Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 60: Rāma Searches for Sītā
Text 3.60.14
अथवाऽर्जुन शंस त्वं प्रियां तामर्जुनप्रियाम्।
जनकस्य सुता भीरुर्यदि जीवति वा न वा॥
atha vārjuna śaṁsa tvaṁ priyāṁ tām arjuna-priyām
janakasya sutā bhīrur yadi jīvati vā na vā
atha vā = or else; arjuna = O arjuna tree; śaṁsa tvam = tell [Me]; priyām = about My beloved; tām = she; arjuna-priyām = is fond of arjuna flowers; janakasya = of King Janaka; sutā = daughter; bhīruḥ = the timid; yadi = if you know; jīvati = alive; vā = is; na = not; vā = or.
Or else, O arjuna tree, tell [Me] about My beloved if you know. She is fond of arjuna flowers. Is the timid daughter of King Janaka alive or not?1
1 Technical note: arjunaḥ karavīraḥ. arjuna-priyāṁ karavīra-puṣpa-priyām. “karavīras tathārjunaḥ” iti nighaṇṭuḥ.
When [this tree] didn’t respond back, He thought that it didn’t know [about her whereabouts] and then considered that another tree might know [about her]. With this in mind, He speaks the next verse.