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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.25.9
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 25: Rāma describes the hardships of forest life. Rāma describes the forest’s hunger, exposure, dangerous animals and tapasvin hardships, Sītā remains determined to accompany him
In the sequence: he explains that they will sleep on leaves on the ground, wear bark and matted hair, observe fasts, and face hunger, darkness, and harsh winds
2.25.9
atīva vātas timiraṃ bubhukṣā cātra nityaśaḥ
bhayāni ca mahānty atra tato duḥkhataraṃ vanam
Excessive wind, darkness, and constant hunger are here, and great terrors here too; hence the forest is more painful still.
Words: atīva — excessive; vātas — wind; timiraṃ — darkness; bubhukṣā cātra — and hunger here; nityaśaḥ — constantly; bhayāni ca — and fears; mahānty atra — great here; tato duḥkhataraṃ vanam — hence the forest is more painful
Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.