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[Hanuman experiences the presence of ogresses hiding on the Simsupa tree.]

tataḥ kamudaṣaṇḍābhō nirmalaṅ nirmalōdayaḥ.

prajagāma nabhaścandrō haṅsō nīlamivōdakam৷৷5.17.1৷৷


tataḥ thereafter, kumudaṣaṇḍābhaḥ shining like a bed of lilies, nirmalōdayaḥ risen stainless, candraḥ Moon, haṅsaḥ swan, nīlam blue, udakam iva like water, nirmalam clear, nabhaḥ sky, prajagāma reached.

Then the Moon shining like a bed of lilies rose stainless, ascended the clear sky and looked like a swan swimming through blue water.
sācivyamiva kurvan sa prabhayā nirmalaprabhaḥ.

candramā raśmibhiśśītaissiṣēvē pavanātmajam৷৷5.17.2৷৷


nirmalaprabhaḥ clear light, saḥ candramāḥ the Moon, prabhayā by his brightness, sācivyam ministered, kurvanniva like one who wished to render, śītaiḥ with cool, raśmibhi: rays, pavanātmajam son of the Wind-god, siṣēvē refreshed.

The Moon shed clear light-as if with his brightness and his cool rays he wished to refresh the son of the Wind-god.
sa dadarśa tataḥ sītāṅ pūrṇacandranibhānanām.

śōkabhārairiva nyastāṅ bhārairnāvamivāmbhasi৷৷5.17.3৷৷


tataḥ then, saḥ he, pūrṇacandranibhānanām whose face was like the full-moon, bhāraiḥ with heavy, ambhasi in water, nyastām placed, nāvamiva like the boat, śōkabhāraiḥ under the burden of sorrow, iva as if, sītām at Sita, dadarśa saw.

Then he saw Sita whose face shone like the full-moon. But she was as though sinking
under the burden of sorrow, like a boat with heavy load sinking in water.
didṛkṣamāṇō vaidēhīṅ hanumānmārutātmajaḥ.

sa dadarśāvidūrasthā rākṣasīrghōradarśanāḥ৷৷5.17.4৷৷

ēkākṣīmēkakarṇāṅ ca karṇaprāvaraṇāṅ tathā.

akarṇāṅ śaṅkukarṇāṅ ca mastakōcchvāsanāsikām৷৷5.17.5৷৷

atikāyōttamāṅgīṅ ca tanudīrghaśirōdharām.

dhvastakēśīṅ tathā.kēśīṅ kēśakambaladhāriṇīm৷৷5.17.6৷৷

lambakarṇalalāṭāṅ ca lambōdarapayōdharām.

lambōṣṭhīṅ cubukōṣṭhīṅ ca lambāsyāṅ lambajānukām৷৷5.17.7৷৷

hrasvāṅ dīrghāṅ tathā kubjāṅ vikaṭāṅ vāmanāṅ tathā.

karālāṅ bhugnavaktrāṅ ca piṅgākṣīṅ vikṛtānanām৷৷5.17.8৷৷


vaidēhīm at Vaidehi, didṛkṣamāṇaḥ eager to see, mārutātmajaḥ son of the Wind-god, saḥ hanumān that Hanuman, avidūrasthāḥ close by, ghōradarśanāḥ of dreadful appearance, rākṣasīḥ she-demons, dadarśa saw, ēkākṣīm one-eyed ogress, ēkakarṇāṅ ca one ogress having one ear, tathā so also, karṇaprāvaraṇām ears covering the body, akarṇām without ears, śaṅkukarṇāṅ ca with pointed ears, mastakōcchavāsanāsikām one was breathing through the nose on head, tanudīrghaśirōdharām one having thin and long neck, dhvastakēśīm one whose hair had eroded, tathā likewise, akēśīm one hairless, kēśakambaladhāriṇīm another who had hair covering like a blanket, lambakarṇalalāṭāṅ ca with ears hanging on the forehead, lambōṣṭhīm with hanging big lips, cubukōṣṭhīṅ ca one with lips extending up to chin, lambāsyām one with a long face, lambajānukām one with long knees sticking out, hrasvām a pigmy, dīrghām a tall one, tathā likewise, kubjām a hump-backed, vikaṭām of ugly looks, vāmanām one dwarf, tathā similarly, karālām one having a gaping mouth, bhugnavaktrāṅ ca one with distorted face, piṅgākṣīm one with brown eyes, vikṛtānanām one of deformed face.

