Shloka 12

सप्तदशः सर्गः

Hanuman Beholds Sita in the Ashoka Grove

Devanagari script

विकृताः पिङ्गलाः कालीः क्रोधनाः कलहप्रियाः।कालायसमहाशूलकूटमुद्गरधारिणीः।।5.17.9।।वराहमृगशार्दूलमहिषाजशिवामुखीः।गजोष्ट्रहयपादीश्च निखातशिरसोऽपराः।।5.17.10।।एकहस्तैकपादाश्च खरकर्ण्यश्वकर्णिकाः।गोकर्णीर्हस्तिकर्णीश्च हरिकर्णीस्तथापराः।।5.17.11।।अनासा अतिनासाश्च तिर्यङ्नासा विनासिकाः।गजसन्निभनासाश्च ललाटोच्छवासनासिकाः।।5.17.12।।हस्तिपादा महापादा गोपादाः पादचूलिकाः।अतिमात्रशिरोग्रीवा अतिमात्रकुचोदरीः।।5.17.13।।अतिमात्रास्यनेत्राश्च दीर्घजिह्वानखास्तथा।अजामुखीर्हस्तिमुखीर्गोमुखीस्सूकरीमुखीः।।5.17.14।।हयोष्ट्रखरवक्त्राश्च राक्षसीर्घोरदर्शनाः।शूलमुद्गरहस्ताश्च क्रोधनाः कलहप्रियाः।।5.17.15।।कराला धूम्रकेशीश्च राक्षसीर्विकृताननाः।पिबन्ती: सततं पानं सदा मांससुराप्रियाः।।5.17.16।।मांसशोणितदिग्धाङ्गीर्मांसशोणितभोजनाः।ता ददर्श कपिश्रेष्ठो रोमहर्षणदर्शनाः।।5.17.17।।स्कन्धवन्तमुपासीनाः परिवार्य वनस्पतिम्।

Transliteration

anāsā atināsāś ca tiryaṅnāsā vināsikāḥ |

gajasannibhanāsāś ca lalāṭocchvāsanāsikāḥ ||5.17.12||

Translation

ചിലർ മൂക്കില്ലാത്തവരായിരുന്നു; ചിലർക്കു അതിവലുതായ മൂക്ക്; ചിലർക്കു വശത്തേക്ക് തിരിഞ്ഞ മൂക്ക്; ചിലർ നാസാരന്ധ്രമില്ലാത്തവർ. ചിലർക്കു ആനത്തുമ്പുപോലെയുള്ള മൂക്ക്; ചിലർക്കു നെറ്റിയിൽ തന്നെ നാസാരന്ധ്രങ്ങളുണ്ടെന്നപോലെ ശ്വസനം തോന്നി.

Word by Word

अनासाःnoseless

अतिनासाःvery large-nosed

चand

तिर्यङ्नासाःcrooked/sideways-nosed

विनासिकाःwith defective noses

गजसन्निभनासाःelephant-like-nosed

चand

ललाटोच्छ्वासनासिकाःwith breathing-nostrils on the forehead

Context

Hanuman, the leader of the monkeys saw there shedemons 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 elephantfeet, 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 crowbars 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.

Characters & Entities

rākṣasī

gaja (elephant)

FAQs

What is the narrative purpose of describing the rākṣasīs in such grotesque detail here?

It heightens the moral contrast: Laṅkā under adharma is portrayed as fearsome and distorted, while Hanumān’s steadfastness in dharma enables him to observe calmly and continue his satya-driven mission of finding Sītā.

How does this verse relate to dharma and satya, even though it is descriptive?

The verse supports satya by giving an unembellished account of the environment Hanumān must navigate, and it supports dharma by framing Laṅkā’s guardians as embodiments of violent, unrighteous conduct—setting the ethical backdrop for Hanumān’s disciplined, righteous action.