Chapter 1 — Janaki Mangal

I (Tulsidas) bow my head most reverentially to my Guru (moral preceptor), Lord Ganesh, Lord Shiva, Gauri (Parvati, the divine Goddess and the consort of Shiva), the Lord of the spoken word (represented by Lord Brahma, the creator of the Vedas, the ancient scriptures that were the first spoken texts), goddess Sharda (Saraswati, the patron goddess of knowledge and speech), Seshnath (the legendary serpent who supports the world), the great poets and bards (Sukabi), the Srutis (Vedas), and simple-hearted and pious saints.

I join the palms of my hands as a mark of great respect to all of you, and I also pray to all of you in order to invoke your combined blessing as I am about to sing (narrate in poetic verses) about the auspicious marriage ceremony of Lord Sri Ram and Sita, and the festivities associated with it, according to my intelligence and understanding. (So, please be gracious, and help me in my pious efforts.)

On an auspicious day, royal arrangements were made for the marriage ceremony, known as a Swayambar, of Sita. Tulsidas says that by merely hearing about this auspicious occasion of the marriage of Lord Ram with Sita, the divine couple resides in the heart of the hearer.

This ceremony was organized in a country called “Tirhut’ which was exceptionally pleasant, beautiful and charming. This venue was best place on the earth. In fact, it was regarded as a crown-jewel amongst all the places in the entire creation consisting of three subsections known as the ‘Tribhuvan’. It was so magnificent that it also found fame in the Vedas (which extolled its beauty and worthiness for top honours).

There, in the country called Tirhut, was a famous city called Janakpur (which was its capital). In this city, goddess Laxmi (the divine consort of Lord Vishnu, the Supreme God) manifested herself in the person of Sita who was like an ocean of all things auspicious, cheerful, blissful, delightful and joyous.

There lived a king there by the name of Janak. He possessed all the good virtues one can imagine of, and there was no one comparable or akin to him anywhere in the world. (That is, Janak was an extremely wise, enlightened and acclaimed king. He possessed peerless noble virtues and grand qualities the like of which no one possessed at that time anywhere on earth. The other name of king Janak was ‘Shir-dwaj’. There was no king who was like him in the past, no one at that current time, and no one would be in the future. See verse no. 7.)

There has not been a king like Janak in the past, there is none at present, and there shall be none in the times to come. His daughter was Sita who was a personified form of all auspiciousness, and a herald of all good fortunes.

Seeing that the princess has come of age, the king summoned his Guru (named Shataa-nand) and other family members and discussed with them about the prospects of her marriage. They unanimously decided to hold a ‘Swayambar’ with Lord Shiva’s bow as the pivot on which the decision of who will marry Sita would rest. (That is, Shiva’s formidable bow was made the condition of marriage of Sita, and it was decided that anybody who strings the bow shall marry the princess'.)

Chanda, the king (Janak) organized the Swayambar with the stringing of Lord Shiva’s bow as the central theme (or the pre-condition set for the marriage of Sita). That bow was extremely magnificent to behold, and it appeared as if the creator Brahma had used it as a showpiece-sample to exhibit all the expertise in master craftsmanship that he possessed.

Then message (invitation) was sent to all the countries to invite their rulers to attend the ceremony to be held at Janakpur. Hearing this news, all the countless great kings and princes of the world felt glad, and they arrived at Janakpur with all their royal regalia, pomp and pageantry, resplendent with the best of regal paraphernalia that each of them possessed.

All of the kings groomed (i.e. prepared) themselves well before departure from their respective kingdoms. They were handsome, virtuous, of the proper age, of a high pedigree and of a noble clan, and were strong and accomplished. When they arrived in Janakpur with full pomp and pageantry, they were all in their finest of royal regalia and were accompanied by their royal armies. It looked then that whole court of Indra (the king of Gods) has come down (descended) on earth (to attend and witness the marriage ceremony of Sita, who was an incarnation of goddess Laxmi).

Even the Danavas (demons), the Gods, the Nisaachars (phantoms and ghosts who walk in the night; the ogres and the hobgoblins), the Kinnars (celestial singers and dancers), and Ahigans (the legendary serpents representing the inhabitants of the subterranean world)—all of them assumed a human form of a king on hearing of the Swayambar, and cheerfully proceeded to Janakpur to attend and witness the magnificent event.

Some of them (the kings and princes) are ready for departure’ (for Janakpur). Some are on their way, some have already arrived and are entering the city, while still others rush at the sight of the bow to snatch it up (before others could try their hands at it because they want to grab the first opportunity), and being unable to lift it up, they sit down on their seats most dejected, crestfallen and full of shame’.

Some of them go around the city cheerfully for sightseeing, and glance at the decorations of the city as well as that of the ‘Rang Bhumi’—the arena of the bowbreaking ceremony. They appear virtuous by their demeanours’, and are so enthralled by the charming sights of the city that they could not wean away or divert their mind and eyes from its splendour, grandeur, magnificence and charm’.

Some of the assembled kings feel jealous of those kings who they observe are being welcomed by king Janak, and at the same time they envy the majesty, wealth and grandeur of Janak' as well as the finesse with which he deals with all of them. They resent the way the newly arrived kings and princes are being shown respect by Janak according to their status (because some of these egoistic and haughty kings think that no other king is greater than them in this world). (There were some proud kings who were full of vanity and haughtiness. They would not tolerate that some other king should be shown respect in their presence. This made them look and feel inferior to others in front of their attendants, something that they were not willing to digest. Besides this, they were also jealous of the wealth of their host, king Janak, because they watched him liberally spending wealth, without hesitation or limit, in the welcoming ceremony of countless monarchs. They were already in awe at Janak’s material prosperity and the wealth of the kingdom, and this awe turned into an exacerbated sense of jealousy and envy when they saw that other kings were given liberal gifts which could have been theirs in the first place if these kings had not come. They grumbled, ‘why did Janak not give this or that gift to me, and why did he think I did not deserve some precious gift that he gave to that other king?’ And so on and so forth There was another reason for their exacerbated sense of jealousy and envy. They felt that the more people assembled to compete to break the bow, the chances of their getting an opportunity to try their strength and luck would be correspondingly less because of the crowd and its accompanying melee, and the corresponding necessity to stand in a queue. They loathed this idea—because, after all, one king at a time could be allowed to try his luck, and the first one to successfully lift and string the bow would get to marry Sita, the trophy of the competition, while others behind the successful candidate would be left in the lurch. This would be too grave an insult for those who could not even try. All these factors created a lot of resentment and grumbling amongst the assembled kings and princes.)

