ततः समास्थाय रथं महारथः ससारथिर्दाशरथिर्वनं ययौ।
उदङ्मुखं तं तु रथं चकार स प्रयाणमाङ्गल्यनिमित्तदर्शनात्॥
tataḥ samāsthāya rathaṁ mahā-rathaḥ
sasārathir dāśarathir vanaṁ yayau
udaṅmukhaṁ taṁ tu rathaṁ cakāra sa
prayāṇa-māṅgalya-nimitta-darśanāt
tataḥ = then; samāsthāya = got on and; ratham = the chariot; mahā-rathaḥ = the great chariot-fighter; sasārathiḥ = with His charioteer; dāśarathiḥ = Dāśarathi; vanam = forest; yayau = departed; udak-mukham = face the north; tam tu = to the; ratham = the chariot; cakāra = had; saḥ = Sumantra; prayāṇa-māṅgalya-nimitta-darśanāt = upon seeing auspicious omens favorable for the journey.
Sumantra had the chariot face the north upon seeing auspicious omens favorable for the journey. Then the great chariot-fighter Dāśarathi, got on the chariot and departed to the forest with His charioteer.1
[1] yavasaṁ tṛṇam arjune. (Amara)
[2] rājyāṅgāni prakṛtayaḥ paurāṇāṁ śreṇayo’pi ca. (Amara)
[3] laghu kṣipram araṁ drutam. (Amara)
1 Dāśarathi is a famous name of Lord Rāmacandra meaning “son of Daśaratha.”
It is implied that Sumantra had the chariot face the north before embarking on the travel in order to invoke auspiciousness just as one sets out his right foot first while embarking on a journey.