The Search Parties Return

Shloka 1 (kishkindha.47.1)

दर्शनार्थं तु वैदेह्याः सर्वतः कपिकुञ्जराः । व्यादिष्टाः कपिराजेन यथोक्तं जग्मुरञ्जसा ॥ 47.1 ॥

darśanārthaṃ tu vaidehyāḥ sarvataḥ kapikuñjarāḥ | vyādiṣṭāḥ kapirājena yathoktaṃ jagmurañjasā || 47.1 ||

Commanded by the king of vanaras, those elephantine monkeys went forth swiftly in every direction, just as instructed, to seek a sight of Vaidehi.

Shloka 2 (kishkindha.47.2)

ते सरांसि सरित्कक्षानाकाशं नगराणि च । नदीदुर्गांस्तथा शैलान् विचिन्वन्ति समन्ततः ॥ 47.2 ॥

te sarāṃsi saritkakṣānākāśaṃ nagarāṇi ca | nadīdurgāṃstathā śailān vicinvanti samantataḥ || 47.2 ||

They searched lakes, riverbanks and thickets, the open sky, cities, river-fastnesses, and mountains — everywhere, on every side.

Shloka 3 (kishkindha.47.3)

सुग्रीवेण समाख्याताः सर्वे वानरयूथपाः । तत्र देशान् प्रविचिन्वन्ति सशैलवनकाननान् ॥ 47.3 ॥

sugrīveṇa samākhyātāḥ sarve vānarayūthapāḥ | tatra deśān pravicinvanti saśailavanakānanān || 47.3 ||

All the troop-leaders of the vanaras, as instructed by Sugreeva, thoroughly searched those lands together with their mountains, woods and forests.

Shloka 4 (kishkindha.47.4)

विचित्य दिवसं सर्वे सीताधिगमने धृताः । समायान्ति स्म मेदिन्यां निशाकालेषु वानराः ॥ 47.4 ॥

vicitya divasaṃ sarve sītādhigamane dhṛtāḥ | samāyānti sma medinyāṃ niśākāleṣu vānarāḥ || 47.4 ||

All of them, intent on finding Sita, searched throughout the day, and at nightfall the vanaras would gather again upon the ground.

Shloka 5 (kishkindha.47.5)

सर्वर्तुकांश्च देशेषु वानराः सफलद्रुमान् । आसाद्य रजनीं शय्यां चक्रुः सर्वेष्वहःसु ते ॥ 47.5 ॥

sarvartukāṃśca deśeṣu vānarāḥ saphaladrumān | āsādya rajanīṃ śayyāṃ cakruḥ sarveṣvahaḥsu te || 47.5 ||

Each night, throughout those lands, the vanaras made their beds upon fruit-laden trees that bore fruit in every season.

Shloka 6 (kishkindha.47.6)

तदहः प्रथमं कृत्वा मासे प्रस्रवणं गताः । कपिराजेन संगम्य निराशाः कपिकुञ्जराः ॥ 47.6 ॥

tadahaḥ prathamaṃ kṛtvā māse prasravaṇaṃ gatāḥ | kapirājena saṃgamya nirāśāḥ kapikuñjarāḥ || 47.6 ||

Counting that first day, when a month had passed, those elephantine monkeys, having lost hope, returned to Mount Prasravana and met the monkey-king.

Shloka 7 (kishkindha.47.7)

विचित्य तु दिशं पूर्वां यथोक्तां सचिवैः सह । अदृष्ट्वा विनतः सीतामाजगाम महाबलः ॥ 47.7 ॥

vicitya tu diśaṃ pūrvāṃ yathoktāṃ sacivaiḥ saha | adṛṣṭvā vinataḥ sītāmājagāma mahābalaḥ || 47.7 ||

Mighty Vinata, having searched the eastern quarter as instructed, together with his companions, returned without having found Sita.