Presently, there is such a huge jostling, surging crowd (of kings and princes and their attendants, as well as the excited citizens of Janakpur), both inside and outside of the venue of the bow-breaking ceremony, in the city, in the palace grounds, and even outside the city, that it is impossible for anyone to describe the occasion. Everywhere there is an atmosphere of festivity, celebration and joy. There is a loud cacophony of songs and beating of drums to add to the festivities’.

About that time, sage Vishwamitra went to Ayodhya. The king (Dasrath) showed great respect to him and brought him home to his palace.

The king was extremely pleased to have such an exalted sage as his honoured guest, and so he made all efforts to duly welcome the sage, making him feel most comfortable and at home. The king expressed his immense pleasure by saying—‘Oh sage, I am very privileged and honoured to welcome you and have you as my honoured guest. It appears that no one has done so many good and virtuous deeds as me’ because I it is me who has been given the honour of having an exalted sage like you as my guest.’

The king observed cheerfully, ‘No one has done good and virtuous deeds as I have done, and no one is as fortunate as I am—because today, a great sage of the stature of Vishwamitra has come on his own to my place to pay a visit and make me blessed and fortunate in every way.’

Hearing these pleasurable words of the king, the sage reciprocated by honouring and blessing the king (that he is the most fortunate person in the whole world because he has the rare privilege of having the Lord of the world as his son, Lord Ram)'. The joy and pleasure of meeting each other were known only to the king’s and the sage’s hearts; no one else could fathom it.

Kaushik (sage Vishwamitra) blessed them. They (the queens) felt extremely delighted as if the sage had watered tender creepers of the Kalpa Tree (the evergreen tree of the Gods) with the water of Amrit (the elixir of life and the ambrosia that gives eternal peace, bliss and happiness).

When the sage saw Lord Sri Ram along with his brothers, tears (of profound love and surging affection) welled up in his eyes; his body was extremely thrilled, and his heart and mind (the ‘Mana’) were enamoured and held in thrall by their beauty.

He (Vishwamitra) touched the head of Lord Sri Ram with his lotus-like hands and overwhelmed with exhilaration and joy he embraced the Lord, clasping him to his heart. The sage got so ecstatic that he virtually immersed himself in an ocean of love and affection for the Lord. (This symbolic ocean was so deep, dense and heaving that the sage got virtually drowned in its surging waves; he was unable to fathom it. The burst of exhilaration and ecstasy was so profound and intense that he could not stand against its blast and got numbed. The sage forgot about the surroundings, and his condition was like a hermit who has attained the state of transcendental existence that is possible in the higher stages of meditation, the stage known as Samadhi when the person loses awareness of even his own body and is overcome with ecstasy and bliss of the highest order.)

He reverentially observed Lord Ram’s pleasant and enchanting image and repeatedly praised the king’s good fortunes and privilege (that he could see the enchanting form of the Supreme Being at so close quarters, he could play with the Lord and shower his love on him, a feat that even the greatest of sages and seers longed for but could not achieve).

Then the king showed his reverence and sense of gratitude for the sage by bringing together his hands so that their palms touched each other. (This is a traditional method of showing respect to others.)

The king told the sage in a sweet and pleasing voice, “Revered sage! I have become privileged and feel honoured at having seen your holy feet."

Kaushik (sage Vishwamitra) heard these sweet and humble words of the king and lauded him (for his humility, modesty and simplicity). He narrated or cited some episodes pertaining to Dharma (i.e. to the laws of righteousness, probity, propriety, noble conduct, morality and ethics) and then told him the purpose of his visit’.

When the sage finally disclosed his purpose of visit to the king’, the latter was stunned and dumbfounded beyond measure. He was virtually in a stupor, not being able to utter a word of answer, either yes or no. He was literally torn between two extreme emotions and was dangling on the horns of a great and unprecedented dilemma—because on the one hand there was the intense pull of the bond of love that he had for his sons (Ram and Laxman), and on the other hand there was the demand of righteous duty and the need to adhere to the principles of a true upholder of Dharma that was expected from such a great king as he who was renowned the world over precisely for this virtue’.

Observing that the king is unable to give a positive, decisive answer to the requests of sage Vishwamitra (as he was dangling on the horns of a dilemma, not being able to decide whether or not to allow Lord Ram to go with the sage), his Guru, sage Vashistha, reasoned with him in various ways (using different logics and arguments to convince the king to send Ram to the forest with the sage, and assuring him of the Lord’s absolute safety with Vishwamitra).

Hearing the words of prudent advice given by his Guru, the king somehow gathered courage and felt reassured. Then the Lord of Kaushal (i.e. the king of Ayodhya; Dasrath) held his palms together as a gesture of paying respect to sage Vishwamitra, and said to him, ‘Oh Lord! You are an ocean of mercy and compassion as well as aware of all the things. Hence, it is not proper to talk much (and argue and discuss the matter further) before you.

King Dasrath told sage Vishwamitra—‘Oh Lord! It is indeed your grace and blessings that gives all of us—me, the children as well as the subjects of the entire kingdom—protection, whether we live in a city or in the forest.’

The king said many such words of humility and submission to the sage, then handed over Lord Sri Ram and Laxman to him. The king kneeled down and clasped the sage’s lotus-like feet as an act of seeking his protection and a gesture of submission before the great sage.

At the instructions of their father as well as their mother, they (Lord Sri Ram and Laxman) fell at the feet of the Guru (i.e. sage Vashistha) to pay their respects to the great sage. The two brothers had a quiver and Pitambar (a silk seamless golden-coloured cloth) tied around their waists, and they held a bow and an arrow in their hands’.

