“Meditating on Shri Rama, who has Janaki to His left and Lakshmana to His right, brings all auspiciousness and is your wish-fulfilling tree, O Tulsi.” (Dohavali, 1) rāma bāma disi jānakī lakhana dāhinī ora| dhyāna sakala kalyānamaya surataru tulasī tora… Read More ›
“As if lending assistance to him [Hanuman], the moon, with its many thousands of rays, arose in the sky in the midst of a host of stars and covered the earth with a canopy of its light.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara… Read More ›
“He [Hanuman] entered the famous city, which had rows of white interlaced buildings and valuable golden archways, and was ruled by the arms of Ravana and fully guarded by ogres of terrible might.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.56) sa pāṇḍurodviddhavimānamālinīṃ… Read More ›
“Beholding Lanka, which was unimaginable and had an amazing appearance, that great monkey [maha-kapi] became morose and also delighted, as he was very much anxious to see Vaidehi.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.55) acintyāmadbhutākārāṃ dṛṣṭvā laṅkāṃ mahākapiḥ | āsīdviṣṇḍo hṛṣṭaśca… Read More ›
“And wonderful golden archways belonging to the Rakshasas everywhere illuminated the well-decorated city of Lanka.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.54) kāñcanāni ca citrāṇi toraṇāni ca rakśasām | laṅkāmuddyotayāmāsuḥ sarvataḥ samalaṃkṛtām It’s ironic that the entryway into a city filled with… Read More ›
“He [Hanuman] saw in that great city seven and eight story buildings inlaid with crystal and decorated with gold. Those houses of the Rakshasas shone brightly with their surfaces studded with vaidurya gems and decorated with strings of pearls.” (Valmiki… Read More ›
“Having made up his mind thus, that heroic monkey, Hanuman, eager to see Vaidehi, wished for the sun to set.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.48) iti saṃcintya hanumān sūryasyāstamayaṃ kapiḥ | ācakāṃkśe tato vīro vaidehyā draśanotusakaḥ One who knows the… Read More ›
“Entering at night the city ruled by Ravana, which is very difficult to approach, and searching inside every palace, I shall find the daughter of Janaka.” (Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.47) rāvaṇasya purīṃ rātrau praviśya sudurāsadām | vicinvan bhavanaṃ… Read More ›
“It is my thinking that not even the wind can pass through here unnoticed. Certainly there is nothing here that is unknown to the mighty Rakshasas.” (Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.44) vāyurapyatra nājñātaścarediti matirmama | na hyastyaviditaṃ kiṃcidrākśasānāṃ balīyasām… Read More ›
“If I am seen by the Rakshasas, then this work performed on behalf of Rama, who is self-realized and desires the destruction of Ravana, would go for naught.” (Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.42) mayi dṛṣṭe tu rakśobhī rāmasya viditātmanaḥ… Read More ›