Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 40: Rāma Departs from Ayodhyā
Text 2.40.30
शुश्रुवे चाग्रतः स्त्रीणां रुदन्तीनां महास्वनः।
यथा नादः करेणूनां बद्धे महति कुञ्जरे॥
śuśruve cāgrataḥ strīṇāṁ rudantīnāṁ mahā-svanaḥ
yathā nādaḥ kareṇūnāṁ baddhe mahati kuñjare
śuśruve ca = [the king] heard; agrataḥ = in front of him; strīṇām = wives; rudantīnām = of his crying; mahā-svanaḥ = the great sound; yathā = which resembled; nādaḥ = cries; kareṇūnām = of she-elephants; baddhe = is arrested; mahati = when a great; kuñjare = elephant.
[The king] heard the great sound of his crying wives in front of him which resembled the cries of she-elephants when a great elephant is arrested.1
1 Technical note: śuśruve rājñeti śeṣaḥ.