The citizens, the king and the queens were extremely sad at the moment Ram and Laxman were preparing to go with sage Vishwamitra. They became overwhelmed with emotions and literally sent their hearts and minds along with Raghunandan (i.e. the son of the Raghu’s clan, Lord Sri Ram) as he went out to accompany the sage to the forest, by saying—‘Oh our beloved Raghunandan! Once you have finished the designated work of the sage (Vishwamitra), please come back immediately. '(Remember this—the time that we have to spend without you will be most burdensome for us, and it is impossible for us to live without you in our midst for a long time. So, do come back as soon as possible.’)

All of them (i.e. the parents, the Guru, and the citizens of Ayodhya) invoked their patron God (i.e. Lord Shiva) and blessed Sri Ram and Laxman, saying, “You should achieve victory and fame. Let not a single hair of your head fall while you bathe (i.e. let not a single hair of yours be harmed; let Lord Shiva give you absolute protection). And look, don’t delay in coming back (as soon as the work of securing sage Vishwamitra’s fire sacrifice is completed).’

At the time of their (Ram and Laxman’s) departure, all the residents of the city were overwhelmed with anguish and grief that comes with separation from someone whom one loves very dearly. Bharat and his younger brother (Shatrughan) bowed at the feet of Sri Ram as a mark of respect and farewell.

At that time, many different good signs began to appear as if to forecast an auspicious future. Then Sri Ram and Laxman left with sage Vishwamitra (for his hermitage in the forest to protect his fire sacrifice).

They were respectively of a dark and fair complexion (i.e. Lord Ram was dark, and his younger brother Laxman was fair complexioned), were in their teens, and both of them appeared to be a treasury of charm, magnificence and beauty, enchanting the mind the heart of all those who beheld them. It looked as if the creator Brahma has created them out of all the beauty, majesty, charm, magnificence and grandeur that ever existed in the world. (In other words, the beauty, the charm, the magnificence and the glamour of the two brothers was matchless, and it seemed that the creator has extracted the best of everything that was beautiful, magnificen, charming and glamorous to create these two young brothers, Ram and Laxman.)!

We have searched and looked around very carefully in all the 14 Bhuvans (territories, segments, parts and areas of the universe created by Brahma) but there is nothing to compare them with. They look very magnificent and charming while on their way alongside the sage (Vishwamitra).

This (stupendously charming) image of them (Ram and Laxman) has enshrined itself in the heart of Tulsidas. The sight reminds one of the Sun migrating towards the north of the equinox along with Madhu (i.e. the month of Chaitra or mid March-April) and Maadhav (i.e. May-June)".

They (the two brothers) excitedly look at different mountains, hills, trees, creepers, rivers, streams, lakes, ponds etc. while on their way to the sage’s hermitage. They run behind and try to stop the birds and deer (or other pleasant and harmless animals) from running away from them in a manner behoving children of their age’.

Then they get scared of the sage (fearing that he shall be annoyed) and come back to him. Then at other times, they pluck flowers, fruits and leaves, and string a garland out of them.

Watching the joyful and pleasant playful activities (of Sri Ram and Laxman), the heart of the sage gets overwhelmed with delight and joy as well as a surge of love and affection for them'. The clouds provide shade and the Gods rain flowers on the path’.

About that time, Sri Ram slayed (the demoness known as) Taadka. Seeing the two brothers fully eligible and worthy of being imparted knowledge, the sage gave them the holy Mantra—i.e. revealed to them the formula and secrets of the art and science of weapons and warfare. (He taught the two brothers the secrets of many powerful and invincible weapons, as well as the intricacies and methods to use them during battle, both to attack the enemy as well as for self-defence.)

Making the people who lived along the way fully contented in their hearts and minds by the magnificent sight of the two brothers (Ram and Laxman), and making them feel that they have got the full reward of having eyes (as they were able to watch the bewitching beauty of the two brothers as they wended their way through the villages and hamlets along the way to the hermitage of sage Vishwamitra), Lord Ram—who is the vanquisher of the fear of Brahmins—went to the hermitage of Kaushik (sage Vishwamitra).

Then, he (Sri Ram) destroyed (killed) the hordes of demons (who were defiling the fire sacrifice) and helped the sage to complete his fire sacrifice without any hindrance’, thereby making all the sages, hermits and seers feel reassured and fearless from the scare of the mighty and cruel demons. The whole world erupted in joy as it sang and lauded this great deed of the Lord.

Thereafter, the great sage (Vishwamitra) embarked on the next phase of his mission, which was to accomplish the task of Brahmins, saints and Gods. (This mission was to make them happy by bringing about a union of Lord Vishnu’s human form as Ram with the Lord’s eternal cosmic counterpart, goddess Laxmi who had manifested herself as Sita, and pave the way for the ultimate elimination of the cruel demons for which purpose Vishnu had to come to earth in the first place.)

So, with this objective in mind, the sage moved ahead and went on a journey (to Janakpur) to witness the ‘Danush Yagya’, a ceremony in which the formidable bow of Lord Shiva was to play the central role. He took Ram and Laxman along on the pretext of making them also witness this rare spectacle (and in the process fulfil the wishes of the Brahmins, saints, sages and Gods)!

Hearing of their arrival, the king (Janak) came forward to meet and welcome them. He was accompanied by his ministers, Guru and Brahmins (i.e. elders of the royal court). The king knelt down to clasp the sage’s feet (in reverence) and was blessed by him in return. Then he showed great respect and honour to the sage and formally invited him to the city to attend the ceremony’.

He (the king) felt a hundred times happier and more contented than the joys of attainment of Brahm (supreme reality) at the sight of Sri Ram.

At the sight of that enchanting and captivating image (of Sri Ram), love and affection sprouted in the heart of the king. He got tied with the Lord by the thread of love and affection, and all his so-called dispassion, detachment and renunciation which made him famous by the name of Videh (literally, one who is detached from his body), vanished!

He praised this gross world (inspite of him being enlightened enough to know that it is illusionary and entrapping for the soul of the creature, and not something one would like to choose if given a choice). He was so excited and exhilarated in his heart that he exclaimed—‘Ironically, this Bhavsagar (i.e. mundane, deluding, artificial world that is compared to a fathomless vast ocean which is said to trap the soul in an endless cycle of birth and death, as well as the one that keep the creature eternally tormented by the pulls and tugs of its illusive material charms) appears at last to be so pleasant and good because it is here that such excellent gems (here represented by Lord Ram and Laxman) are produced. Really, the creator Brahma is very clever indeed’.’

