Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 46: Rāma Leaves the Brāhmaṇas to go to the Forest
Text 2.46.2
इयमद्य निशा पूर्वा सौमित्रे प्रहिता वनम्।
वनवासस्य भद्रं ते स नोत्कण्ठितुमर्हसि॥
iyam adya niśā pūrvā saumitre prahitā vanam
vana-vāsasya bhadraṁ te sa notkaṇṭhitum arhasi
iyam = this; adya niśā = night; pūrvā = is the first; saumitre = Lakṣmaṇa; prahitā = in; vanam = the forest; vana-vāsasya = during our residence in the forest; bhadram te = may there be auspiciousness unto You; saḥ na utkaṇṭhitum arhasi = don’t be in anxiety.
Lakṣmaṇa, this night in the forest is the first during our residence in the forest. May there be auspiciousness unto You! Don’t be in anxiety.
1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhāva-dīpa: vana-vāsasya pūrvā niśā prāthamikī rātrir iyaṁ prahitā prāptā. ata iyaṁ sītā avanaṁ rakṣaṇam arhatīti śeṣaḥ. utkaṇṭhituṁ gṛhādi-cintāṁ kartum.
Sa notkaṇṭhitum arhasi: While speaking to Lakṣmaṇa, Rāmacandra looked at Sītā to tell Lakṣmaṇa that He should not be in anxiety while thinking, “How can the extremely tender Sītā-devī go to the forest on bare foot?”
GLOSS. This verse can mean: “This night is the first during our residence in the forest. So, this lady Sītā should be protected, not made to worry about her residence and so on. [May there be auspiciousness unto You!].”1