ते सुतीर्थां ततः कृच्छ्रादुपागम्य यशस्विनः।
नदीं मन्दाकिनीं रम्यां सदा पुष्पितकाननाम्॥
शीघ्रस्रोतसमासाद्य तीर्थं शिवमकर्दमम्।
सिषिचुस्तूदकं राज्ञे ततैतत्ते भवत्विति॥
te sutīrthāṁ tataḥ kṛcchrād upāgamya yaśasvinaḥ
nadīṁ mandākinīṁ ramyāṁ sadā puṣpita-kānanām
śīghra-srotasam āsādya tīrthaṁ śivam akardamam
siṣicus tūdakaṁ rājñe tataitat te bhavatv iti
te = Sītā-devī, Lakṣmaṇa and Rāma; sutīrthām = the excellent; tataḥ = then; kṛcchrāt = with difficulty; upāgamya = reached; yaśasvinaḥ = illustrious; nadīm = holy river; mandākinīm = Mandākinī; ramyām = which was pleasant; sadā = always; puṣpita-kānanām = with flowering forests [on its banks]; śīghra-srotasam = and rapidly flowing; āsādya = having reached; tīrtham = ghat; śivam = a clean; akardamam = free from mud; siṣicuḥ tu = they poured; udakam = water; rājñe = for the king while uttering; tata = O father; etat te bhavatu iti = may this be for you.
With difficulty, illustrious Sītā-devī, Lakṣmaṇa and Rāma then reached the excellent and rapidly flowing holy river Mandākinī which was always pleasant with flowering forests [on its banks]. Having reached a clean ghat free from mud, they poured water for the king while uttering, “O father, may this be for you.”
They reached the river with difficulty because they tottered on the way due to excessive distress. They then cried for some time on the bank of the river too. The river was excellent because it was sacred. “Illustrious” indicates that they did not transgress the scriptures. Because the river was pleasant, it pacified them.1 The presence of flowering forests [on the banks of Mandākinī] brought about a cooling atmosphere till the offering of water was completed.
“Having reached a clean ghat free from mud, they poured water” indicates that they offered water on the bank [not while in the river].
That women can also offer water [in such occasions] is established in the scriptures. They poured water for the king, that is, they offered the water [to him] by uttering, “Dear father, may this be for you.”
It is obvious from the context that they bathed [in the river there]. Śīghra-śrotasam indicates that they faced the stream while bathing.2
How the Lord offered the water is stated next.3