Shloka 26
सप्तदशः सर्गः
Hanuman Beholds Sita in the Ashoka Grove
मलिनेन तु वस्त्रेण परिक्लिष्टेन भामिनीम्।।।।संवृतां मृगशाबाक्षीं ददर्श हनुमान् कपिः।तां देवीं दीनवदनामदीनां भर्तृतेजसा।।।।रक्षितां स्वेन शीलेन सीतामसितलोचनाम्।
malinena tu vastreṇa parikliṣṭena bhāminīm | saṃvṛtāṃ mṛgaśābākṣīṃ dadarśa hanumān kapiḥ || 5.17.26 ||
മലിനവും ജീർണ്ണവുമായ വസ്ത്രം ധരിച്ച് മൂടപ്പെട്ട, മാൻകുഞ്ഞുപോലെയുള്ള കണ്ണുകളുള്ള ആ മനോഹരിയായ ഭാമിനിയെ വാനരനായ ഹനുമാൻ കണ്ടു.
Hanuman saw the fawneyed lady clad in crushed and soiled clothes with a pathetic face. She felt no dejection when she thought of her husband's prowess. The blackeyed beauty was protected by her own chastity.
FAQs
The verse foregrounds empathy toward the oppressed: dharma requires recognizing suffering and responding with compassionate duty, which motivates Hanumān’s mission.
Hanumān’s search culminates in a direct sighting of Sītā, confirming her hardship through her clothing and appearance.
Hanumān’s attentive compassion and resolve; Sītā’s quiet endurance is implied.