आपृच्छे त्वां पुरिश्रेष्ठे काकुत्स्थपरिपालिते।
दैवतानि च यानि त्वां पालयन्त्यावसन्ति च॥
āpṛcche tvāṁ puri-śreṣṭhe kākutstha-paripālite
daivatāni ca yāni tvāṁ pālayanty āvasanti ca
āpṛcche = I take permission; tvām = from you; puri-śreṣṭhe = O best of cities; kākutstha-paripālite = who have been maintained by descendants of Kakutstha; daivatāni = from the deities; ca = and; yāni = who; tvām = you; pālayanti = maintain; āvasanti = reside in; ca = and.
O best of cities, I take permission from you who have been maintained by descendants of Kakutstha and from the deities who maintain and reside in you.
1 He had to abruptly leave amidst much upheaval.
2 When practicing Vaiṣṇavas acquainted with the conduct of the wise visit or depart from holy dhāmas such as Vraja-maṇḍala, Kṣetra-maṇḍala or Navadvīpa-maṇḍala, they also offer obeisances unto these holy abodes to bless them to serve the Supreme Lord without offenses.
Śrī Rāmacandra hadn’t offered His obeisances unto the deity of the city Ayodhyā while departing from the city, an activity in line with the conduct of the wise (śiṣṭācāra), because of the crisis in carrying out His duties.1 Now at the border of the kingdom of Ayodhyā, He had begun to carry out His vow [of residing in the forest] for fourteen years. [In line with the conduct of the wise,] He now offers obeisances to and takes permission from the deity of the city of Ayodhyā to successfully carry out His vow without having to face any obstacle.2