Shloka 5.12.15

द्वादशः सर्गः — हनूमतः अन्तःपुरविचयः (Hanuman’s Search Through Ravana’s Inner Apartments)

Devanagari script

उत्पतन्निष्पतंश्चापि तिष्ठन्गच्छन् पुनः पुनः।अपावृण्वंश्च द्वाराणि कवाटान्यवघाटयन्।।।।प्रविशन्निष्पतंश्चापि प्रपतन्नुत्पतन्नपि।सर्वमप्यवकाशं स विचचार महाकपिः।।।।

Transliteration

caturaṅgulamātro'pi nāvakāśaḥ sa vidyate |

rāvaṇāntaḥpure tasmin yaṃ kapir na jagāma saḥ ||

Translation

In that inner palace of Rāvaṇa, there remained not even a space four fingers wide that the monkey had not gone to.

Context

The great vanara searched all over again and again jumping up and down, stopping for a while and moving, opening and closing doors, by crossing, entering and exiting, jumping up and down. Thus he moved about and searched whereever there was scope to search

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Rāvaṇa
• Rāvaṇa’s antaḥpura (inner chambers)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma is conscientious completeness: Hanumān’s mission is pursued so thoroughly that nothing—even the smallest space—is neglected.

What is the narrative situation?

The narrator concludes this phase of the search by emphasizing that Hanumān left no part of Rāvaṇa’s inner quarters unexplored.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Meticulous diligence and unwavering commitment to a truthful objective—finding Sītā and reporting accurately to Rāma.