Their (parent’s) eyes represent the Gods who were feeling contented by the beautiful and enchanting sight of the Kalpa Tree represented by these children. (The ‘Kalpa Tree’ is the all wish-fulfilling tree of the Gods. It gives whatever the Gods desire. The desire of the ‘eye’ is to see things that are nice and pleasant, things that give peace and happiness to the mind and the heart. The sight of Ram and Laxman gives the same happiness and peace to their parents, fulfilling all their desires as parents, just like the Kalpa Tree gives happiness, peace and contentedness to the Gods.)

Oh, the chief amongst the sages (i.e. Vishwamitra)! Please tell me whose sons are these two beautiful children, the one with a fair complexion and the one with a dark complexion, who hold a bow and arrow in their hands?

Regular contemplation on the pure self as well as on the supreme reality and the absolute truth of creation has made my mind and heart turn away from the materialistic world of sensual pleasures and objects. Instead of the world, I prefer to think and dwell constantly on spiritual matters and the soul. But when I observe the two brothers (Ram and Laxman), my mind and heart become enthralled and captivated by them, thinking that it is in their best interest. (That is, when I see Ram and Laxman, I feel that my sight has been fully rewarded, and all my spiritual efforts till now have borne fruit.)

(Seeing this ecstatic mental condition of Janak—) The sage (Vishwamitra) became thrilled and said most affectionately— ‘Oh the Lord of the earth (because Janak was a king)! These children are an image of Brahm, the Supreme Being. (And this is why you are so enamoured of them. There is no wonder in your getting so enthralled at their sight because they are not ordinary princes but images of the Lord. Since you always think and contemplate of Brahm, and Brahm is standing right in your front in the form of Ram, I am not at all surprised at your ecstatic condition. It is expected and natural.)

They are the jewels of the sun-race (the solar dynasty that descended from the Sun God) and are the sons of king Dasrath (of Ayodhya). Their names are Ram and Laxman respectively, and they are the destroyers of demons.'

Sri Ram is wholesome in respect of beauty, noble characters, fine virtues, noble pedigree and proper age (i.e. he is in his teens and has attained a marrigable age). (In other words, the sage indirectly recommended to Janak to consider Ram as a suitable candidate for becoming a groom for his daughter Sita for whom he has organized the bow ceremony. The wise sage chose the correct moment to advocate Ram’s case as a suitable groom for Janak’s daughter because the king has just now shown keen interest in the two princes, Ram and Laxman, and the sage thought that a word of recommendation on his part may help Janak make up his mind in favour of Ram.) The king heard all this (i.e. the subtle hint that the sage was giving to him about Ram being an eligible bachelor and a suitable candidate to be selected as the groom), but remembering his stern vows (that Sita would be married only to someone who lifts and strings the sturdy bow of Lord Shiva, and that he cannot unilaterally decide to select Ram as the groom for his daughter at this late hour when countless other princes have already arrived, and with the ceremony scheduled for the next day in full public view it is unthinkable at this late stage to rescind on his vows) the king became very pensive, gloomy and depressed. (This was because though Janak personally favoured and liked to see Ram as the groom for his daughter Sita, the things were in such a fix that he cannot do so. Janak was mentally regretting his own decision to hold the bow ceremony, and his mind churned rapidly to find some way out so that he could wriggle out of his dilemma, save his face and reputation, and somehow be able to marry Sita with Ram. But it appeared to be an impossible task.)

Chanda 6. He (Janak) became deeply pensive when he remembered his vows (that Sita would be married only to that person who strings Lord Shiva’s bow). Gradually he overcame is depressive thoughts and regained his composure, patiently expressing a lot of respect and giving due honour to them (Ram and Laxman as well as sage Vishwamitra). Then he took them along to show them around the arena where the challenging ceremony of the bow was to be held.

Kaushik (Vishwamitra) lauded the grandeur and magnificence of the venue, hearing which the king felt very delighted. Then he gave the sage a magnificent throne to sit upon, along with Sri Ram and Laxman.

Those two jewels of the Raghu’s clan (a reference to Lord Ram and his younger brother Laxman) looked so glorious and magnificent in that assembly of kings as if two moons of a winter’s night are present simultaneously amidst the countless stars represented by the huge throng of kings.

The two brothers present a wonderful and most enchanting sight to behold with beautiful, curled hairs on their heads, beautiful eyes which are like the lotus flower*, and handsome bodies, which are of a dark and fair complexion respectively, are so bewitchingly attractive that they trounce the pride and vanity of millions of Kamdeocupids.

The Tilak mark (which is a religious symbol marked on the forehead with a paste of sandalwood and saffron mixed with water) appears to be like an arrow mounted on the bow of Kamdeo-cupid which is represented by their (Ram and Laxman’s) curved eyebrows. The mind and heart become delighted at the sight of the ornaments worn by them in their ears (the earrings).

Their nose, chin, cheeks, lips and teeth are very beautiful to behold, while their faces—which put to shame the beauty of the full Moon of a winter night—are so enchanting that they virtually hold the beholder’s mind and heart captive and enthralled by their inherent charm.

They have a broad chest. Their shoulders are as magnificent and majestic as those of a bull, while their arms are very strong and sturdy. They wear Pitambars (yellow, seamless, silk, body wrapping cloth) and the sacred thread, while a necklace of pearls adorns their necks.

They have a quiver tied to their waists and hold a bow and arrow in their hands. In this manner, all their body parts are enchanting for the mind and heart and are worth beholding.

Watching the majestic beauty of Sri Ram and Laxman, the citizens of the city (of Janakpur) became exhilarated. Their hearts were delighted, their eyes were filled with tears (of joy), and their bodies were thrilled with affection for the Lord.

Looking at the two brothers, the womenfolk of the city consider themselves most fortunate. They tell each other enthusiastically—‘We have received the reward of taking birth in this world.’

All of them earnestly pray to Lord Shiva and invoke his blessings with the hope that Sita would get the dark-complexioned prince (i.e. Lord Ram) as her groom, and consequentially they would all can get an opportunity to sing songs of felicitations and joy that would mark such an auspicious occasion.

