राजदारास्तथामात्याः सैन्याः सेनाङ्गनागणाः। ब्राह्मणाश्च सराजन्याः श्रेणीमुख्यास्तथा गणाः
Let the royal wives, ministers, soldiers, women of the army, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, guild leaders, and all groups go forth.
अभिनिर्यान्तु रामस्य द्रष्टुं शशिनिभं मुखम्। भरतस्य वचः श्रुत्वा शत्रुघ्नः परवीरहा
Let them go out to see Rāma's face, radiant like the moon; hearing Bharata's command, Śatrughna, destroyer of foes, acted.
विष्टीरनेकसाहस्रीश्चोदयामास भागशः। समीकुरुत निम्नानि विषमाणि समानि च
He dispatched thousands of workers in groups, to level the uneven and low places, making all smooth.
स्थानानि च निरस्यन्तां नन्दिग्रामादितः परम्। सिञ्चन्तु पृथिवीं कृत्स्नां हिमशीतेन वारिणा
Let all obstacles be removed from Nandigrāma onward; let the whole earth be sprinkled with cool, icy water.
ततोऽभ्यवकिरन्त्वन्ये लाजैः पुष्पैश्च सर्वतः। समुच्छ्रितपताकास्तु रथ्याः पुरवरोत्तमे
Then let others scatter parched grain and flowers everywhere; let the main streets of the great city be adorned with raised banners.
शोभयन्तु च वेश्मानि सूर्यस्योदयनं प्रति। स्रग्दाममुक्तपुष्पैश्च सुवर्णैः पञ्चवर्णकैः
Let the houses be adorned, facing the rising of the sun, with garlands, strings of pearls, flowers, and golden ornaments of five colors.
राजमार्गमसम्बाधं किरन्तु शतशो नराः। ततस्तच्छासनं श्रुत्वा शत्रुघ्नस्य मुदान्विताः
Let hundreds of men scatter the royal road, making it spacious; then, having heard that command of Shatrughna, they rejoiced.
धृष्टिर्जयन्तो विजयः सिद्धार्थश्चार्थसाधकः। अशोको मन्त्रपालश्च सुमन्त्रश्चापि निर्ययुः
Dhṛṣṭi, Jayanta, Vijaya, Siddhārtha, Arthasādhaka, Ashoka, Mantrapāla, and Sumantra set out.
मत्तैर्नागसहस्रैश्च सध्वजैः सुविभूषितैः। अपरे हेमकक्षाभिः सगजाभिः करेणुभिः
With thousands of intoxicated elephants, adorned with banners and splendid ornaments, others with golden girdles, along with female elephants and tuskers, set forth.
निर्ययुस्तुरगाक्रान्ता रथैश्च सुमहारथाः। शक्त्यृष्टिपाशहस्तानां सध्वजानां पताकिनाम्
Great charioteers departed, mounted on horses and chariots, bearing spears, javelins, nooses, and banners, with standards flying.
तुरगाणां सहस्रैश्च मुख्यैर्मुख्यतरान्वितैः। पदातीनां सहस्रैश्च वीराः परिवृता ययुः
Accompanied by thousands of foremost horses, with even more excellent ones among them, and by thousands of foot soldiers, the heroes proceeded surrounded.
ततो यानान्युपारूढाः सर्वा दशरथस्त्रियः। कौसल्यां प्रमुखे कृत्वा सुमित्रां चापि निर्ययुः
Then all the wives of Dasharatha mounted their vehicles, placing Kausalya at the forefront, and Sumitra too set out.
कैकेय्या सहिताः सर्वा नन्दिग्राममुपागमन्
All, together with Kaikeyi, reached Nandigrama.
द्विजातिमुख्यैर्धर्मात्मा श्रेणीमुख्यैः सनैगमैः। माल्यमोदकहस्तैश्च मन्त्रिभिर्भरतो वृतः
Bharata, righteous-souled, was surrounded by leading Brahmins, heads of guilds with their followers, and ministers holding garlands and sweets.
शङ्खभेरीनिनादैश्च बन्दिभिश्चाभिनन्दितः। आर्यपादौ गृहीत्वा तु शिरसा धर्मकोविदः
Acclaimed by the sounds of conches and drums, and praised by bards, the knower of righteousness, bowing his head, took hold of the noble feet.
