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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.41.25

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 41: Rāma leaves the sleeping citizens. Sumantra lays misleading tracks, Rāma crosses the Tamasā with Sītā & Lakṣmaṇa before the followers wake

In the sequence: he sends Sumantra ahead alone with the chariot, telling him to drive north for a while and return so that the tracks will mislead the followers

2.41.25

muhūrtaṃ tvaritaṃ gatvā nirgataya rathaṃ punaḥ
yathā na vidyuḥ paurā māṃ tathā kuru samāhitaḥ

Having driven swiftly for a while, turn the chariot back again; act with care, so that the townsfolk may not find out where I am.

Words: muhūrtaṃ — for a short while; tvaritaṃ — swiftly; gatvā — having gone; nirgataya — turn back, drive out; rathaṃ — the chariot; punaḥ — again; yathā — so that; na — not; vidyuḥ — may know; paurā — the townsfolk; māṃ — me; tathā — so; kuru — do; samāhitaḥ — attentive, composed

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. 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.