Some among the womenfolk wonder—‘The prince is still very young while Shiva’s bow is hard as the Vajra (Indra’s weapon, considered the hardest object in this creation). Say, why has no one dared and gathered courage to tell (advise or warn) Janak to consider how it was ever possible for the young ones of a Swan to be able to lift a huge mountain?’

Looking at Sri Ram, all the assembled kings (who had gathered at the venue of the bow ceremony to try their luck by lifting the bow) lost all hopes of ever marrying Sita, and they speculated that now Janak would certainly marry Sita to the darkcomplexioned groom by abandoning his stubbornness and revoking his declared vow (that only the person who lifts and strings the bow would be betrothalled to Sita).

Some of them assert that it is a good thing for it will be a grand marriage if Janak indeed sets aside his stern vows for the sake of the happiness of the groom and the bride (because it would be a perfect match).

Those kings who were wise, practical, and dispassionate in their hearts, said, ‘It appears to us that wherever there is glory, majesty, fame and beauty, the virtues of strength and valour are also present there. (In the assembly of invited kings there were some who realised that Sita was too young for them, and Ram was a perfect match for her. So, when they saw that other kings were getting restless and eager to grab the first chance to break the bow in order to marry Sita, these wise kings admonished and rebuked them. They remarked that the person, who is so charming and majestic to look at, a reference to Lord Ram, is also strong enough to lift the bow. They implied that none of the kings had the charm and majesty that Lord Ram had, and they aren’t strong enough to lift Lord Shiva’s bow. Therefore, why don’t they sit down quietly instead of shuffling excitedly on their seats; why don’t they come to their senses and avoid proving themselves impotent and lesser in strength by not attempting to lift the bow and making their incompetence and irrelevance evident?)

Look, you cannot lift your eyes even as much as to glimpse directly at Sri Ram! (because you feel shy and ashamed at yourself when you compare your own lack of strength, majesty, glamour and charm with that of Lord Ram, because you have developed an inferiority complex in the face of the glamour and majesty that Ram possesses, and because you have realised that none of you have the stature behoving of a groom suitable for Sita as much as that of Ram). Then say, why do you unnecessarily boast”? It is due to destiny that your strength and valour has already been put to shame (refer verse no. 11). Now then, why do you put your wisdom and intellect also to shame and dishonour (by not being wise and intelligent enough to realise your limitations and ground realities, and boasting that you will break the bow and marry Sita when you know that you do not have the wherewithal to do so, and when you know that a suitable candidate in the form of Lord Ram has come, who is certain to find favour with Sita, her father and the rest of the people of Janakpur)?’

(Tulsidas says that—) It is absolutely certain that when Lord Ram gets up, the bow shall be broken, while the rest of the assembled kings and their retinue will have to go back home empty-handed, burdened by shame and ignominy, just like one has to leave a place when his nose is broken (and starts bleeding—a figure of speech implying shame, humiliation and dishonour)".

(So, the good kings reproached the greedy kings by saying—) ‘Why don’t you fellows drink the nectar-like beauty (of Sri Ram) to your heart’s content? Make yourself feel contented and privileged by doing so” (because when it is certain that you fellows won’t marry Sita, then why not use this opportunity to enjoy the wonderful spectacle of Lord Ram breaking the bow and marrying Sita, as this chance will not come to you again in life; why do you wish to fritter it away out of your haughtiness and vanity?). Why do you want to become beastly and mean, and behave like an animal in the guise of a man? That is, why don’t you enjoy the wonderful sight of Lord Ram looking so majestic and grand in the middle of the assembly? Have you ever seen such a lovely prince in your life? In his comparison all of you look like ugly animals. Your behaviour is also like a stupid and lustful animal that has no sense of propriety and wisdom because all of you yearn to marry Sita who is much younger in age than any of you, and none of you is a suitable match for her by any yardstick. Can’t you see the dilemma that Janak is in—put yourselves in his place and think what you would do. When Ram is present as a candidate, say which father would not like to marry his beloved daughter to him as compared to you all, none of whom is even like a dark shadow of this glorious prince. When it is dead certain that Sita will be married to Ram, what sense is there in inviting humiliation and shame by attempting to lift the bow, especially when it is Lord Shiva’s bow and the latter has already been invoked by the citizens as well as Sita to make things happen in a way that the bow breaks automatically at the hands of Ram, implying that it would not move a fraction no matter how hard you all try. In this scenario, what sense is there in boasting that you have great strength? Why don’t you fill your hearts and eyes with the pleasant sight of Lord Ram who is like a lotus amongst other flowers in this pond representing the venue of the bow ceremony?

The two princes (Ram and Laxman) look magnificent on either side of the sage (Vishwamitra), and this view reminds one of the wonderful and enchanting sight of the sun when it is viewed at an angle in such a way that it has a blue-tinged and a yellowtinged lotus flower on either side of it. In this imagery, Lord Ram is compared to the blue lotus because he has a dark complexion, Laxman to a yellow lotus as he has a fair complexion, and sage Vishwamitra to the sun as he is radiant with divine energy that he has accumulated by doing severe Tapa, effusing out of him.

The sage affectionately moves his hands on the curled lock of hairs dangling on the side of the ears of the two princes. This view is like the dark-red petals of a lotus flower caressing two young sons of Kamdeo-cupid. In this imagery, Lord Ram and Laxman are like the two most handsome sons of Kamdeo, the patron God of beauty, and the sage’s hands are compared to the petals of the red lotus. The young ones of Kamdeo who are sitting near the lotus flower are being tenderly caressed by the petals as they sway in the soft wind.

‘Oh, why don’t you respectfully and intently look at the sweet and enchanting image (of Lord Ram) that has the ability to captivate and enthral even the heart of Kamdeo-cupid? All of you unnecessarily put yourselves to shame in the assembly of kings without any rhyme or reason.’

Having given this advice to the other kings, the saintly kings began to cheerfully look at the beautiful image (of Sri Ram and Laxman). They stared at the lotus-like face of the Moon of the Raghu’s clan (i.e. the beautiful face of Lord Ram) just like the bird Chakor looks at the full moon without blinking’.

