पादच्छाया सुखा भर्तुस्तादृशस्य महात्मनः।
स हि नाथो जनस्यास्य स गतिः स परायणम्॥
pāda-cchāyā sukhā bhartus tādṛśasya mahātmanaḥ
sa hi nātho janasyāsya sa gatiḥ sa parāyaṇam
pāda-cchāyā = the shade of the feet; sukhā = is the means for achieving happiness; bhartuḥ = of our master; tādṛśasya = like; mahā-ātmanaḥ = a great soul; saḥ = He; hi = because; nāthaḥ = is the protector; janasya = of people; asya = us; saḥ = He; gatiḥ = is our goal; saḥ parāyaṇam = He sustains us in every way.
“The shade of the feet of our master, a great soul, is the means for achieving happiness because He is the protector of people like us. He is our goal. He sustains us in every way.1
1 This verse reveals the fully enlightened and pure devotional attitude of these residents of Ayodhyā to Lord Rāma.
“The shade of the feet of our master” means “The service to the feet of our master.”
NOTE. The ladies of Ayodhyā now reveal their absolute faith in serving Lord Rāma’s lotus feet, the kind of faith that the Supreme Lord refers to in Bhagavad-gīta (6.47):
yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
“And of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me—he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.”