अदृष्ट्वा किं प्रवक्ष्यामि तामहं जनकात्मजाम्। ध्रुवं प्रायमुपासिष्ये कालस्य व्यतिवर्तने
How can I speak to them without having seen Janaka’s daughter? Surely, I will undertake a fast unto death as time passes.
किं वा वक्ष्यति वृद्धश्च जाम्बवानंगदश्च सः। गतं पारं समुद्रस्य वानराश्च समागताः
What will the elder Jāmbavān and Aṅgada say, and the assembled monkeys, when I have crossed the ocean and returned?
अनिर्वेदः श्रियो मूलमनिर्वेदः परं सुखम्। भूयस्तत्र विचेष्यामि न यत्र विचयः कृतः
Perseverance is the root of prosperity; perseverance is the highest happiness. I will search again in places not yet explored.
अनिर्वेदो हि सततं सर्वार्थेषु प्रवर्तकः। करोति सफलं जन्तोः कर्म यच्च करोति सः
Indeed, perseverance always brings success in all endeavors; it makes a person’s actions fruitful, whatever they may be.
आपानशाला विचितास्तथा पुष्पगृहाणि च। चित्रशालाश्च विचिता भूयः क्रीडागृहाणि च
He saw splendid drinking halls, flower houses, and decorated chambers, as well as delightful playhouses.
निष्कुटान्तररथ्याश्च विमानानि च सर्वशः। इति संचिन्त्य भूयोऽपि विचेतुमुपचक्रमे
He saw inner courtyards, narrow lanes, and all the mansions; thus, reflecting further, he began to search again.
भूमीगृहांश्चैत्यगृहान् गृहातिगृहकानपि। उत्पतन् निपतंश्चापि तिष्ठन् गच्छन् पुनः क्वचित्
He explored houses on the ground, shrines, and even outbuildings, flying up and down, standing, going, and sometimes pausing.
अपवृण्वंश्च द्वाराणि कपाटान्यवघट्टयन्। प्रविशन् निष्पतंश्चापि प्रपतन्नुत्पतन्निव
He opened doors, pushed aside panels, entered and exited, sometimes falling, sometimes leaping as if flying.
सर्वमप्यवकाशं स विचचार महाकपिः। चतुरंगुलमात्रोऽपि नावकाशः स विद्यते। रावणान्तःपुरे तस्मिन् यं कपिर्न जगाम सः
That great monkey searched every space; not even a span of four fingers was left in Rāvaṇa’s inner palace where the monkey did not go.
प्राकारान्तरवीथ्यश्च वेदिकाश्चैत्यसंश्रयाः। श्वभ्राश्च पुष्करिण्यश्च सर्वं तेनावलोकितम्
He observed inner courtyards, passageways, raised platforms, shrines, wells, and lotus ponds—he saw everything.
राक्षस्यो विविधाकारा विरूपा विकृतास्तथा। दृष्टा हनुमता तत्र न तु सा जनकात्मजा
There Hanumān saw demonesses of various forms, ugly and deformed, but not Janaka’s daughter.
रूपेणाप्रतिमा लोके परा विद्याधरस्त्रियः। दृष्टा हनुमता तत्र न तु राघवनन्दिनी
He saw women of unmatched beauty in the world, even those superior to celestial nymphs, but not Rāma’s beloved.
नागकन्या वरारोहाः पूर्णचन्द्रनिभाननाः। दृष्टा हनुमता तत्र न तु सा जनकात्मजा
He saw serpent maidens with lovely hips and faces like the full moon, but not Janaka’s daughter.
प्रमथ्य राक्षसेन्द्रेण नागकन्या बलाद्धृताः। दृष्टा हनुमता तत्र न सा जनकनन्दिनी
He saw serpent maidens seized by the king of demons by force, but not Janaka’s cherished daughter.
सोऽपश्यंस्तां महाबाहुः पश्यंश्चान्या वरस्त्रियः। विषसाद महाबाहुर्हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः
That mighty-armed Hanumān, son of the wind, saw those noble women but not her, and he became despondent.