The ladies and gentlemen of the city intently, unblinkingly and closely watch Sri Ram who is like a lamp of king Raghu’s clan. (That is, Lord Ram is the brightest son of this dynasty.) The citizens are so overwhelmed and moved with love and affection for the Lord that they put the blame for the dilemma and uncertainties that have been created on king Videh (king Janak)’. (What was the uncertainty and dilemma? The king had vowed that anyone who lifts and strings the bow of Lord Shiva would marry Sita. But with Ram present in their midst, the citizens want him to be chosen as the groom for Sita. This is the dilemma and the quandary—the king will not go back on his vows, and therefore it is uncertain whether their wishes to see Sita married to Ram would be fulfilled.)

Someone says, “The king is very good and truthful; don’t blame him. Look, a king who does not steadfastly adheres to his words or vows, and a woman who does not wear the basic ornament of the nose-pin or the nose-ring, do not look good and are not appreciated.’ (When some of the citizens began accusing king Janak of being stubborn in sticking to his vows of tieing the marriage of Sita with the bow, and in the process putting her future at an uncertain stake, some wise amongst them defended the king. They said that the king is not at fault. When he had set the condition of the lifting of the formidable bow, he was not aware of Lord Ram. And once the condition is set and declared openly, it would be absolutely unrighteous and unpardonable for any noble king to go back on his own words. So, though it is true that in the present instance this stern vow is acting as a spoil-sport, but one must not blame the king for this impasse. In fact, the king himself is in a dilemma; he himself regrets that he made this vow. But now it can’t be helped.)

‘In our opinion, the king has done a good thing of making the vow because it is due to it that our eyes have been rewarded with the opportunity to have this fruit (or reward in the form of the rare privilege of viewing Lord Ram and Laxman). (If the king hadn’t organized this ceremony and had married Sita to some prince of his choice, there would not have been an opportunity for sage Vishwamitra to bring Ram and Laxman here, and we all would have missed on this golden chance of our lifetime. So, instead of accusing the king of being stern and tieing the future of Sita to the bow we must rather thank him for giving us this chance of viewing Lord Ram at such close quarters.)

All the desires and wishes that such a virtuous, righteous, truthful and noble king makes in his heart are sure to be fulfilled by the Lord God, and the Lord shall uphold his (king’s) vows, promises and words by ensuring that the desire of his heart is fulfilled. (And what is the desire of the king? Well, the king himself is eager to see Ram as the groom. So, he must also be praying to Lord Shiva to make things happen in such a way that Ram marries Sita, and his vows are also upheld. Had the king known about Ram prior to making his vows, it is sure that he would not have done so and instead invited Ram directly to marry Sita.)?

If the king had heard about the beauty and virtuous characters of Sri Ram prior to his making the vow, then he would have certainly invited him and would have betrothalled Sita to him. No one would have found any fault with the king then.

But now having once made a particular vow and then breaking it in front of the ‘Panchas’—literally meaning ‘five witnesses’ but here implying the whole assembly, the king is bound to invite an extremely bad name and infamy as a king who tells lies, is selfish and unrighteous. This infamy will spread across the world like wild-fire, and it is something most incongrues to even imagine and think of for such a noble king as Janak'.

‘Indeed, even now it is sure that Raghunandan (Sri Ram) shall lift and string the bow, and the whole of the three worlds shall sing felicitous songs on the occasion of his marriage ceremony (with Sita).’ (The phrase ‘three world’ means the entire world. In classical literature, the world is divided into three segments—viz. the heaven, the earth, and the subterranean world.)

Presently, the royal womenfolk are watching from the palace balconies and windows, and when they talk, their teeth shine and dazzle like electric.

Their (the women companion of the queen-mother) teeth resemble the dazzle of lightening. The beautiful woman is looking adorable, and their charm, beauty and magnificence appears to put to shame the pride and haughtiness of Rati, the consort of Kamdeo, as being the most beautiful lady in existence. The companions of the queen (the mother of Sita) pointed out to her the two princes who were seated near the sage (Vishwamitra). At this magnificent sight, the queen’s heart and mind were enthralled, and she was enamoured by the wonderful view of the two young princes whose sight presented a most betwitching and captivating image. The mother of Sita (named Sunaina) felt glad and most delighted when she looked at this magnificent view of the Lord’s stupendous beauty.

She was on the horns of a formidable dilemma, worried about the fate of her daughter. She thought, ‘On the one hand is the old and creaky bow, and on the other hand is this wonderful prince! The ways of the creator are often-times antagonist to the desires of the heart, as they sometimes create a situation where nonsense can’t be avoided.

Saying pleasant words to her women friends, the queen became pensive and began to ponder, ‘Why, there is this (hard and stern) bow of Lord Shiva on the one hand, and this tender, soft and delicate form (of Lord Ram) on the other hand. There is no match between the two. (There is no comparison between the delicate and tender body of Lord Ram with the rusty, creaky, old and stubborn gross form of a lifeless bow on which hinges the future of my daughter Sita. How ridiculous and incongrues it is. Say, why can’t something be done which would prevent hinging Sita’s future with this rusty and ugly bow, and instead link it to Lord Ram’s lively and charming form?)

If the creator had not created a situation where Lord Ram has come to visit us as our guest of honour, no one would have seen him, and no one would have then blamed king Janak for making a nonsense vow and putting the entire future of Sita on the wager.

The queen was in a quandary, saying—‘Now there is an immense dilemma, and everything is highly uncertain. Nothing can be said for sure’!' Seeing that the queen was immersed in deep thought (and on the horns of a dilemma), her companions tried to reassure her, saying—

‘Oh noble lady! Stop worrying. Be delighted at heart. Take this word as the truth that the bow will be lifted and stringed by Sri Ram only (and by no one else).’

(The companions of the queen mother comforted and reassured her that she need not worry about whether or not Lord Ram would be able to break the bow and marry Sita. They gave the following logic to prove their point—) ‘Sage Kaushik (Vishwamitra) has knowledge of what happens in all the three periods of time (past, present, future). (The sage possessed mystical powers that enbled him to know all happenings, whether they happened in the past or in the near and far future. Nothing is hidden from him.) Therefore, would he ever have brought these two boys to the Swayambar alongside him if he was not sure that there was going to be a positive outcome of the visit?

Hearing the fame and potent of the sage, the queen (mother of Sita) felt reassured. Then the friends told her the episode of Subahu’s slaying at the hands of Sri Ram!

