Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 3: Daśaratha Informs Rāma About his Decision
Text 2.3.1
तेषामञ्जलिपद्मानि प्रगृहीतानि सर्वशः।
प्रतिगृह्याब्रवीद्राजा तेभ्यः प्रियहितं वचः॥
teṣām añjali-padmāni pragṛhītāni sarvaśaḥ
pratigṛhyābravīd rājā tebhyaḥ priya-hitaṁ vacaḥ
teṣām = their; añjali-padmāni pragṛhītāni = [gestures of respect] that resembled lotus buds when joined his palms in supplication; sarvaśaḥ = each of them; pratigṛhya = accepted, and; abravīt = spoke; rājā = the king; tebhyaḥ = to them; priya-hitam = pleasing and beneficial; vacaḥ = the following words.
The king accepted their gestures of respect that resembled lotus buds when each of them joined his palms in supplication, and spoke the following words pleasing and beneficial to them.
This chapter describes the arrangement of ingredients to coronate Lord Rāma as decided [by King Daśaratha]. The king accepted the citizens’ gestures of respect by glancing at them, speaking [appreciatively] and by joining his palms together in return, for this is the appropriate way to do so.