ततः प्रभातं रजनीमुदिते च दिवाकरे।
पुण्ये नक्षत्रयोगे च मुहूर्ते च समाहिते॥
वसिष्ठो गुणसम्पन्नः शिष्यैः परिवृतस्तदा।
उपगृह्याशु संभारान्प्रविवेश पुरोत्तमम्॥
सिक्तसम्मार्जितपथां पताकोत्तमभूषिताम्।
विचित्रकुसुमाकीर्णां नानास्रग्भिर्विराजिताम्॥
संहृष्टमनुजोपेतां समृद्धविपणापणाम्
महोत्सवसमाकीर्णां राघवार्थे समुत्सुकाम्॥
चन्दनागुरुधुपैश्च सर्वतः परिधूपिताम्।
तां पुरीं समतिक्रम्य पुरन्दरपुरोपमाम्॥
ददर्शान्तःपुरं श्रेष्ठं नानाद्विजगणायुतम्।
पौरजानपदाकीर्णं ब्राह्मणैरुपशोभितम्।
यज्ञविद्भिः सुसंपूर्ण सदस्यैः परमद्विजैः॥
tataḥ prabhātāṁ rajanīm udite ca divākare
puṇye nakṣatra-yoge ca muhūrte ca samāhite
vasiṣṭho guṇa-sampannaḥ śiṣyaiḥ parivṛtas tadā
upagṛhyāśu sambhārān praviveśa purottamam
sikta-sammārjita-pathāṁ patākottama-bhūṣitām
vicitra-kusumākīrṇāṁ nānā-sragbhir virājitām
saṁhṛṣṭa-manujopetāṁ samṛddha-vipaṇāpaṇām
mahotsava-samākīrṇāṁ rāghavārthe samutsukām
candanāguru-dhūpaiś ca sarvataḥ paridhūpitām
tāṁ purīṁ samatikramya purandara-puropamām
dadarśāntaḥ-puraṁ śreṣṭhaṁ nānā-dvija-gaṇāyutam
paura-jānapadākīrṇaṁ brāhmaṇair upaśobhitam
yajñavidbhiḥ susaṁpūrṇaṁ sadasyaiḥ parama-dvijaiḥ
tataḥ = then; prabhātām = when turned into dawn; rajanīm = the night; udite ca = rose; divākare = the sun; puṇye = the auspicious; nakṣatra-yoge ca = conjoined with [Rāma’s birth] nakṣatra; muhūrte = muhūrta; ca = and; samāhite = approached; vasiṣṭhaḥ = Vasiṣṭha; guṇa-sampannaḥ = who was endowed with auspicious qualities; śiṣyaiḥ = by his disciples; parivṛtaḥ = accompanied; tadā upagṛhya = gathered and; āśu = quickly; sambhārān = the ingredients [for the coronation]; praviveśa = entered; pura-uttamam = the excellent city; sikta-sammārjita-pathām = Ayodhyā’s roads had been sprinkled with water and cleansed with brooms; patāka-uttama-bhūṣitām = the city was decorated with excellent flags; vicitra-kusuma-ākīrṇām = there were various flowers scattered all over the city; nānā-sragbhiḥ = with many garlands of flowers; virājitām = which was splendid; saṁhṛṣṭa-manuja-upetām = the city was filled with delighted men; samṛddha-vipaṇa-āpaṇām = as well as flourishing shops and markets; mahā-utsava-samākīrṇām = it was overspread with great festivities; rāghava-arthe = [to see] Rāghava’s [coronation]; samutsukām = and filled with people fully eager; candana-aguru-dhūpaiḥ ca = with sandal, aguru and frankincense; sarvataḥ = the entire city; paridhūpitām = was fragrant; tām = the; purīm = city; samatikramya = after passing through; purandara-pura-upamām = it was equal to Purandara’s city; dadarśa = he saw; antaḥ-puram = inner quarters [of Daśaratha]; śreṣṭham = the excellent; nānā-dvija-gaṇa-āyutam = filled with several groups of the twice-born; paura-jānapada-ākīrṇam = it was crowded with people from the city and the country; brāhmaṇaiḥ = with brāhmaṇas; upaśobhitam = and decorated; yajñavidbhiḥ = and who knew how to conduct such sacrifices; susaṁpūrṇam = it was completely filled; sadasyaiḥ = who assisted in sacrifices; parama-dvijaiḥ = with excellent brāhmaṇas.
Then, when the night turned into dawn, the sun rose and the auspicious muhūrta conjoined with [Rāma’s birth] nakṣatra approached, Vasiṣṭha, who was endowed with auspicious qualities, accompanied by his disciples, quickly gathered the ingredients [for the coronation] and entered the excellent city. Ayodhyā’s roads had been sprinkled with water and cleansed with brooms. The city was decorated with excellent flags. There were various flowers scattered all over the city which was splendid with many garlands of flowers. The city was filled with delighted men as well as flourishing shops and markets. It was overspread with great festivities and filled with people fully eager [to see] Rāghava’s [coronation]. The entire city was fragrant with sandal, aguru and frankincense. It was equal to Purandara’s city. After passing through the city, he saw the excellent inner quarters [of Daśaratha]. Filled with several groups of the twice-born, it was crowded with people from the city and the country, and decorated with brāhmaṇas. It was completely filled with excellent brāhmaṇas who assisted in sacrifices and who knew how to conduct such sacrifices.
That Vasiṣṭha entered the excellent city indicates that he had gone outside the city to bathe in the Sarayū and perform other religious functions before entering the city.