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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.14.18

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 14: Rāma answers the summons. Expecting his abhiṣeka and assuming Kaikeyī’s support, Rāma takes leave of Sītā and rides out with Lakṣmaṇa

In the sequence: she follows him to the door with blessings → he greets the people waiting outside and mounts his chariot

2.14.18

sa sarvān arthino dṛṣṭvā sametya pratinandya ca
tataḥ pāvakasaṃkāśam āruroha rathottamam

Seeing all the petitioners, meeting them and greeting them in return, he then mounted his excellent chariot, resplendent as fire.

Words: sa — he; sarvān — all; arthino — the petitioners; dṛṣṭvā — having seen; sametya — having met; pratinandya — having greeted in return; ca — and; tataḥ — then; pāvakasaṃkāśam — resembling fire; āruroha — mounted; rathottamam — the excellent chariot

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.