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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.87.22

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 87: Bharata locates Citrakūṭa. The marching army disturbs the forest, scouts report smoke and Bharata halts the main force to approach the dwelling

In the sequence: scouts report a column of smoke: someone is living there, whether the brothers or other tapasvins

2.87.22

te samālokya dhūmāgram ūcur bharatam āgatāḥ
nāmanuṣye bhavaty agnir vyaktam atraiva rāghavau

Having observed the column of smoke, they came and said to Bharata: “Fire does not arise where there are no men; clearly the two Rāghavas are right here.”

Words: te — they; samālokya — having observed, sighted; dhūmāgram — the column of smoke; ūcur — said; bharatam — to Bharata; āgatāḥ — having come; nāmanuṣye — not where there are no men; bhavaty — arises, comes to be; agnir — fire; vyaktam — clearly; atraiva — right here; rāghavau — the two Rāghavas

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.