Chapter 3 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 3

Valmiki Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda

Verse 3.20

तेषां मध्ये स राजर्षिर्मरुतामित्र वासवः॥ प्रसादस्थो दशरथो ददर्शायान्तमात्मजम्। गन्धर्वराजप्रतिमं लोके विख्यातपौरुषम्॥ दीर्घबाहुं महासत्त्वं मत्तमातङ्गगामिनम्। चन्द्रकान्ताननं राममतीव प्रियदर्शनम्॥ रूपौदार्यगुणैः पुंसां दृष्टिचित्तापहारिणम्। धर्माभितप्ताः पर्जन्यं ह्लादयन्तमिव प्रजाः॥ न ततर्प समायान्तं पश्यमानो नराधिपः। अवतार्य सुमन्त्रस्तु राघवं स्यन्दनोत्तमात्॥ पितुः समीपं गच्छन्तं प्राञ्जलिः पृष्ठतोऽन्वगात्।

teṣāṃ madhye sa rājarṣirmarutāmitra vāsavaḥ|| prasādastho daśaratho dadarśāyāntamātmajam| gandharvarājapratimaṃ loke vikhyātapauruṣam|| dīrghabāhuṃ mahāsattvaṃ mattamātaṅgagāminam| candrakāntānanaṃ rāmamatīva priyadarśanam|| rūpaudāryaguṇaiḥ puṃsāṃ dṛṣṭicittāpahāriṇam| dharmābhitaptāḥ parjanyaṃ hlādayantamiva prajāḥ|| na tatarpa samāyāntaṃ paśyamāno narādhipaḥ| avatārya sumantrastu rāghavaṃ syandanottamāt|| pituḥ samīpaṃ gacchantaṃ prāñjaliḥ pṛṣṭhato'nvagāt|

English Meaning

Stationed in his palace, the royal saint Dasaratha in the midst of those princes, like Vasava in the midst of the Maruts, saw his son, resembling the king of the Gandharvas, approach, gladdening the subjects like a shower, when they were oppressed with the heat of summer, even Rāma of redoubtable prowess among men, long armed, and of mighty strength, and bearing the gait of a mad elephant, with a countenance fair as the moon, of presence prepossessing to a degree, and captivating men's sight and hearts by reason of his beauty generosity and other qualities. And as he was approaching, the lord of men eyed him steadily, without experiencing satiety. Making Raghava descend from that excellent car, Sumantra followed him with clasped hands as he proceeded to the presence of his father.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)