उद्योगं वानरेन्द्राणां प्लवनं सागरस्य च। व्यर्थं वीक्ष्यानिलसुतश्चिन्तां पुनरुपागतः
Seeing the efforts of the monkey chiefs and the crossing of the ocean as fruitless, the son of the wind fell again into thought.
अवतीर्य विमानाच्च हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः। चिन्तामुपजगामाथ शोकोपहतचेतनः
Descending from the mansion, Hanumān, son of the wind, overcome by grief, fell into deep reflection.
thumb|त्रयोदशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे सुन्दरकाण्डे त्रयोदशः सर्गः ॥५-
In the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, in the Sundara Kāṇḍa, the thirteenth sarga is recited.
विमानात् तु स संक्रम्य प्राकारं हरियूथपः। हनूमान् वेगवानासीद् यथा विद्युद् घनान्तरे
Then Hanumān, the swift leader of the monkeys, leapt from the palace to the rampart, moving like lightning within a cloud.
सम्परिक्रम्य हनुमान् रावणस्य निवेशनान्। अदृष्ट्वा जानकीं सीतामब्रवीद् वचनं कपिः
Having searched through Rāvaṇa’s residences, Hanumān did not see Sītā, and the monkey spoke these words:
भूयिष्ठं लोलिता लंका रामस्य चरता प्रियम्। न हि पश्यामि वैदेहीं सीतां सर्वांगशोभनाम्
Lankā has been searched thoroughly by me, seeking Rāma’s beloved; yet I do not see Vaidehī, Sītā, she who is adorned in every limb.
पल्वलानि तटाकानि सरांसि सरितस्तथा। नद्योऽनूपवनान्ताश्च दुर्गाश्च धरणीधराः
Lakes, ponds, pools, rivers, and also streams, marshy groves, and mountain strongholds—
लोलिता वसुधा सर्वा न च पश्यामि जानकीम्। इह सम्पातिना सीता रावणस्य निवेशने। आख्याता गृध्रराजेन न च सा दृश्यते न किम्
All the earth has been searched, yet I do not see Jānakī. Here, Sītā was said by Sampāti, the king of vultures, to be in Rāvaṇa’s residence, but she is not seen—why is that?
किं नु सीताथ वैदेही मैथिली जनकात्मजा। उपतिष्ठेत विवशा रावणेन हृता बलात्
Could it be that Sītā, Vaidehī, the daughter of Janaka, helpless and seized by force by Rāvaṇa, has perished?
क्षिप्रमुत्पततो मन्ये सीतामादाय रक्षसः। बिभ्यतो रामबाणानामन्तरा पतिता भवेत्
Perhaps, as the demon swiftly carried her off, frightened by Rāma’s arrows, she fell to the ground in between.
अथवा ह्रियमाणायाः पथि सिद्धनिषेविते। मन्ये पतितमार्याया हृदयं प्रेक्ष्य सागरम्
Or perhaps, as she was being carried away along the path frequented by the perfected beings, the noble lady, seeing the ocean, her heart failed and she fell.
रावणस्योरुवेगेन भुजाभ्यां पीडितेन च। तया मन्ये विशालाक्ष्या त्यक्तं जीवितमार्यया
By Rāvaṇa’s great force, crushed in his arms, I think that noble, wide-eyed lady may have given up her life.
उपर्युपरि सा नूनं सागरं क्रमतस्तदा। विचेष्टमाना पतिता समुद्रे जनकात्मजा
Surely, as she was carried over the ocean, the daughter of Janaka, struggling, fell into the sea.
आहो क्षुद्रेण चानेन रक्षन्ती शीलमात्मनः। अबन्धुर्भक्षिता सीता रावणेन तपस्विनी
Or perhaps, this low creature, Rāvaṇa, devoured Sītā, the ascetic lady, who was protecting her virtue, though she had no protector.
अथवा राक्षसेन्द्रस्य पत्नीभिरसितेक्षणा। अदुष्टा दुष्टभावाभिर्भक्षिता सा भविष्यति
Or perhaps, the dark-eyed wives of the lord of the rākṣasas, though themselves wicked in intent, have devoured her, who was innocent.