Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 62: Kausalyā Pacifies Daśaratha
Text 2.62.18
वनवासाय रामस्य पञ्चरात्रोऽद्य गण्यते।
यः शोकहतहर्षायाः पञ्चवर्षोपमो मम॥
vana-vāsāya rāmasya pañca-rātro ’dya gaṇyate
yaḥ śoka-hata-harṣāyāḥ pañca-varṣopamo mama
vana-vāsāya = departed for residence in the forest; rāmasya = since Rāma; pañca-rātrah = five nights; adya = as of today; gaṇyate = it has been; yaḥ = these five nights; śoka-hata-harṣāyāḥ = this sorrow has destroyed my delight; pañca-varṣa-upamaḥ = have been equal to five years; mama = for me.
As of today, it has been five nights since Rāma departed for residence in the forest. These five nights have been equal to five years for me. This sorrow has destroyed my delight.
Her sorrow is ever-new. She reveals that in this verse.
Some explain this verse as follows. Rāma’s residence in the forest is not counted until He crossed Gaṅgā. After that He spent four nights, one each under the tree on the bank, at the āśrama of Bharadvāja, on the bank of Yamunā and at Citrakūṭa. On that fourth day, Sumantra departed and this statement is made on the fifth day. On the basis of this consideration, adya (“as of today”) fits in nicely with the context.