Sanskrit Sloka text in Devanagari, Gujarati, Kannada, Telugu , and English

||om tat sat||

sundarakāṇḍ.
atha dvādaśassargaḥ

ślō|| sa tasya madhyē bhavanasya mārutiḥ latāgr̥haṁścitragr̥hān niśāgr̥hān|
jagāma sītāṁ pratidarśanōtsukō na caiva tāṁ paśyati cārudarśanām||1||

sa|| saḥ mārutiḥ tasya bhavanasya madhyē sītāṁ prati darśanōtsukaḥ latā gr̥hān citragr̥hān niśāgr̥hān jagāma| cārudarśanām tāṁ na paśyati ēva ||

That Maruti anxious to see Sita, then went to the houses of creepers, picture galleries, night places in the middle of that palace complex. But he could not find the beautiful lady Sita.

ślō|| sa cintayāmāsa tatō mahākapiḥ priyāmapaśyan raghunandanasya tām|
dhruvaṁ hi sītā mriyatē yathā namē vicinvatōdarśana mēti maithilī||2||
sā rākṣasānāṁ pravarēṇa jānakī svaśīlasaṁrakṣaṇa tatparā satī|
anēna nūnaṁ prati duṣṭa karmaṇā hatā bhavēt āryapathē parē sthitā||3||
virūpa rūpā vikr̥tā vivarcasō mahānanā dīrghavirūpa darśanāḥ|
samīkṣya sā rākṣasarājayōṣitō bhayādvinaṣṭā janakēśvarātmajā||4||

sa|| tataḥ mahākapiḥ raghunandanasya priyām tām apasyan ciṁtayāmāsa | maithilī vicinvataḥ mē yathā darśanam na upaiti sītā dhruvam mriyatē|| sā jānakī parē āryapathē sthitā svaśīlasaṁrakṣaṇatatparā satī prati duṣṭakarmaṇā anēna rākṣasānāṁ pravarēṇa hatā bhavēt nūnaṁ|| sā janakēśvarātmajā bhayāt virūparūpāḥ vikr̥tāḥ vivarcasaḥ mahānanāḥ dīrghavirūpa darśanāḥ rākṣasarāja yōṣitaḥ samīkṣya vinaṣṭā||

Then the great Vanara unable to see Sita, the beloved of Rama, started thinking. "While searching for Mythili I am unable to find her. She might surey be dead. That Janaki, the follower of noble path, who wishes to protect her chastity surely must have been killed by the evil minded king of Rakshasas. That daughter of king Janaka, looking at the ugly distorted dull women with huge faces, and the tall and deformed women of the Rakshasa King, may have died out of fear."

ślō|| sītāṁ adr̥ṣṭvāhyanavāpya pauruṣam vihr̥tya kālaṁ saha vānaraiściram|
na mē'sti sugrīva samīpagā gatiḥ sutīkṣṇa daṇḍō balavāṁśca vānaraḥ||5||

sa|| sītāṁ adr̥ṣṭvā pauruṣaṁ anavāpya vānaraiḥ saha ciraṁ kālaṁ vihr̥tya sugrīva samīpagā gatiḥ nāsti | vānaraḥ (sugrīvaḥ) sutīkṣṇadaṇḍaḥ balavāṁśca||

Without seeing Sita , searching for whom is the pride of achievment, having passed the time limit, it is not possible to go to Sugriva. That Sugriva punishes severely and is powerful.

ślō|| dr̥ṣṭamaṁtaḥ puraṁ sarvaṁ dr̥ṣṭvā rāvaṇayōṣitāḥ |
na sītā dr̥śyatē sādhvī vr̥thājātō mama śramaḥ||6||
kiṁ nu māṁ vānarāssarvē gataṁ vakṣyaṁti saṁgatāḥ|
gatvā tatra tvayā vīra kiṁ kr̥taṁ tadvadasya naḥ ||7||

sa|| sarvaṁ aṁtaḥ puraṁ dr̥ṣṭaṁ| rāvaṇayōṣitāḥ dr̥ṣṭā| sādhvī sītā nadr̥śyatē|mama śramaḥ vr̥thā jātaḥ|| gataṁ māṁ saṁgatāḥ sarvē vānarāḥ kiṁ nu vakṣyaṁti |vīra tatra gatvā tvayā kiṁ kr̥taṁ | tat naḥ vadasva||

All the harem has been seen. All the Ravana women were seen. The pious Sita is not seen. My effort has gone waste. Once I go back what will the Vanaras say ? 'Valiant one ! what have you done after going there? That you tell us.'

