ततः सबालवृद्धा सा पुरी परमपीडिता।
राममेवाभिदुद्राव घर्मार्ता सलिलं यथा॥
tataḥ sabāla-vṛddhā sā purī parama-pīḍitā
rāmam evābhidudrāva gharmārtā salilaṁ yathā
tataḥ = then; sabāla-vṛddhā = including its children and elders; sā = the; purī = city; parama-pīḍitā = became extremely tormented in separation from Rāma; rāmam eva = towards Rāma; abhidudrāva = the residents of Ayodhyā ran; gharma-ārtā = a woman tormented by the heat of summer; salilam = [runs towards cool] water; yathā = just as.
The city including its children and elders then became extremely tormented in separation from Rāma. The residents of Ayodhyā ran towards Rāma just as a woman tormented by the heat of summer [runs towards cool] water.1
1 This example proves that the Ayodhyāvāsīs loved Rāma with extreme affection.