ते भक्षयन्तो मूलानि फलानि विविधान्यपि। अन्वेषमाणा दुर्धर्षा न्यवसंस्तत्र तत्र ह ॥ स तु देशो दुरन्वेषो गुहागहनवान् महान्। निर्जलं निर्जनं शून्यं गहनं घोरदर्शनम्॥ तादृशान्यप्यरण्यानि विचित्य भृशपीडिताः। स देशश्च दुरन्वेष्यो गुहागहनवान् महान्॥ त्यक्त्वा तु तं ततो देशं सर्वे वै हरियूथपाः। देशमन्यं दुराधर्षं विविशुश्चाकुतोभयाः॥ यत्र वन्ध्यफला वृक्षा विपुष्पाः पर्णवर्जिताः। निस्तोयाः सरितो यत्र मूलं यत्र सुदुर्लभम्॥ न सन्ति महिषा यत्र न मृगा न च हस्तिनः। शार्दूलाः पक्षिणो वापि ये चान्ये वनगोचराः॥
te bhakṣayanto mūlāni phalāni vividhānyapi| anveṣamāṇā durdharṣā nyavasaṃstatra tatra ha || sa tu deśo duranveṣo guhāgahanavān mahān| nirjalaṃ nirjanaṃ śūnyaṃ gahanaṃ ghoradarśanam|| tādṛśānyapyaraṇyāni vicitya bhṛśapīḍitāḥ| sa deśaśca duranveṣyo guhāgahanavān mahān|| tyaktvā tu taṃ tato deśaṃ sarve vai hariyūthapāḥ| deśamanyaṃ durādharṣaṃ viviśuścākutobhayāḥ|| yatra vandhyaphalā vṛkṣā vipuṣpāḥ parṇavarjitāḥ| nistoyāḥ sarito yatra mūlaṃ yatra sudurlabham|| na santi mahiṣā yatra na mṛgā na ca hastinaḥ| śārdūlāḥ pakṣiṇo vāpi ye cānye vanagocarāḥ||
English Meaning
And subsisting on various fruits and roots, they were overcome with fatigue, after searching dreadful forests, void of water, still and tenantless, as well as other forests of a similar nature. And having searched that country as well mighty forests containing caves, those leaders of monkeyherds fearlessly explored other places, difficult of access, where the trees are fruitless, and without flowers and foliage; where the streams are waterless, and where roots even are rare; where there are no buffaloes, or deer, or elephants, or tigers, or birds-or any other animals that are found in forests.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)