Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 57: Sumantra Returns to Ayodhyā
Text 2.57.12
शुश्राव च वचस्तेषां वृन्दं वृन्दं च तिष्ठताम्।
हताः स्म खलु ये नेह पश्याम इति राघवम्॥
śuśrāva ca vacas teṣāṁ vṛndaṁ vṛndaṁ ca tiṣṭhatām
hatāḥ sma khalu ye neha paśyāma iti rāghavam
śuśrāva = he heard; ca = and; vacaḥ = say; teṣām = them; vṛndam vṛndam ca = in groups; tiṣṭhatām = they stood; hatāḥ sma = we are dead; khalu = certainly; ye = because we; na = don’t; iha = on this chariot; paśyāmaḥ iti = see; rāghavam = Rāghava.
They stood in groups and he heard them say: “Because we don’t see Rāghava on this chariot, we are certainly dead!