अभिवाद्य च कौसल्यां रामः सम्प्रस्थितो वनम्।
कृतस्वस्त्ययनो मात्रा धर्मिष्ठे वर्त्मनि स्थितः॥
विराजयन्राजसुतो राजमार्गं नरैर्वृतम्।
हृदयान्याममन्थेव जनस्य गुणवत्तया॥
abhivādya ca kausalyāṁ rāmaḥ samprasthito vanam
kṛta-svasty-ayano mātrā dharmiṣṭhe vartmani sthitaḥ
virājayan rāja-suto rāja-mārgaṁ narair vṛtam
hṛdayāny āmamantheva janasya guṇavattayā
abhivādya ca = having offered His obeisances; kausalyām = unto Kausalyā; rāmaḥ = Rāma; samprasthitaḥ = became ready to go; vanam = to the forest; kṛta-svastyayanaḥ = and after auspiciousness had been invoked on Him; mātrā = by His mother; dharmiṣṭhe = that exalted dharma; vartmani = on the path; sthitaḥ = situated; virājayan = illuminating; rāja-sutaḥ = Prince; rāja-mārgam = the grand road; naraiḥ = with men; vṛtam = crowded; hṛdayāni = the hearts; āmamantha iva = He agitated; janasya = of the people; guṇavattayā = because of His excellent attributes.
Having offered His obeisances unto Kausalyā, and after auspiciousness had been invoked on Him by His mother, Prince Rāma, situated on the path that exalted dharma, became ready to go to the forest. Illuminating the grand road crowded with men, He agitated the hearts of the people because of His excellent attributes.
Having made His mother permit Him to depart, Rāma then went to make Sītā [also] permit Him [for the same].
Rāma’s excellent attributes [here] refer to His being polite, pleasant and so on stated [in text 2.1.13].
GLOSS. Rāma was situated on the most excellent path of dharma, that is, obedience to the instructions of His father.