Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 39: Kausalyā Instructs Sītā
Text 2.39.40
जज्ञेऽथ तासां सन्नादः क्रौञ्चीनामिव निस्वनः।
मानवेन्द्रस्य भार्याणामेवं वदति राघवे॥
jajñe ’tha tāsāṁ sannādaḥ krauñcīnām iva nisvanaḥ
mānavendrasya bhāryāṇām evaṁ vadati rāghave
jajñe atha = began; tāsām = their; sannādaḥ = to cry loudly; krauñcīnām = [that] of the female krauñca birds; iva = resembled; nisvanaḥ = cries; mānava-indrasya = the king’s; bhāryāṇām = wives; evam = thus; vadati = spoke; rāghave = when Rāghava.
When Rāghava spoke thus, the king’s wives began to cry loudly. Their cries resembled [that] of the female krauñca birds.