While Hanuman was eager to observe Sita he saw many she-demons in ugly appearance close by her. One of them was one-eyed, another with a single ear, a third had ears covering the body, yet another had pointed (spike-like) ears, one was breathing through the nose on the head, one had long thin neck, one was hairless another had hair covering like a blanket. One of them had hanging ears on the forehead, another had big hanging lips, still another had long lips hanging up to the chin. So also one had protruding knees, one stunted, one tall, another had lips extending up to her chin, yet another was long-faced and another had long knees. There was one pigmy, one tall, one was hump-backed and another a dwarf.Similarly an ugly looking one, another with gaping mouth, still another with a distorted face, one with yellow eyes and one of deformed face were seen.
vikṛtāḥ piṅgalāḥ kālīḥ krōdhanāḥ kalahapriyāḥ.

kālāyasamahāśūlakūṭamudgaradhāriṇīḥ৷৷5.17.9৷৷

varāhamṛgaśārdūlamahiṣājaśivāmukhīḥ.

gajōṣṭrahayapādīśca nikhātaśirasō.parāḥ৷৷5.17.10৷৷

ēkahastaikapādāśca kharakarṇyaśvakarṇikāḥ.

gōkarṇīrhastikarṇīśca harikarṇīstathāparāḥ৷৷5.17.11৷৷

anāsā atināsāśca tiryaṅnāsā vināsikāḥ.

gajasannibhanāsāśca lalāṭōcchavāsanāsikāḥ৷৷5.17.12৷৷

hastipādā mahāpādā gōpādāḥ pādacūlikāḥ.

atimātraśirōgrīvā atimātrakucōdarīḥ৷৷5.17.13৷৷

atimātrāsyanētrāśca dīrghajihvānakhāstathā.

ajāmukhīrhastimukhīrgōmukhīssūkarīmukhīḥ৷৷5.17.14৷৷

hayōṣṭrakharavaktrāśca rākṣasīrghōradarśanāḥ.

śūlamudgarahastāśca krōdhanāḥ kalahapriyāḥ৷৷5.17.15৷৷

karālā dhūmrakēśīśca rākṣasīrvikṛtānanāḥ.

pibantī: satataṅ pānaṅ sadā māṅsasurāpriyāḥ৷৷5.17.16৷৷

māṅsaśōṇitadigdhāṅgīrmāṅsaśōṇitabhōjanāḥ.

tā dadarśa kapiśrēṣṭhō rōmaharṣaṇadarśanāḥ৷৷5.17.17৷৷

skandhavantamupāsīnāḥ parivārya vanaspatim.


