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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.70.21

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 70: Daśaratha’s cremation. The body is lifted from oil and carried to a fragrant-wood pyre, the family offers water in the Sarayū and begins ten days of mourning

In the sequence: the ṛtvijs and Queens circle the burning pyre, keeping Daśaratha to their left and then go to the Sarayū to offer water → the family observes ten days of mourning on the ground.

2.70.21

krauñcīnām iva nārīṇāṃ ninādas tatra śuśruve
ārtānāṃ karuṇaṃ kāle krośantīnāṃ sahasraśaḥ

There was heard the outcry of the women, like that of female krauñca birds—afflicted, wailing piteously by the thousands at that hour.

Words: krauñcīnām — of female krauñca birds; iva — like; nārīṇāṃ — of the women; ninādas — the outcry, wailing; tatra — there; śuśruve — was heard; ārtānāṃ — of the afflicted; karuṇaṃ — piteously; kāle — at that hour; krośantīnāṃ — of them crying out; sahasraśaḥ — by the thousands

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.