Shloka 13

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

hastipādā mahāpādā gopādāḥ pādacūlikāḥ |

atimātraśirogrīvā atimātrakucodarīḥ ||5.17.13||

Translation

ചിലർക്കു ആനപാദങ്ങൾപോലെ പാദങ്ങൾ; ചിലർക്കു അതിവിശാലമായ പാദങ്ങൾ; ചിലർക്കു പശുവിന്റെ കുളമ്പുപോലെ പാദങ്ങൾ; ചിലർക്കു പാദങ്ങളിൽ തന്നേ രോമം വളർന്നിരുന്നു. ചിലർക്കു അതിപ്രമಾಣമായ ശിരസ്സും കഴുത്തും; ചിലർക്കു അത്യധികമായ സ്തനങ്ങളും ഉദരവും ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

हस्तिपादाः(women) having elephant-feet

महापादाःhaving huge feet

गोपादाःhaving cow-feet/hooves

पादचूलिकाःhaving tufts/hair on the feet

अतिमात्रशिरोग्रीवाःhaving excessively large head and neck

अतिमात्रकुचोदरीःhaving excessively large breasts and belly

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

Hanumān

Laṅkā

FAQs

Why does the Ramayana describe the rākṣasīs in such grotesque physical detail here?

The description builds the ethical atmosphere of Laṅkā under adharma: cruelty, intoxication, and violence appear outwardly as disorder and distortion, heightening the contrast with Sītā’s satya and śīla and with Hanumān’s disciplined dharma-driven mission.

What dharmic quality is highlighted by Hanumān encountering such terrifying beings without deviating from his task?

Hanumān exemplifies dhṛti (steadfastness) and satya to purpose: despite fearsome sights, he remains self-controlled and focused on righteous service—seeking Sītā and advancing Rāma’s cause without succumbing to anger, panic, or distraction.