Hearing it, the queen’s heart found great solace and succour, and she felt delighted. Then she glanced once again at Sri Ram, and her heart and mind were thrilled. A surge of affectionate emotions flowed through her body.

Presently, the king, the queen and the citizens are all intently watching Lord Sri Ram’. Their mood swings between joy and melancholy, between hope and dismay as they are virtually swaying like a pendulum between the two extreme emotions of hope and expectation at one end, and despair and helplessness on the other end. (Once they are sure that Ram and Sita would be married, and then suddenly begin to doubt when they recollect the vow of king Janak which has tied the fate of Sita to the bow.) It is like them repeatedly filling and then emptying a symbolic pitcher of hope and desire, at one moment expecting some auspicious turn of events and some sort of miracle to happen that fills them with joy and excitement, and at another moment losing hope and feeling dejected, melancholic and remorseful. (In other words, once they feel that it is sure that Ram will break the bow and marry Sita and then become sullen and gloomy at the thought that this appears unlikely in the situation where so many valiant kings and princes are vying with each other to lift the bow. Even if some of them fail, some other will be successful. And in this eventuality, there is no hope ever of Ram being given a chance to lift and string the bow. This made them swing wildly between the emotions of hope and despair.)

While glancing at the bow, they (citizens and the queen) fill and empty the symbolic pitcher of hope and expectations every now and then. They glance at Sri Ram and then despair in their hearts (that he will not get a chance to marry Sita because the nasty old bow is standing as an obstacle)". All the men and womenfolk are moved by hope and delight on the one hand and overcome with gloom and melancholy on the other hand. This virtually embarrasses Lord Shiva (because it is his bow that has become an instrument that causes so much agony and uncertainties for the citizens of Janakpur and has been the cause of so much pain and anxiety for Sita as well as her mother). (Lord Shiva is a great devotee of Lord Ram, and therefore he cannot do anything that harms the interest of his Lord, i.e. Lord Ram. Therefore, Lord Shiva has already made up his mind that he will make it sure that none of the other kings and princes be able to lift the bow, and that it will become extremely light and fragile as soon as Ram touches it. So, Lord Shiva wonders as to why these people are still so worried and anxious? It appears that the people are accusing him of not being favourable and causing them so much agony inspite of his decision to ensure victory for Ram. This is why Shiva is feeling embarrassed.)

Then, on the orders of Janak, the royal Guru named Shatanand brought Janki (Sita) to the venue. At that time, all those assembled got the reward of their eyes by beholding Sita who was a treasury of beauty and charm’.

Sita’s charming body is adorned with auspicious clothes and precious ornaments befitting the occasion. Seeing her, the foolish kings in the assembly became extremely enchanted by her beauty and were overcome with passion and delusions. (The deluded kings thought that Sita was an ordinary princess, and that she is within reach now as it would be very easy to break the old and creaky bow and grab her hands in marriage. They did not know that Sita was an incarnation of goddess Laxmi, and that Lord Vishnu, Laxmi’s eternal husband, is in their midst in the form of Lord Ram. They are said to be ‘deluded’ because the wise kings among them had already advised them that Lord Ram is the Father of the entire creation as he is the Supreme Being in a human form, and that Sita is the cosmic Mother being a personified form of Jagdamba, the Mother Goddess.)

In whatever direction Sita—who is a treasury of beauty and charm—glances in a natural way, it appears that Kamdeo-cupid showers a hail of arrows made of blue lotus in that direction. (In other words, wherever Sita glances, all those who are sitting in that direction become thrilled and enamoured of her beauty. If her roving eyes fall even causually upon a king or prince, he gets excited and believes that she like him. In their enthusiasm the assembled kings and princes forget that it is but natural for Sita to see the assembly in a causal manner by looking in every direction, and it is but a mere chance that their eyes meet. But this does not mean that Sita like him or is enchanted by him. But they are so overcome with delusions and passions that they think that Sita had purposely seen him.)

The citizens of the city glance at Sri Ram for one moment and at Sita the other moment. They laud their respective elegance, beauty, characters, demeanours and age, as well as the fame and glory of their respective clans.’

When Lord Ram saw Sita and she saw him, it appeared that Kamdeo-cupid repeatedly glanced at them and began to ready his arrows (to shoot).

Both of them (Sri Ram and Sita) try to conceal their joy and their sense of mutual love and affection for each other though it was very apparent by their external demeanours. It appears that they are silently trying to gauge each other’s virtues and firmly establish them like strong pillars of mutual trust and affection in their hearts.

The age of Sri Ram and Sita are right and suitable for the occasion. (That is, both of them are of the right age for marriage.) It appears that a king symbolising youth (represented by Lord Ram) wishes to enter a city of beauty, charm and glamour (represented by Sita)?

It is not possible to describe that majestic and glorious scene (when the actual competition of lifting, stringing and breaking of the bow started). It was a very aweinspiring, challenging and wonderful event, giving immense thrill, joy and delight to all those who witnessed it. Can a dumb man ever describe the taste of nectar after he has drunk it? (Here, Tulsidas compares those who witnessed that scene with a dumb man who cannot ever describe how tasty the food was or how much he enjoyed it. Similarly, those who witnessed that event were unable to narrate its grandeur and charm. Tulsidas, who had been visualizing the entire event unfolding in the canvas of his mind, too is unable to fully describe it in words, for words have their own limitations and they cannot do justice to the feeling of joy and exhilaration that bubbled over when the citizens actually witnessed the event when Lord Ram had finally lifted and broken the bow to marry Sita, something they had so much wished to happen and dreamt of.)

Then the royal heralds declared the vows made by Videh (king Janak). Hearing it, the assembled kings got up with great enthusiasm and zeal, each wanting to the first to lift the bow, but there were no good and auspicious signs or omens to encourage them.

When the kings did not find any encouraging and auspicious sign, they made some excuse to save their faces and sat down in humiliation. Some of them went near the bow to see it, touched and felt it but did not attempt to lift it, leaving it alone just like a monkey who feels the outer shell of a coconut and leaves it aside (because it knows that it is impossible for it to break the shell and reach for the delicious kernel inside it). Then they came back and sat down on their seats with a bowed head. (It ought to be noted here that these kings have been ridiculed by comparing them to a ‘monkey’! This is because they were greedy and wanted to see the bow at close quarters to judge whether they can manage to lift it but finding it beyond their means they returned with a monkey-like red face.)

