ततो न्यग्रोधमासाद्य महान्तं हरितच्छदम्।
विवृद्धं बहुभिवृक्षैः श्यामं सिद्धोपसेवितम्।
तस्मै सीताञ्जलिं कृत्वा प्रयुञ्जीताशिषः शिवाः॥
tato nyagrodham āsādya mahāntaṁ harita-cchadam
vivṛddhaṁ bahubhir vṛkṣaiḥ śyāmaṁ siddhopasevitam
tasmai sītāñjaliṁ kṛtvā prayuñjītāśiṣaḥ śivāḥ
tataḥ = after getting down; nyagrodham = banyan tree; āsādya = You will reach; mahāntam = a large; harita-chadam = with green leaves on the bank; vivṛddham = it is fully grown; bahubhiḥ = along with many; vṛkṣaiḥ = trees; śyāmam = and so is specially dark green in color; siddha-upasevitam = it is resorted to by perfected souls; tasmai = in front of that tree; sītā-añjalim kṛtvā = Sītā-devī should join her palms in supplication; prayuñjīta = and pray for the fulfilment of her; āśiṣaḥ = desires; śivāḥ = auspicious.
After getting down, You will reach a large banyan tree with green leaves on the bank. It is fully grown along with many trees and so is especially dark green in color. It is resorted to by perfected souls. Sītā-devī should join her palms in supplication in front of that tree and pray for the fulfillment of her auspicious desires.1
1 Understanding the purpose of Lord Rāma’s incarnation—to demonstrate Vedic dharma to conditioned souls—the great sage Bharadvāja “instructs” Sītā-devī thus, so that we learn that we should be respectful to auspicious trees such as the banyan. To offer respects to sacred trees is a preliminary item of sādhana-bhakti too. In Chapter 7 of The Nectar of Devotion, Prabhupāda writes: “In the Skanda Purāṇa it is directed that a devotee should offer water to the tulasī plant and āmalakī trees. He should offer respect to banyan tree (aśvattha), the cows and the brāhmaṇas and should serve the Vaiṣṇavas by offering them respectful obeisances and meditating upon them. All of these processes will help the devotee to diminish the reactions to his past sinful activities.”
GLOSS. The sage intended to convey that Sītā-devī should pray that they return [to Ayodhyā].
NOTE. Throughout his writings, Śrī Ānandatīrtha Madhvācārya has pointed out, with scriptural evidence, that offering respects to the devas, pious forefathers and other worshippable entities (like the banyan tree) refers to offering respects to Lord Viṣṇu present in such objects of worship and honor.
Lord Kṛṣṇa states in Bhagavad-gītā (10.26)—aśvatthaḥ sarva-vṛkṣāṇāṁ: “Of all trees I am the banyan tree.” Prabhupāda has remarked: “The banyan tree (aśvattha) is one of the highest and most beautiful trees, and people in India often worship it as one of their daily morning rituals.”