions inset with cat's-eye gems and gold, like a great mass of monsoon clouds threaded with lightning and thronged with flocks of birds.

Shloka 2 (sundara.7.2)

निवेशनानां विविधाश्च शालाः प्रधानशङ्खायुधचापशालाः । मनोहराश्चापि पुनर्विशाला ददर्श वेश्माद्रिषु चन्द्रशालाः ॥ 7.2 ॥

niveśanānāṃ vividhāśca śālāḥ pradhānaśaṅkhāyudhacāpaśālāḥ | manoharāścāpi punarviśālā dadarśa veśmādriṣu candraśālāḥ || 7.2 ||

He saw the many halls of those mansions — chief armories stocked with conches, weapons and bows — and, atop those mountain-like buildings, spacious, enchanting moon-terraces.

Shloka 3 (sundara.7.3)

गृहाणि नानावसुराजितानि देवासुरैश्चापि सुपूजितानि । सर्वैश्च दोषैः परिवर्जितानि कपिर्ददर्श स्वबलार्जितानि ॥ 7.3 ॥

gṛhāṇi nānāvasurājitāni devāsuraiścāpi supūjitāni | sarvaiśca doṣaiḥ parivarjitāni kapirdadarśa svabalārjitāni || 7.3 ||

The monkey saw houses resplendent with manifold riches, honoured even by gods and demons, free from every flaw, won by their owners' own valour.

Shloka 4 (sundara.7.4)

तानि प्रयत्नाभिसमाहितानि मयेन साक्षादिव निर्मितानि । महीतले सर्वगुणोत्तराणि ददर्श लंकाधिपतेर्गृहाणि ॥ 7.4 ॥

tāni prayatnābhisamāhitāni mayena sākṣādiva nirmitāni | mahītale sarvaguṇottarāṇi dadarśa laṃkādhipatergṛhāṇi || 7.4 ||

He saw the houses of Lanka's lord, built with great and careful effort, as if fashioned by Maya himself, the finest on earth in every excellence.

Shloka 5 (sundara.7.5)

ततो ददर्शोच्छ्रितमेघरूपं मनोहरं काञ्चनचारुरूपम् । रक्षोऽधिपस्यात्मबलानुरूपं गृहोत्तमं ह्यप्रतिरूपरूपम् ॥ 7.5 ॥

tato dadarśocchritamegharūpaṃ manoharaṃ kāñcanacārurūpam | rakṣo'dhipasyātmabalānurūpaṃ gṛhottamaṃ hyapratirūparūpam || 7.5 ||

Then he saw the supreme house — soaring like a cloud, enchanting, beautifully golden in form, matching the very might of the rakshasa lord, its splendour beyond compare.

Shloka 6 (sundara.7.6)

महीतले स्वर्गमिव प्रकीर्णं श्रिया ज्वलन्तं बहुरत्नकीर्णम् । नानातरूणां कुसुमावकीर्णं गिरेरिवाग्रं रजसावकीर्णम् ॥ 7.6 ॥

mahītale svargamiva prakīrṇaṃ śriyā jvalantaṃ bahuratnakīrṇam | nānātarūṇāṃ kusumāvakīrṇaṃ girerivāgraṃ rajasāvakīrṇam || 7.6 ||

Like heaven itself set down upon the earth, blazing with splendour, strewn with countless jewels, scattered over with the blossoms of many trees — like a mountain peak strewn with pollen.

Shloka 7 (sundara.7.7)

नारीप्रवेकैरिव दीप्यमानं तडिद्भिरम्भोधरमर्च्यमानम् । हंसप्रवेकैरिव वाह्यमानं श्रिया युतं खे सुकृतं विमानम् ॥ 7.7 ॥

nārīpravekairiva dīpyamānaṃ taḍidbhirambhodharamarcyamānam | haṃsapravekairiva vāhyamānaṃ śriyā yutaṃ khe sukṛtaṃ vimānam || 7.7 ||

That splendid aerial car, well-wrought, hung in the sky adorned with glory — glowing as though with the finest of women, as a rain-cloud is honoured by lightning, and seeming borne along as if by the finest of swans.

Shloka 8 (sundara.7.8)

यथा नगाग्रं बहुधातुचित्रं यथा नभश्च ग्रहचन्द्रचित्रम् । ददर्श युक्तीकृतचारुमेघ- चित्रं विमानं बहुरत्नचित्रम् ॥ 7.8 ॥

yathā nagāgraṃ bahudhātucitraṃ yathā nabhaśca grahacandracitram | dadarśa yuktīkṛtacārumegha- citraṃ vimānaṃ bahuratnacitram || 7.8 ||

He saw that aerial car, wondrous with countless gems, wrought with lovely artificial clouds, resembling a mountain peak bright with many minerals, or the sky adorned with planets and moon.

Shloka 9 (sundara.7.9)

मही कृता पर्वतराजिपूर्णा शैलाः कृता वृक्षवितानपूर्णाः । वृक्षाः कृताः पुष्पवितानपूर्णाः पुष्पं कृतं केसरपत्रपूर्णम् ॥ 7.9 ॥

mahī kṛtā parvatarājipūrṇā śailāḥ kṛtā vṛkṣavitānapūrṇāḥ | vṛkṣāḥ kṛtāḥ puṣpavitānapūrṇāḥ puṣpaṃ kṛtaṃ kesarapatrapūrṇam || 7.9 ||

There was fashioned an earth full of ranges of mountains; mountains full of canopies of trees; trees full of canopies of flowers; and flowers full of filaments and petals.

