राघवश्चिन्तयित्वैवमुपेत्य चरणौ पितुः । हंसः पद्माविव नवौ जग्राह नखकेसरौ ॥ २१ ॥
rāghavaścintayitvaivamupētya caraṇau pituḥ | haṁsaḥ padmāviva navau jagrāha nakhakēsarau || 21 ||
Translation
Having thought this over, Rāghava went to his father and clasped his feet, whose nails were like filaments, as a swan takes hold of two fresh lotuses.
Word by word
- rāghavaś
- (rāghavaḥ) Rāghava
- cintayitvā
- having thought
- ēvam
- this over
- upētya
- went to
- caraṇau
- the feet
- pituḥ
- of his father
- haṁsaḥ
- a swan
- padmau
- (padmau) two lotuses
- iva
- as
- navau
- fresh
- jagrāha
- clasped
- nakha
- nails
- kēsarau
- like filaments
Meaning
The image is of a swan among lotuses: the father's feet are the flowers, the shining toenails their filaments, and the son bowing over them the swan.