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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.41.26

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

2.41.26

rāmasya vacanaṃ śrutvā tathā cakre sa sārathiḥ
pratyāgamya ca rāmasya syandanaṃ pratyavedayat

Hearing Rāma's word, the charioteer did so, and returning, announced to Rāma that the chariot was ready.

Words: rāmasya — of Rāma; vacanaṃ — word; śrutvā — having heard; tathā — thus; cakre — did; sa — that; sārathiḥ — charioteer; pratyāgamya — having returned; ca — and; rāmasya — to Rāma; syandanaṃ — the chariot; pratyavedayat — announced, reported

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.