Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 93: Bharata Initiates a Search for Rāma’s Residence
Text 2.93.14
निष्कूजमिव भूत्वेदं वनं घोरप्रदर्शनम्।
अयोध्येव जनाकीर्णा संप्रति प्रतिभाति मा॥
niṣkūjam iva bhūtvedaṁ vanaṁ ghora-pradarśanam
ayodhyeva janākīrṇā samprati pratibhāti mā
niṣkūjam iva bhūtvā = appears to have been devoid of the twitter of birds; idam = this; vanam = forest; ghora-pradarśanam = of dreadful appearance; ayodhyā = the beautiful city Ayodhyā; iva = like; jana-ākīrṇā = it is crowded with people and; samprati = now; pratibhāti = [so] it appears; mā = to Me.
This forest of dreadful appearance appears to have been devoid of the twitter of birds in the past. Now it is crowded with people and [so] it appears like the beautiful city Ayodhyā to Me.
GLOSS. Some people had lived in the forest in the past. Therefore it is described as having appeared to have been devoid of the twitter of birds in the past.