अग्रतो लक्ष्मणो यातः पालयन्रघुनन्दनम्।
अनन्तरं च सीताथ राघवो रघुनन्दनः।
तांस्तथा गच्छतो दृष्ट्वा निवृत्तोऽस्म्यवशस्तदा॥
agrato lakṣmaṇo yātaḥ pālayan raghu-nandanam
anantaraṁ ca sītātha rāghavo raghu-nandanaḥ
tāṁs tathā gacchato dṛṣṭvā nivṛtto ’smy avaśas tadā
agrataḥ = ahead; lakṣmaṇaḥ = Lakṣmaṇa; yātaḥ = went; pālayan = protecting; raghu-nandanam = the beloved child of Raghus; anantaram ca = then [followed]; sītā = Sītā; atha = and then; rāghavaḥ = Rāghava; raghu-nandanaḥ = the beloved descendant of Raghu; tān = them; tathā = in this manner; gacchataḥ = go away; dṛṣṭvā = upon seeing; nivṛttaḥ asmi = returned; avaśaḥ = I helplessly; tadā = then.
Lakṣmaṇa went ahead, protecting the beloved child of the Raghus. Then [followed] Sītā and then Rāghava, the beloved descendant of Raghu. I then helplessly returned upon seeing them go away in this manner.