Shloka 18
निर्धूतकेशी युवतिर्यथा मृदितवर्णका।निष्पीतशुभदन्तोष्ठी नखैर्दन्तैश्च विक्षता।।।।तथा लाङ्गूलहस्तैश्च चरणाभ्यां च मर्दिता।बभूवाशोकवनिका प्रभग्नवरपादपा।।।।
nirdhūtakeśī yuvatir yathā mṛditavarṇakā |
niṣpītaśubhadantoṣṭhī nakhair dantaiś ca vikṣatā ||
tathā lāṅgūlahastaiś ca caraṇābhyāṃ ca marditā |
babhūvāśokavanikā prabhagnavarapādapā ||
Crushed and trampled by Hanumān’s tail, hands, and feet, the Aśoka grove—its finest trees broken—looked like a young woman with hair disheveled, her vermilion mark smeared away, her bright teeth and lips bruised by kisses, and her body scratched by nails and teeth.
The garden of Ashoka with trees shattered and crushed by Hanuman's tail, hands and feet, appeared like a woman with dishevelled hair, with her vermilion mark effaced, her bright teeth and lips faded for being kissed and wounded with nails and bitten with teeth (by her lover).
FAQs
It raises the dharmic question of force: even when acting for a righteous end, one must remain conscious of collateral harm. The epic often balances necessary strength with the ideal of restraint.
Hanumān’s vigorous movement and trampling break and crush parts of the Aśoka grove, and the narrator compares the grove’s disarray to a disheveled young woman.
Dauntless capability (śakti/vīrya), while implicitly inviting reflection on self-control (dama) within righteous action.