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.