तत्र काषायिणो वृद्धान्वेत्रपाणीन्स्वलङ्कृतान्।
ददर्श विष्ठितान्द्वारि स्त्र्यध्यक्षान्सुसमाहितान्॥
tatra kāṣāyiṇo vṛddhān vetra-pāṇīn svalaṅkṛtān
dadarśa viṣṭhitān dvāri stry-adhyakṣān susamāhitān
tatra = there; kāṣāyiṇaḥ = in saffron; vṛddhān = old men; vetra-pāṇīn = they had sticks in their hands; su-alaṅkṛtān = and were well decorated; dadarśa = Sumantra saw; viṣṭhitān = and stood; dvāri = by the gate; strī-adhyakṣān = they superintended the women [in the inner quarters by protecting them]; susamāhitān = their minds were very composed.
There Sumantra saw old men in saffron. They superintended the women [in the inner quarters by protecting them] and stood by the gate. They had sticks in their hands and were well decorated. Their minds were very composed.
Out of affection for Rāma, they were well decorated, that is, with the dust of kuṅkuma and musk they received when they embraced Rāma. When These were old men—95 years old—and only such men could be placed in the inner quarters [according to the scriptural regulations]. They had sticks in their hands to protect Rāma when He protects the world.