Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 16: Lakṣmaṇa’s Description of Winter
Text 3.16.26
जराजर्झरितैः पद्मैः शीर्णकेसरकार्णिकैः।
नालशेषैर्हिमध्वस्तैर्न भान्ति कमलाकराः॥
jarā-jarjharitaiḥ padmaiḥ śīrṇa-kesara-karṇikaiḥ
nāla-śeṣair hima-dhvastair na bhānti kamalākarāḥ
jarā-jarjharitaiḥ = and withered due to old age; padmaiḥ = the lotuses; śīrṇa-kesara-karṇikaiḥ = their filaments and pericarps have slackened; nāla-śeṣaiḥ = and they are left with their stalks; hima-dhvastaiḥ = have been destroyed by the ice; na = not; bhānti = do look well; kamala-ākarāḥ = the lotus ponds.
The lotus ponds do not look well. The lotuses have been destroyed by the ice and withered due to old age. Their filaments and pericarps have slackened and they are left with their stalks.
The lotuses were discolored because of their old age.
In the next verse, Lakṣmaṇa tells Rāmacandra that Bharata was in distress about Rāma’s return [to Ayodhyā] and that the time to meet Him was nearing.