ślō|| adr̥ṣṭvā kiṁ pravakṣyāmi tāṁ ahaṁ janakātmajām|
dhruvaṁ prāyamupaiṣyaṁti kālasya vyativartanē||8||
kiṁ vā vakṣyati vr̥ddhaśca jāṁbavān aṅgadaśca saḥ|
gataṁ pāraṁ samudrasya vānarāśca samāgatāḥ||9||

sa|| kālasya vyativartanē tāṁ janakātmajāṁ adr̥ṣṭvā kiṁ pravakṣyāmi | dhr̥vaṁ prāyaṁ upaiṣyaṁti|| samudrasya pāraṁ gataṁ vr̥ddhaḥ jāmbavān kiṁ vā vakṣyati | saḥ aṅgadaḥ ca | samāgataḥ vānarāśca|

Having exceeded the time limit and not having seen the daughter of Janaka what can I say? They will surely sit and wait unto death. Once I cross the sea what will the elder Jambavan say. What will Angada and other Vanaras who gather say.

ślō|| anirvēdaḥ śriyōmūlaṁ anirvēdaḥ paraṁ sukham|
anirvēdō hi satataṁ sarvārthēṣu pravartakaḥ||10||
karōtisaphalaṁ jaṁtōḥ karma yat tat karōti saḥ|
tasmāt anirvēdakr̥taṁ yatnaṁ cēṣṭē'hamuttamam||11||
bhūyastāvat vicēṣyāmi dēśān rāvaṇapālitān|

sa|| anirvēdaḥ śriyaḥ mūlaṁ anirvēdaḥ paraṁ sukhaṁ anirvēdaḥ satatām sarvārthēṣu pravartakaḥ hi ||yat karma karōti jaṁtōḥ tat saphalaṁ karōti saḥ| tasmāt ahaṁ anirvēdakr̥taṁ uttamam prayatnaṁ cēṣṭē | adr̥ṣṭavān rāvaṇapālitān dēśān vicēṣṭāmi tāvat||

Being free from despair is the cause of prosperity. Being free from despair leads to ultimate happiness and leads to achieving all objectives. The effort of living beings always bears fruit. Therefore without despairing I will renew my efforts. I will look at all places not seen in this country ruled by Ravana.

ślō|| apānaśālā vicitāḥ tathā puṣpagr̥hāṇi ca||12||
citraśālāśca vicitā bhūyaḥ krīḍā gr̥hāṇi ca|
niṣkuṭāntara rathyāśca vimānāni ca sarvaśaḥ||13||

sa||pānaśālāḥ vicitāḥ |tathā puṣphagr̥hāṇi ca | citraśālāśca vicitāḥ |bhūyaḥ krīḍāgr̥hāṇi ca|niṣkuṭāntara rathyāśca| vimānāni ca| sarvaśaḥ||

The drinking places are visited. The garden houses too. The picture galleries too. Again all the play houses too. The paths through the gardens and mansions were searched. Everywhere including the chariot Pushpaka were searched.

ślō|| iti saṁcitya bhūyō'pi vicētu mupacakramē|
bhūmigr̥hāṁ ścaitya gr̥hān gr̥hātigr̥hakānapi||14||
utpatan niṣpataṁ ścāpi tiṣṭhan gaccan punaḥ punaḥ|
apāvr̥ṇvaṁśca dvārāṇi kavāṭānyavaghāṭayan||15||
praviśan niṣpataṁ ścāpi prapatan utpatatan api|
sarvamapyavakāśaṁ sa vicacāra mahākapiḥ||16||

sa|| iti saṁcitya bhūmi gr̥hān caitya gr̥hān gr̥hātigr̥hakānapi bhūyaḥ api vicētuṁ upacakramē||saḥ mahākapiḥ punaḥ punaḥ utpatan niṣpataṁścāpi tiṣṭhan gacchan dvārāṇi apāvr̥ṇvan kavāṭāni avaghāṭayan praviśan niṣpataṁścāpi prapatan utpatannapi sarvaṁ api avakāśam vicacāra||

Having thought as above he again started searching the underground houses, temples, the houses within houses The great Vanara searched again going up and down, stopping for some time and moving, opening and closing doors by crossing, entering, and exiting , jumping up and down. He searched wherever there was scope for search.

