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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.51.4

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 51: Sumantra returns to Ayodhyā. Citizens surround the empty chariot, news of Rāma’s crossing renews their grief and Daśaratha collapses on receiving his message

In the sequence: The narrative turns back to Sumantra after the Gaṅgā crossing: Guha returns home, and the driver eventually sets out for Ayodhyā → after traveling through forests, rivers, and settlements, he reaches the city on the third evening of his journey

2.51.4

tataḥ sāyāhnasamaye tṛtīye 'hani sārathiḥ
ayodhyāṃ samanuprāpya nirānandāṃ dadarśa ha

Then, at eventide on the third day, the charioteer reached Ayodhyā and beheld it joyless.

Words: tataḥ — then; sāyāhnasamaye — at the evening time; tṛtīye — on the third; 'hani — day; sārathiḥ — the charioteer; ayodhyāṃ — Ayodhyā; samanuprāpya — having reached; nirānandāṃ — joyless; dadarśa — beheld, saw; ha — indeed

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.