Hanuman, having entered the inner palace, reached a raised platform and took shelter behind a finely wrought balustrade. From this hidden vantage, the great monkey gazed intently upon the intoxicated tiger among rakshasas—Ravana himself. There, before Hanuman’s eyes, the splendid bed of the rakshasa king shone with brilliance, appearing like a great waterfall, with a noble elephant resting beside it. As Ravana slept, his mighty arms—adorned with golden armlets—were flung out wide, resembling the banners of Indra himself. The arms of this great-souled king bore scars from elephant tusks, were broad as if shaped by a thunderbolt, and marked with symbols like Vishnu’s discus. Massive and strong, they seemed carved for power. Hanuman saw those arms: thick, perfectly formed, joined together and full of strength, the nails and thumbs beautiful, and adorned with rings. Pressed together, shaped like iron clubs, round like elephant trunks, they lay outstretched on the bright bed, reminiscent of two five-headed serpents. They were anointed with cool, fragrant, and precious sandalwood paste, shining as if they bore the moon’s own glow. These arms, often pressed and caressed by the finest women, were anointed with exquisite perfumes and frequented by Yakṣas, serpents, Gandharvas, gods, and even the best of Dānavas. Hanuman beheld these arms lying on the couch, appearing like two great serpents, sleeping in the hollow of Mandara mountain, coiled in power and rage. With those two full arms, the lord of the rakshasas—massive as a mountain—shone like Mandara itself with its twin peaks. The air was fragrant with the scents of mango, campaka, and bakula, mingled with the aromas of fine foods and drinks. From the great mouth of that king of rakshasas, as he slept, his breath issued forth, as if filling the entire house. Ravana’s head was adorned with a crown, splendid with pearls and jewels, slightly askew, his face shining with radiant earrings. His chest, broad and full, was smeared with red sandalwood and adorned with a beautiful necklace, standing out in his grandeur. Pale, scattered silk covered his wounded side, and he was draped in a costly yellow upper garment. Breathing deeply like a serpent, his dark form resembled a heap of black beans, lying at the edge of the great Ganges like a sleeping elephant. Four golden lamps illuminated him from all directions, making his whole body shine like a raincloud lit by flashes of lightning. At his feet, Hanuman saw the wives of that great-souled lord of the rakshasas. These women, beloved by their husband, rested in the palace, their faces shining like the moon, adorned with splendid earrings, their garlands and ornaments fresh and unwithered. The monkey chief beheld them—skilled in dance and music, some seated on the arms of the king, adorned with fine ornaments, now resting in sleep. At the ends of the women's ears Hanuman saw earrings and armlets of gold, set with diamonds and cat's-eye gems. With faces like the moon, adorned with lovely earrings, the palace itself shone like the night sky studded with stars. Exhausted by wine and play, these slender-waisted women lay asleep in various places. One, skilled in dance, lay with her limbs gracefully arranged, her beautiful body displayed, radiant in her fine complexion. Another, embracing a lute, slept like a lotus clinging to a raft on a great river. A dark-eyed woman, lying with a drum at her side, shone like a loving mother with her child. One with beautiful limbs and lovely breasts lay sleeping, her drum set aside, as if a passionate lover, after long union, embraced her beloved. A lotus-eyed woman, embracing her lute, slept as a woman would, holding her dearest beloved, her desires fulfilled. Another, devoted to dance, holding her vipanchī, had fallen asleep like a radiant woman with her lover. One, her eyes intoxicated, slept with her limbs gently and beautifully striking a drum that shone like gold. A slender-waisted, blameless woman, exhausted from intoxication, lay with a small drum between her arms and at her side. Another, attached to her drum, lay asleep embracing it, just as a radiant woman would embrace her young calf. A lotus-eyed woman, her mind deluded by intoxication, lay asleep, pressing a tambourine, crushed in the embrace of her arms. Another, radiant, having cast aside her pitcher, lay like a garlanded creeper in spring, cleansed and adorned with flowers. One young woman, overcome by sleep, lay embracing her breasts with both hands, which were like golden pitchers. Another, lotus-eyed, her face like the full moon, lay embracing another shapely-hipped woman, overwhelmed by intoxication. Noble women, embracing various musical instruments, lay asleep, pressing them to their breasts as lovers would their beloveds. Among all these women, lying apart on a splendid couch, Hanuman saw a woman of surpassing beauty. Adorned with ornaments set with pearls and gems, she seemed to enhance the palace with her own radiance. There, Hanuman saw Mandodari, fair as gold, the cherished queen of the inner chambers, lying in beauty.