ślō|| caturaṅguḷamātrōspi nāvakāśaḥ savidyatē|
rāvaṇāntaḥpurē tasmin yaṁ kapirnajagāma saḥ||17||
prākārāntararathyāśca vēdikāścaitya saṁśrayāḥ|
dīrghikāḥ puṣkariṇyaśca sarvaṁ tēnāvalōkitam||18||

sa|| tasmin rāvaṇāṁtaḥ purē sa kapiḥ yam na jagāma saḥ avakāśaḥ caturaṁguḷamātaḥ api na vidyatē| prākārāntararathyāśca caityasaṁśrayāḥ vēdikāḥ dīrghikāḥ puṣkariṇaśca sarvam tēna avalōkitam||

In that inner palaces of Ravana's harem he did not leave space of even four fingers. He went through the lanes inside the boundaries, around the temples, the pandals, the wells and ponds. He searched all of them.

ślō|| rākṣasyō vividhākārā virūpā vikr̥tāstathā|
dr̥ṣṭā hanumatā tatra natu sā janakātmajā ||19||
rūpēṇā pratimā lōkē varā vidhyādharastriyaḥ|
dr̥ṣṭā hanumatā tatra natu rāghavanandinī||20||

sa|| tatra hanumatā vividhākārāḥ vikr̥tāḥ virūpāḥ rākṣasyaḥ dr̥ṣṭā | sā janakātmajā na tu|| hanumatā tatra lōkē rūpēṇa apratimā varāḥ vidhyādharastriyaḥ dr̥ṣṭā| na tu rāghavanandinī|

There Hanuman saw Rakshasas of different types ugly and deformed. But he did not see the daughter of Janaka. Hanuman saw Vidhyadhara women who are of matcheless beauty . But he did not see the daughter of Janaka.

ślō|| nāgakanyā varārōhāḥ pūrṇacandranibhānanāḥ|
dr̥ṣṭā hanumatā tatra na tu sītā sumadhyamā||21||
pramadhya rākṣasēndrēṇa dēvakanyā balāddr̥tāḥ|
dr̥ṣṭā hanumatā tatra natu sā janakanandinī||22||

sa|| hanumatā tatra varārōhāḥ nāgakanyāḥ pūrṇacaṁdra nibhānanāḥ dr̥ṣṭā| na tu sumadhyamā sītā|| rākṣasēṁdrēṇa pramathya balāt hr̥tāḥ nāgakanyāḥ tatra hanumatā dr̥ṣṭā| na tu sā janakanaṁdinī||

Hanuman saw Naga women with moon like faces , but he did not see Sita with slender waist. Hanuman saw the Naga women forcibly taken away after defeating them. But not Sita.

ślō|| sō'paśyaṁ stāṁ mahābāhuḥ paśyaṁścānyā varastriyaḥ|
viṣasāda muhurthīmān hanumānmārutātmajaḥ||23||
udyōgaṁ vānarēndrāṇāṁ plavanaṁ sāgarasya ca|
vyarthaṁ vīkṣyānilasutaḥ cintāṁ punarupāgamat||24||

sa|| mahābāhuḥ dhīmān mārutātmajaḥ saḥ hanumān tām ( sītāṁ ) apaśyan anyāḥ varastriyaḥ paśyan muhuḥ viṣasāda|| anilasutaḥ tāṁ vīkṣya vānarēṁdrāṇām udyōgam sāgarasya ca plavanaṁ ca vyartham (iti cintayāmāsa)| saḥ punaḥ cintām upāgamat||

Hanuman, the great armed Vanara, not being able to see Sita while seeing other great women was again despondent. Looking at them, the son of wind god felt that the effort of crossing the sea is wasted. Again he started to brood.

ślō|| avatīrya vimānācca hanumān mārutātmajaḥ |
ciṁtāmupajagāmātha śōkōpahatacētanaḥ||25||

sa|| atha mārutātmajaḥ hanumān vimānāt avatīrya śōkōpahatacētanaḥ ciṁtāṁ upajagāma||

Then with a mind stricken with grief, the Hanuman got down from the chariot and started to think.

ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē ādikāvyē vālmīkīyē
caturviṁśat sahasrikāyāṁ saṁhitāyām
śrīmatsundarakāṇḍē dvādaśassargaḥ||

Thus the twelfth Sarga of Sundarakanda in Valmiki Ramayan comes to an end
||om tat sat||