Shloka 10 (sundara.7.10)

कृतानि वेश्मानि च पाण्डुराणि तथा सुपुष्पाण्यपि पुष्कराणि । पुनश्च पद्मानि सकेसराणि वनानि चित्राणि सरोवराणि ॥ 7.10 ॥

kṛtāni veśmāni ca pāṇḍurāṇi tathā supuṣpāṇyapi puṣkarāṇi | punaśca padmāni sakesarāṇi vanāni citrāṇi sarovarāṇi || 7.10 ||

White mansions too were fashioned there, and lotus-pools rich with lovely blossoms, and lotuses with their filaments, and wondrous woodlands and lakes.

Shloka 11 (sundara.7.11)

पुष्पाह्वयं नाम विराजमानं रत्नप्रभाभिश्च विघूर्णमानम् । वेश्मोत्तमानामपि चोच्चमानं महाकपिस्तत्र महाविमानम् ॥ 7.11 ॥

puṣpāhvayaṃ nāma virājamānaṃ ratnaprabhābhiśca vighūrṇamānam | veśmottamānāmapi coccamānaṃ mahākapistatra mahāvimānam || 7.11 ||

There the great monkey saw that great aerial car named Pushpaka, resplendent, shimmering with the radiance of gems, towering even above the finest mansions.

Shloka 12 (sundara.7.12)

कृताश्च वैदूर्यमया विहङ्गा रूप्यप्रवालैश्च तथा विहङ्गाः । चित्राश्च नानावसुभिर्भुजङ्गा जात्यानुरूपास्तुरगाः शुभाङ्गाः ॥ 7.12 ॥

kṛtāśca vaidūryamayā vihaṅgā rūpyapravālaiśca tathā vihaṅgāḥ | citrāśca nānāvasubhirbhujaṅgā jātyānurūpāsturagāḥ śubhāṅgāḥ || 7.12 ||

There were birds fashioned of cat's-eye gems, and birds of silver and coral; serpents wondrously wrought of many kinds of wealth; and beautiful-limbed horses true to their breed.

Shloka 13 (sundara.7.13)

प्रवालजाम्बूनदपुष्पपक्षाः सलीलमावर्जितजिह्मपक्षाः । कामस्य साक्षादिव भान्ति पक्षाः कृता विहङ्गाः सुमुखाः सुपक्षाः ॥ 7.13 ॥

pravālajāmbūnadapuṣpapakṣāḥ salīlamāvarjitajihmapakṣāḥ | kāmasya sākṣādiva bhānti pakṣāḥ kṛtā vihaṅgāḥ sumukhāḥ supakṣāḥ || 7.13 ||

Birds with wings of coral and gold-set blossoms, their curved wings playfully inclined, lovely of face and wing, shone as though they were the very wings of the god of love himself.

Shloka 14 (sundara.7.14)

नियुज्यमानाश्च गजाः सुहस्ताः सकेसराश्चोत्पलपत्रहस्ताः । बभूव देवी च कृतासुहस्ता लक्ष्मीस्तथा पद्मिनि पद्महस्ता ॥ 7.14 ॥

niyujyamānāśca gajāḥ suhastāḥ sakesarāścotpalapatrahastāḥ | babhūva devī ca kṛtāsuhastā lakṣmīstathā padmini padmahastā || 7.14 ||

Elephants with graceful trunks were set there, holding lotus-petals and filaments in their trunks; and there stood the image of the goddess Lakshmi, seated on a lotus, lotus in hand.

Shloka 15 (sundara.7.15)

इतीव तद्गृहमभिगम्य शोभनं सविस्मयो नगमिव चारुकन्दरम् । पुनश्च तत्परमसुगन्धि सुन्दरं हिमात्यये नगमिव चारुकन्दरम् ॥ 7.15 ॥

itīva tada‍gṛhamabhigamya śobhanaṃ savismayo nagamiva cārukandaram | punaśca tatparamasugandhi sundaraṃ himātyaye nagamiva cārukandaram || 7.15 ||

Thus approaching that resplendent house in wonder — like a beautiful mountain with lovely caves — and again that supremely fragrant, beautiful place, like a mountain with lovely caves at winter's end.

Shloka 16 (sundara.7.16)

ततः स तां कपिरभिपत्य पूजितां चरन् पुरीं दशमुखबाहुपालिताम् । अदृश्य तां जनकसुतां सुपूजितां सुदुःखितां पतिगुणवेगनिर्जिताम् ॥ 7.16 ॥

tataḥ sa tāṃ kapirabhipatya pūjitāṃ caran purīṃ daśamukhabāhupālitām | adṛśya tāṃ janakasutāṃ supūjitāṃ suduḥkhitāṃ patiguṇaveganirjitām || 7.16 ||

Then that monkey, having reached and moved about that revered city guarded by the arms of the ten-faced one, failed to see Janaka's daughter — revered by all, deeply grieving, yet ever conquered anew by devotion to her husband's virtues.

Shloka 17 (sundara.7.17)

ततस्तदा बहुविधभावितात्मनः कृतात्मनो जनकसुतां सुवर्त्मनः । अपश्यतोऽभवदतिदुःखितं मनः सचक्षुषः प्रविचरतो महात्मनः ॥ 7.17 ॥

tatastadā bahuvidhabhāvitātmanaḥ kṛtātmano janakasutāṃ suvartmanaḥ | apaśyato'bhavadatiduḥkhitaṃ manaḥ sacakṣuṣaḥ pravicarato mahātmanaḥ || 7.17 ||

Then, of that great-souled one — his mind disciplined in many ways, self-controlled, walking the righteous path, his eyes keenly searching as he ranged about — the mind grew exceedingly sorrowful at not finding Janaka's daughter.