पाण्डुरं छत्रमादाय शुक्लमाल्योपशोभितम्। शुक्ले च वालव्यजने राजार्हे हेमभूषिते
He took a white parasol, adorned with white garlands, and white yak-tail fans, fit for a king, decorated with gold.
उपवासकृशो दीनश्चीरकृष्णाजिनाम्बरः। भ्रातुरागमनं श्रुत्वा तत्पूर्वं हर्षमागतः
Emaciated from fasting, dejected, clad in bark and black antelope skin, upon hearing of his brother's arrival, he was filled with joy beforehand.
प्रत्युद्ययौ यदा रामं महात्मा सचिवैः सह। अश्वानां खुरशब्दैश्च रथनेमिस्वनेन च
When the great-souled one went forth to meet Rama, together with his ministers, the earth resounded with the hoofbeats of horses and the noise of chariot wheels.
शङ्खदुन्दुभिनादेन संचचालेव मेदिनी। गजानां बृंहितैश्चापि शङ्खदुन्दुभिनिःस्वनैः
With the sound of conches and drums, the earth seemed to tremble, with the trumpeting of elephants and the blaring of conches and drums.
कृत्स्नं तु नगरं तत् तु नन्दिग्राममुपागमत्। समीक्ष्य भरतो वाक्यमुवाच पवनात्मजम्
That entire city then reached Nandigrama; seeing this, Bharata spoke to Hanuman, son of the wind.
कच्चिन्न खलु कापेयी सेव्यते चलचित्तता। नहि पश्यामि काकुत्स्थं राममार्यं परंतपम्
"Surely, O descendant of Kapi, you are not indulging in fickleness of mind, for I do not see Kakutstha, the noble Rama, the subduer of foes."
कच्चिन्न चानुदृश्यन्ते कपयः कामरूपिणः। अथैवमुक्ते वचने हनूमानिदमब्रवीत्
"Nor do I see the monkeys of changing forms;" when these words were spoken, Hanuman replied thus:
अर्थ्यं विज्ञापयन्नेव भरतं सत्यविक्रमम्। सदाफलान् कुसुमितान् वृक्षान् प्राप्य मधुस्रवान्
Hanuman, making his request known to Bharata of true valor, said: "Having reached trees always bearing fruit, blossoming, and exuding honey—"
भरद्वाजप्रसादेन मत्तभ्रमरनादितान्। तस्य चैव वरो दत्तो वासवेन परंतप
By the grace of Bharadvāja, with the humming of intoxicated bees, and by the boon granted to him by Indra, O scorcher of foes—
ससैन्यस्य तदातिथ्यं कृतं सर्वगुणान्वितम्। निःस्वनः श्रूयते भीमः प्रहृष्टानां वनौकसाम्
The hospitality for his entire army was performed, endowed with all virtues; a mighty, joyful sound is heard from the delighted forest dwellers.
मन्ये वानरसेना सा नदीं तरति गोमतीम्। रजोवर्षं समुद्भूतं पश्य सालवनं प्रति
I think that army of monkeys is crossing the river Gomati; see the cloud of dust rising toward the grove of śāla trees.
मन्ये सालवनं रम्यं लोलयन्ति प्लवंगमाः। तदेतद् दृश्यते दूराद् विमानं चन्द्रसंनिभम्
I think the monkeys are shaking the lovely śāla forest; there, from afar, that aerial chariot, shining like the moon, is seen.
विमानं पुष्पकं दिव्यं मनसा ब्रह्मनिर्मितम्। रावणं बान्धवैः सार्धं हत्वा लब्धं महात्मना
That divine aerial chariot, Puṣpaka, created by Brahmā's mind, was obtained by the great-souled one after slaying Rāvaṇa along with his kin.
तरुणादित्यसंकाशं विमानं रामवाहनम्। धनदस्य प्रसादेन दिव्यमेतन्मनोजवम्
That aerial chariot, radiant as the rising sun and swift as thought, became Rāma's vehicle by the favor of Kubera.
एतस्मिन् भ्रातरौ वीरौ वैदेह्या सह राघवौ। सुग्रीवश्च महातेजा राक्षसश्च विभीषणः
In this, the two heroic Rāghavas, together with Vaidehī, as well as the mighty Sugrīva and the rakṣasa Vibhīṣaṇa, are present.