vikṛtāḥ of disfigured body, piṅgalāḥ brown-hued, kālīḥ dark, krōdhanāḥ angry, kalahapriyāḥ quarrelsome, kālāyasamahāśūlakūṭamudgaradhāriṇīḥ holding spears, mallets and war-hammers of black iron, varāhamṛgaśārdūlamahiṣājaśivāmukhīḥ having faces like boar, deer, tiger buffalo, goat, jackal, gajōṣṭrahayapādīḥ ca with feet like those of elephants, camels and horses, nikhātaśirasaḥ head sunk into the trunk , aparāḥ others, ēkahastaikapādāśca some having one hand and one leg, kharakarṇyaśvakarṇikāḥ some having ears of a donkey or horse, gōkarṇīḥ women with ears like cow's, hastikarṇīśca those with elephant ears, tathā likewise, harikarṇī: having ears like that of monkeys, aparāḥ and others, anāsāḥ without nose, atināsāśca with a big nose, tiryaṅnāsāḥ with crooked, flat, horizontal nose, vināsikāḥ nose without nostrils, gajasannibhanāsāśca with the nose of an elephant, lalāṭōcchvāsanāsikāḥ with nostrils on the forehead, hastipādāḥ with elephant feet, mahāpādāḥ with huge feet, gōpādāḥ with feet like cows' hoofs, pādacūlikāḥ with hair grown on feet, atimātraśirōgrīvāḥ having huge head and neck, atimātrakucōdarīḥ having heavy breasts, bellies, atimātrāsyanētrāśca having large and uneven mouths and eyes, dīrghajihvānakhāḥ having long nails and tongues, tathā similarly, ajāmukhīḥ having goat's face, hastimukhīḥ having elephant face, gōmukhīḥ cow's face, sūkarīmukhīḥ women with faces of a pig, hayōṣṭrakharavaktrāśca like the face of a horse, a camel or a donkey, ghōradarśanāḥ women of terrific form, rākṣasīḥ she-demons, śūlamudgarahastāśca armed with iron crow-bars and tridents, krōdhanāḥ angry ones, kalahapriyāḥ quarrelsome, karālāḥ with uneven gaping mouths, dhūmrakēśīśca with smoke-coloured hair, vikṛtānanāḥ having distorted faces, satatam ever, pānam drink, pibantī: drinking, sadā always, māṅsasurāpriyāḥ women fond of meat and drinks, māṅsaśōṇitadigdhāṅgīḥ whose bodies were smeared with blood and flesh, māṅsaśōṇitabhōjanāḥ who feed on flesh and blood, rōmaharṣaṇadarśanāḥ who look horripilating, skandhavantam with a massive trunk, vanaspatim of tree, parivārya having surrounded, upāsīnāḥ seated, tāḥ those, rākṣasīḥ female demons, kapiśrēṣṭhaḥ best of the monkeys, dadarśa saw.

Hanuman, the leader of the monkeys saw there she-demons of several distorted forms. Some were brown in colour and some black and some quarrelsome some holding spears, mallets and hammers of black iron, some with faces like boars, deer, tigers, goats and jackals; feet like those of elephants, camels and horses, some had their head sunk into the trunk, others having one hand or one leg; likewise some having ears like that of a donkey or a horse or a cow; some with elephant ears and some with monkey ears; some with big nose, without nose,with crooked nose and some without nostrils breathing through their forehead; and some with the trunk of an elephant. Some with elephant-feet, with huge feet, and feet like that of cows and some with hair on their feet. There were some with huge heads and necks, some having large breasts, bellies, some with hanging breasts, and some with long nails and tongues. Similarly there were some having faces of goats, mouths of horses, camels or donkeys. They were terrifying, armed with iron crow-bars and tridents. Some were wrathful, some with uneven gaping mouth, and some with smoky hair and distorted faces. They were always found drinking, smeared with flesh and blood and feeding on flesh and blood. Their appearance was horripilating. All of them were seated around the trunk of massive tree.
tasyādhastācca tāṅ dēvīṅ rājaputrīmaninditām৷৷5.17.18৷৷

lakṣayāmāsa lakṣmīvān hanumān janakātmajām.


lakṣmīvān illustrious, hanumān Hanuman, tasya of that, adhastāt under that (tree), rājaputrīm princess, janakātmajām Janaka's daughter, aninditām blameless, tāṅ dēvīm that queen, lakṣayāmāsa watched her.

The illustrious Hanuman watched the blameless princess Janaki who was seated under that tree.
niṣprabhāṅ śōkasantaptāṅ malasaṅkulamūrdhajām৷৷5.17.19৷৷

kṣīṇapuṇyāṅ cyutāṅ bhūmau tārāṅ nipatitāmiva.


niṣprabhām lady shorn of lustre, śōkasantaptān tromented with grief, malasaṅkulamūrdhajām with dishevelled filled with dust, kṣīṇapuṇyām merits exhausted, cyutām slipped, bhūmau on the land, nipatitām fallen, tārāmiva like meteor.

