With the king's permission I am going to bring Rāma speedily here. Worshipful you are all to the king and specially to Rāma, I shall with your words, ask the king of his sound sleep, and then of the reasons for his not coming here as yet though up from the bed. Saying thus, Sumantra, versed in legends, arrived at the gate of the royal seraglio. And he entered the palace with its open gates; and having entered the apartment of the lord of earth he went into his sleeping room, and placing himself behind a screen near at hand, addressed the descendant of Raghu thus, pleasing him with blessings fraught with good to him.
रामं राज्ञो नियोगेन त्वरया प्रस्थितो ह्यहम्।।१६। पूज्या राज्ञो भवन्तश्च रामस्य तु विशेषतः। अयं पृच्छामि वचनात् सुखमायुष्मतामहम्॥ राज्ञः सम्प्रतिबुद्धस्य चानागमनकारणम्। इत्युक्त्वान्तःपुरद्वारमाजगाम पुराणवित्॥ सदा सक्तं च तद् वेश्म सुमन्त्रः प्रविवेश ह। तुष्टावास्य तदा वंशं प्रविश्य स विशाम्पतेः॥ शयनीयं नरेन्द्रस्य तदासाद्य व्यतिष्ठत। सोऽत्यासाद्य तु तद्वेश्म तिरस्करणिमन्तरा॥ आशीर्भिर्गुणयुक्ताभिरभितुष्टाव राघवम्।