Shloka 8 (kishkindha.47.8)

दिशमप्युत्तरां सर्वां विविच्य स महाकपिः । आगतः सह सैन्येन वीरः शतबलिस्तदा ॥ 47.8 ॥

diśamapyuttarāṃ sarvāṃ vivicya sa mahākapiḥ | āgataḥ saha sainyena vīraḥ śatabalistadā || 47.8 ||

Likewise, having searched the whole of the northern quarter, that valiant great monkey Shatabali then returned with his troops.

Shloka 9 (kishkindha.47.9)

सुषेणः पश्चिमामाशां विविच्य सह वानरैः । समेत्य मासे पूर्णे तु सुग्रीवमुपचक्रमे ॥ 47.9 ॥

suṣeṇaḥ paścimāmāśāṃ vivicya saha vānaraiḥ | sametya māse pūrṇe tu sugrīvamupacakrame || 47.9 ||

Sushena, having searched the western region with his vanaras, when the month had ended, came together with them and approached Sugreeva.

Shloka 10 (kishkindha.47.10)

तं प्रस्रवणपृष्ठस्थं समासाद्याभिवाद्य च । आसीनं सह रामेण सुग्रीवमिदमब्रुवन् ॥ 47.10 ॥

taṃ prasravaṇapṛṣṭhasthaṃ samāsādyābhivādya ca | āsīnaṃ saha rāmeṇa sugrīvamidamabruvan || 47.10 ||

Approaching and bowing to Sugreeva, who sat upon the heights of Prasravana together with Rama, they spoke to him thus:

Shloka 11 (kishkindha.47.11)

विचिताः पर्वताः सर्वे वनानि गहनानि च । निम्नगाः सागरान्ताश्च सर्वे जनपदाश्च ये ॥ 47.11 ॥

vicitāḥ parvatāḥ sarve vanāni gahanāni ca | nimnagāḥ sāgarāntāśca sarve janapadāśca ye || 47.11 ||

"All the mountains have been searched, and the dense forests too; the rivers as far as the ocean's edge, and all the inhabited lands as well.

Shloka 12 (kishkindha.47.12)

गुहाश्च विचिताः सर्वा याश्च ते परिकीर्तिताः । विचिताश्च महागुल्मा लताविततसंतताः ॥ 47.12 ॥

guhāśca vicitāḥ sarvā yāśca te parikīrtitāḥ | vicitāśca mahāgulmā latāvitatasaṃtatāḥ || 47.12 ||

All the caves that you named have been thoroughly searched, and the great thickets, dense and entangled with creepers, have also been searched.

Shloka 13 (kishkindha.47.13)

गहनेषु च देशेषु दुर्गेषु विषमेषु च । सत्त्वान्यतिप्रमाणानि विचितानि हतानि च । ये चैव गहना देशा विचितास्ते पुनः पुनः ॥ 47.13 ॥

gahaneṣu ca deśeṣu durgeṣu viṣameṣu ca | sattvānyatipramāṇāni vicitāni hatāni ca | ye caiva gahanā deśā vicitāste punaḥ punaḥ || 47.13 ||

In dense and difficult, treacherous regions, huge and fearsome creatures have been sought out — and slain when needed; and those thick, impenetrable lands have been searched again and again.

Shloka 14 (kishkindha.47.14)

उदारसत्त्वाभिजनो हनूमान् स मैथिलीं ज्ञास्यति वानरेन्द्र । दिशं तु यामेव गता तु सीता तामास्थितो वायुसुतो हनूमान् ॥ 47.14 ॥

udārasattvābhijano hanūmān sa maithilīṃ jñāsyati vānarendra | diśaṃ tu yāmeva gatā tu sītā tāmāsthito vāyusuto hanūmān || 47.14 ||

But Hanuman, O king of vanaras, noble in nature and lineage, he alone will surely find out about Maithili — for that son of the Wind-god has taken the very direction in which Sita was carried away."