Shorn of lustre, unkempt hair filled with dust, she appeared like a meteor slipped and fallen on land, merits exhausted.
cāritravyapadēśāḍhyāṅ bhartṛdarśanadurgatām৷৷5.17.20৷৷

bhūṣaṇairuttamairhīnāṅ bhartṛvātsalyabhūṣaṇām.


cāritravyapadēśāḍhyām having high reputation for her chastity, bhartṛdarśanadurgatām distressed, yearning to see her husband, uttamaiḥ excellent, bhūṣaṇaiḥ with ornaments, hīnām deprived, bhartṛvātsalya husband's love, bhūṣaṇām adorned.

She was rich by her reputation for chastity but poor as she yearned to see her husband. Though devoid of all excellent ornaments, she looked adorned with love for her husband.
rākṣasādhipasaṅruddhāṅ bandhubhiśca vinā kṛtām৷৷5.17.21৷৷

viyūthāṅ siṅhasaṅruddhāṅ baddhāṅ gajavadhūmiva.


rākṣasādhipasaṅruddhām besieged by the demon king, bandhubhiḥ vinā ca without near and dear, kṛtām done, viyūthām separated from its herd, siṅhasaṅruddhām besieged by lions, baddhām fettered, gajavadhūmiva like a female elephant.

Besieged by the demon king, deprived of her near and dear ones, Sita was looking like a fettered female elephant separated from its herd and besieged by lions.
candrarēkhāṅ payōdāntē śāradābhrairivāvṛtām৷৷5.17.22৷৷

kliṣṭarūpāmasaṅsparśādayuktāmiva vallakīm.


payōdāntē at the close of the rainy season, śāradābhraiḥ by the autumnal clouds, āvṛtām covered, candrarēkhāmiva like the crescent Moon, asaṅsparśāt being untouched, kliṣṭarūpām a lady in faint form, ayuktām not used, vallakīmiva like the lute.

She appeared like a streak (crescent) of Moon covered by autumnal clouds at the close of the rainy season. She looked haggard since she was out of contact with her husband- an unused lute with its strings let loose.
sītāṅ bhartṛvaśē yuktāmayuktāṅ rākṣasīvaśē৷৷5.17.23৷৷

aśōkavanikāmathyē śōkasāgaramāplutām.

tābhiḥ parivṛtāṅ tatra sagrahāmiva rōhiṇīm৷৷5.17.24৷৷

dadarśa hanumān dēvīṅ latāmakusumāmiva.


hanumān Hanuman, bhartṛvaśē under the hold of the husband, yuktām proper, rākṣasīvaśē fallen under the sway of she-demons, ayuktām not proper, aśōkavanikāmadhyē in the midst of Ashoka grove, śōkasāgaram ocean of sorrow, āplutām drowned, tatra there, tābhiḥ by the women, parivṛtām surrounded, sagrahām by unpropitious planets, rōhiṇīmiva like the Rohini, ākusumām without blossoming, latāmiva like the creeper, dēvīm noble lady, sītām Sita, dadarśa saw.

She deserves to be with Rama, but had fallen under the sway of she-demons. Sitting in the midst of Ashoka grove she was like a creeper without blossoms. Immersed in the ocean of sorrow the noble lady was like the star Rohini surrounded by unpropitious planets.
sā malēna ca digdhāṅgī vapuṣā cāpyalaṅkṛtā৷৷5.17.25৷৷

mṛṇālī paṅkadigdhēva vibhāti na vibhāti ca.


malēna with dirt, digdhāṅgī a lady with daubed limbs, vapuṣā cāpi her self, alaṅkṛtā decorated with ornaments, sā she, paṅkadigdhā lotus smeared with mud, mṛṇālīva a lotus fibre, vibhāti shines, na vibhāti ca had no brightness also.

Even though she was daubed with dirt, and had no ornaments on her, she looked bright like a lotus fibre smeared with mud.
malinēna tu vastrēṇa parikliṣṭēna bhāminīm৷৷5.17.26৷৷

saṅvṛtāṅ mṛgaśābākṣīṅ dadarśa hanumān kapiḥ.

tāṅ dēvīṅ dīnavadanāmadīnāṅ bhartṛtējasā৷৷5.17.27৷৷

rakṣitāṅ svēna śīlēna sītāmasitalōcanām.


kapiḥ vanara, hanumān Hanuman, parikliṣṭēna with a crushed, malinēna with a soiled, vastrēṇa with a cloth, saṅvṛtām covered, mṛgaśābākṣīm fawn-eyed lady, dīnavadanām a lady with a pathetic face, bhartṛtējasā with her husband's prowess, adīnām not dejected, svēna with her own, śīlēna character, conduct, rakṣitām protected, asitalōcanām black-eyed one, bhāminīm beautiful lady, tām her, dēvīṅ sītām devi Sita, dadarśa saw.

