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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.59.24

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 59: Lakṣmaṇa renews the search. He urges Rāma to inspect caves, rivers and groves before assuming Sītā’s death, their fruitless search returns Rāma to grief

In the sequence: Rāma recalls all the places already searched, collapses in renewed grief, and repeatedly cries for her despite his brother's efforts to comfort him.

3.59.24

giriś cāyaṃ mahāprājña bahukandaranirjharaḥ
na hi paśyāmi vaidehīṃ prāṇebhyo 'pi garīyasīm

'and this mountain too, O most wise one, with its many caverns and cascades; yet I do not see Vaidehī, dearer to me than my very life.'

Words: giriś — mountain; cāyaṃ — and this; mahāprājña — O most wise; bahukandaranirjharaḥ — with many caverns and cascades; na — not; hi — indeed; paśyāmi — I see; vaidehīṃ — Vaidehī; prāṇebhyo — than (my) life-breaths; 'pi — even; garīyasīm — dearer, weightier

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.