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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.51.8

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: he tells them that he left the travelers at the Gaṅgā and that they have crossed it → the news renews the city's grief

2.51.8

teṣāṃ śaśaṃsa gaṅgāyām aham āpṛcchya rāghavam
anujñāto nivṛtto 'smi dhārmikeṇa mahātmanā

He told them: 'At the Gaṅgā, having taken leave of Rāghava and been granted permission by that righteous, great-souled one, I have returned.'

Words: teṣāṃ — to them; śaśaṃsa — told, announced; gaṅgāyām — at the Gaṅgā; aham — I; āpṛcchya — having taken leave of; rāghavam — Rāghava; anujñāto — given leave; nivṛtto — returned; 'smi — I am; dhārmikeṇa — by the righteous one; mahātmanā — great-souled

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.