Hanuman saw the fawn-eyed lady clad in crushed and soiled clothes with a pathetic face. She felt no dejection when she thought of her husband's prowess. The black-eyed beauty was protected by her own chastity.
tāṅ dṛṣṭvā hanumān sītāṅ mṛgaśābanibhēkṣaṇām.

mṛgakanyāmiva trastāṅ vīkṣamāṇāṅ samantataḥ৷৷5.17.28৷৷

dahantīmiva niḥśvāsairvṛkṣān pallavadhāriṇaḥ.

saṅghātamiva śōkānāṅ duḥkhasyōrmimivōtthitām৷৷5.17.29৷৷


hanumān Hanuman, mṛgaśābanibhēkṣaṇām fawn-eyed one (doe-eyed), trastām frightened lady, mṛgakanyāmiva like a female deer, samantataḥ in all directions, vīkṣamāṇām was looking, pallavadhāriṇaḥ with sprouts, vṛkṣān trees, niḥśvāsaiḥ sighing,dahantīmiva as if burning, śōkānām of sorrows, saṅghātamiva like a mass, utthitām arisen, duḥkhasya sorrow's, ūrmimiva like a wave, utthitāṅ rise, tāṅ sītām that Sita, dṛṣṭvā seeing.

Seeing the fawn-eyed Sita, a frightened female deer looking all around (as if for some help) sighing hot breath, was as though burning the trees having tender leaves with her hot sighs. She looked like a collective mass of all sorrows, a high tide of suffering.
tāṅ kṣamāṅ suvibhaktāṅgī vinābharaṇaśōbhinīm৷৷5.17.30৷৷

praharṣamatulaṅ lēbhē mārutiḥ prēkṣya maithilīm.


kṣamām tolerant lady, suvibhaktāṅgīm a lady with beautiful limbs, vinābharaṇaśōbhinīm shining even though she did not wear (many) ornaments, tāṅ maithilīm that Mythili, prēkṣya on observing, mārutiḥ Maruti, atulam immeasuarable, praharṣam joy, lēbhē obtained.

She was a tolerant lady. She had beautiful limbs which looked splendid even though she was not wearing ornaments. Hanuman experienced immeasurable joy on seeing Mythili.
harṣajāni ca sō.śrūṇi tāṅ dṛṣṭvā madirēkṣaṇām.

mumucē hanumāṅstatra namaścakrē ca rāghavam৷৷5.17.31৷৷


hanumān Hanuman, madirēkṣaṇām with eyes intoxicating, tām her, tatra there, dṛṣṭvā seeing, harṣajāni arising due to joy, aśrūṇi tears, mumucē shed, rāghavam to Rama, namaścakrē ca paid obeisance.

Seeing that lady with eyes intoxicating, Hanuman shed tears of joy. At once he paid obeisance to Rama. (thinking he could trace Sita at last).
namaskṛtvā ca rāmāya lakṣmaṇāya ca vīryavān.

sītādarśanasaṅhṛṣṭō hanumān saṅvṛtō.bhavat৷৷5.17.32৷৷


sītādarśanasaṅhṛṣṭaḥ joyful for having seen Sita, vīryavān heroic one, hanumān Hanuman, rāmāya to Rama, lakṣmaṇāya ca and Lakshmana, namaskṛtvā having offered salutations, saṅvṛtaḥ covered himself, abhavat remained.

Heroic Hanuman felt happy when he saw Sita. He offered salutations to Rama and Lakshmana at heart and covered himself (with the leaves of the Simsupa tree) and waited.
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē sundarakāṇḍē saptadaśassargaḥ.
Thus ends the seventeenth sarga of Sundarakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.