Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 56: Rāma Reaches Citrakūṭa
Text 2.56.4
तत उत्थाय ते सर्वे स्पृष्ट्वा नद्याः शिवं जलम्।
पन्थानमृषिणादिष्टं चित्रकूटस्य तं ययुः॥
tata utthāya te sarve spṛṣṭvā nadyāḥ śivaṁ jalam
panthānam ṛṣiṇādiṣṭaṁ citrakūṭasya taṁ yayuḥ
tataḥ = then; utthāya = got up; te = of them; sarve = all; spṛṣṭvā = and touched; nadyāḥ = of the river Kālindī; śivam = the auspicious; jalam = water; panthānam = path; ṛṣiṇā = by the sage; ādiṣṭam = as directed; citrakūṭasya = to Citrakūṭa; tam = on the; yayuḥ = they went.
All of them got up and touched the auspicious water of the river Kālindī. Then they went on the path to Citrakūṭa as directed by the sage.
“Touched the auspicious water of the river Kālindī” indicates that they took their early morning bath and performed their other duties [appropriate for that time]. The path to Citrakūṭa ran through the forest of palāśa [as noted by Sage Bharadvāja in text 2.55.8].