मैथिली ह्रियमाणा सा दिशं यामभ्यपद्यत ॥ तेन मार्गेण गच्छन्तो निरीक्षन्ते नराधिपम्। येन मार्गं च भूमिं च निरीक्षन्ते स्म ते मृगाः॥ पुनर्नदन्तो गच्छन्ति लक्ष्मणेनोपलक्षिताः। तेषां वचनसर्वस्वं लक्षयामास चेङ्गितम्॥ उवाच लक्ष्मणो धीमाज्येष्ठं भ्रातरमार्तवत्। क्व सीतेति त्वया पृष्टा यदिमे सहसोत्थिताः॥ दर्शयन्ति क्षितिं चैव दक्षिणां च दिशं मृगाः। साधु गच्छावहे देव दिशमेतां च नैर्ऋतीम्॥ यदि तस्यागमः कश्चिदार्या वा साऽथ लक्ष्यते।
maithilī hriyamāṇā sā diśaṃ yāmabhyapadyata || tena mārgeṇa gacchanto nirīkṣante narādhipam| yena mārgaṃ ca bhūmiṃ ca nirīkṣante sma te mṛgāḥ|| punarnadanto gacchanti lakṣmaṇenopalakṣitāḥ| teṣāṃ vacanasarvasvaṃ lakṣayāmāsa ceṅgitam|| uvāca lakṣmaṇo dhīmājyeṣṭhaṃ bhrātaramārtavat| kva sīteti tvayā pṛṣṭā yadime sahasotthitāḥ|| darśayanti kṣitiṃ caiva dakṣiṇāṃ ca diśaṃ mṛgāḥ| sādhu gacchāvahe deva diśametāṃ ca nairṛtīm|| yadi tasyāgamaḥ kaścidāryā vā sā'tha lakṣyate|
English Meaning
Moving by that way these deer eyed the Lord of men and again and again fixed their looks upon that way and earth and passed along emitting cries which was marked by Lakṣmaṇa. He marked with attention their movements and cries and spoke to his elder brother like one aggrieved saying-Being accosted by you with—'Where is Sītā?' these deer have stood up all on a sudden and have been pointing to the south and earth-let us therefore proceed in this direction—it may be that we shall either meet with that worshipful madam or find some mementoes concerning her.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)