Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 95: Rāma Describes Mandākinī’s Beauty to Sītā
Text 2.95.1
अथ शैलाद्विनिष्क्रम्य मैथिलीं कोसलेश्वरः।
अदर्शयच्छुभजलां रम्यां मन्दाकिनीं नदीम्॥
atha śailād viniṣkramya maithilīṁ kosaleśvaraḥ
adarśayac chubha-jalāṁ ramyāṁ mandākinīṁ nadīm
atha = then; śailāt = from the mountain; viniṣkramya = descended; maithilīm = Maithilī; kosala-īśvaraḥ = the lord of Kosala; adarśayat = and affectionately showed; śubha-jalām = whose water was auspicious; ramyām = the pleasant; mandākinīm = Mandākinī; nadīm = river.
Then the Lord of Kosala descended from the mountain and affectionately showed Maithilī the pleasant river Mandākinī whose water was auspicious.
In the previous chapter, [the author described that Rāmacandra] had exhibited His tender affection [for Sītā-devī] by describing the forest and mountain. In this chapter, [the author describes that Śrī Rāma] exhibited His tender affection [for her] by describing the river.