Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 96: Lakṣmaṇa Notices Bharata’s Army
Text 2.96.11

स लक्ष्मणः संत्वरितः सालमारुह्य पुष्पितम्।
प्रेक्षमाणो दिशः सर्वाः पूर्वां दिशमुदैक्षत॥

sa lakṣmaṇaḥ santvaritaḥ sālam āruhya puṣpitam
prekṣamāṇo diśaḥ sarvāḥ pūrvāṁ diśam udaikṣata

saḥ = He; lakṣmaṇaḥ = Lakṣmaṇa; santvaritaḥ = quickly; sālam = sāla tree; āruhya = climbed; puṣpitam = a flowering; prekṣamāṇaḥ = while surveying; diśaḥ = directions; sarvāḥ = all the; pūrvām diśam = towards the east; udaikṣata = specifically looked.

Lakṣmaṇa quickly climbed a flowering sāla tree. While surveying all the directions, He specifically looked towards the east.

[Lakṣmaṇa climbed] a flowering sāla tree, that is, a sāla tree with hardly any leaves and so He was not covered over [by the leaves].

Lakṣmaṇa then found out the reason [for the disturbances]. That is pointed out in the next verse