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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.96.22

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 96: The mothers reach Rāma’s hut. Kausalyā grieves over Daśaratha’s humble offering, the mothers greet Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa & Sītā and the assembly gathers

In the sequence: Kausalyā embraces Sītā and grieves over the effect of forest life on her

2.96.22

padmam ātapasaṃtaptaṃ parikliṣṭam ivotpalam
kāñcanaṃ rajasā dhvastaṃ kliṣṭaṃ candram ivāmbudaiḥ

Like a lotus scorched by heat, like a wilted water-lily, like gold dimmed by dust, like the moon obscured by clouds—

Words: padmam — a lotus; ātapasaṃtaptaṃ — scorched by the heat; parikliṣṭam — wilted, distressed; ivotpalam — like a water-lily; kāñcanaṃ — gold; rajasā — with dust; dhvastaṃ — dimmed, obscured; kliṣṭaṃ — dimmed, afflicted; candram — the moon; ivāmbudaiḥ — as by clouds

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.