Some of them came to the bow very enthusiastically and tried their might against it with full zeal and energy, but the bow did not relent, and it did not yield any ground to them, remaining as unmoving as ever just like a good and righteous man remains unmoving and steadfast in upholding his truthful words. In this way, their vanity and pretensions of strength and powers was trounced, making them look lusterless, impotent and wasted, with their energy and enthusiasm dissipated and intelligence turned around its head to make them look utterly stupid and ridiculous. The entire event reminded the observers of the story of king Nahush’.

Seeing this (that the kings could not move the bow a bit), Janak, along with the citizens and the royal family members, lost all hopes in their hearts, while the forest of lotuses represented by the assembly of great kings appeared to have been struck by frost. (When Janak saw that none of the invited kings and princes could move the bow, let alone lift and string it, he was very very angry and upset. He was worried about the future of his daughter as he had tied her marriage to the lifting of the bow. Now, what shall he do?! Meanwhile, the kings and princes felt ashamed and humiliated. They returned to their seats with lowered heads in shame and ignominy’. This situation is compared to a large number of lotus flowers that wither during severe cold when it frosts.)

Then, Kaushik (Vishwamitra) said to Janak, “Give your orders (i.e. permission) let the sun of the solar-race (i.e. Sri Ram) have a look at Shiva’s bow.’ [In this book ‘Janki Mangal’, sage Vishwamitra has asked Janak to allow Ram to ‘see’, i.e. examine and tackle the bow. But in other texts of Tulsidas, the sage had directly ordered Lord Ram to go and break the bow and thereby remove the fears and sorrows in the heart of Janak.

Janak said—‘Oh sage! Even the mountains and the earth can move by your words, but still, it is wise to act with prudence as the ‘Panchas’ (literally, the five noble and elderly persons of the society) praise such action. (In other words, though it is true that nothing is impossible if you want, but still elderly people say that one must consider the pros and cons of all decisions and never act in haste. I say this because I have a great hesitation in my mind in allowing Ram to approach the bow and face humiliation by not being able to lift it. I am justified for harbouring this doubt, because—) As the situation stands at present, even formidable warriors have quietly and stealthily escaped from the venue after it became clear to them that they wouldn’t be able to move the bow. Take for example Vanasur, the famed demon known for his strength, valour and power, who ran away hurriedly from here like an arrow shot from a bow. Then there is another mighty warrior known as Ravana (the invincible demon king of Lanka who had so much strength that he had once lifted Mt. Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva, on his shoulders) who too escaped stealthily and quietly went home in order to avoid public ridicule and humiliation by first going to attempt to lift the old and rusty bow and then returning empty-handed without even being able to move it an inch.

Say, who on this earth is as strong, powerful, courageous and valiant as these two warriors, Vanasur and Ravana. Since even they have not dared to touch the bow and preferred to escape from here unnoticed to save their face from disgrace, it would not be wise to allow Sri Ram, who is so tender and young in age, and who seems to bear no resemblance to the robust and muscular bodies of these two warriors Vanasur and Ravana, to go and try to lift the bow and face certain humiliation. I don’t want this to happen—especially when you are present here and have accompanied the two brothers. It would be very bad if Ram fails to lift the bow because you accompany him. I won’t like this embarrassing situation to happen. So, please don’t ask me to allow Ram to go to the bow and attempt to lift it!

King Janak continuous to speak to sage Vishwamitra, expressing his strong reservations against allowing Lord Ram to attempt to lift the bow.] ‘This bow is immovable like the steadiness of the heart and mind of Parvati (the divine consort of Lord Shiva, and the Mother Goddess). It can be moved (i.e. influenced) only by Lord Shiva himself if he wants so. But Shiva keeps the firm vow of being loyal to only one woman, and therefore he will not exert his influence on the ‘mind and heart’ of the bow to make it move. (Here, the bow has been personified and is imagined to have a mind and heart like that of Shiva’s consort named Parvati. The bow also ‘belongs’ to Shiva just like Parvati who also ‘belongs’ to him, being his eternal wife. Like Parvati the bow is also very faithful to Lord Shiva. Hence, if Shiva orders it to become light and move when Lord Ram touches it, it is certainly going to do so, but the problem is that Shiva won’t order anything to the bow; he won’t exert any influence upon the bow. It is as unmoving as the Mana—mind and heart—of Parvati.)

You are asking this young prince (Lord Ram) who has a delicate constitution and a tender body to have a look at such a formidable bow. In other words, you, sage Vishwamitra, expect Ram to lift the bow which has defeated all the strong warriors of the earth. How is it possible because Sri Ram has such a delicate frame, and his body is not as muscular as it is needed to be in order to lift this heavy bow. Say sage, is it possible that a most tender flower of the Sesame tree can ever pierce through even a small part of of Vajra, the formidably strong weapon of Indra that is considered to be toughest thing in existence?’ (Here, the bow is compared to Vajra, and Lord Ram’s delicate frame to the tender flower. Just as it is not possible for the flower to pierce the body of the Vajra, it is impossible for Ram to overcome the resistence of the bow to move.)

The beauty, charm and majesty of each pore of Sri Ram’s body are such that they put to shame the beauty and glamour of numerous Kamdeo-cupids taken together. Oh sage! Do not do anything that will make this image look darkened and gloomy (because in case Ram is unable to break the bow, that would be devastating for the spell of charm that he has cast on all of us here in Janakpur, the way we are all thrilled by his majestic presence and enamoured of his magnificent beauty).

The sage laughed and replied, ‘Oh Janak! The image (form of Lord Ram) which looks grand and adorable is also capable of eliminating the darkness of ignorance even by remembering it only once. In other words, don’t think that Ram is an ordinary prince. This physical image that looks so charming to you is also capable of eliminating the darkness created by delusions and ignorance—because, oh king, Ram is a personified form of Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Being. So, you need not worry. Remember, I am not an ordinary sage, and when I endorse something, I am fully aware of my immaculate reputation as the teller of truth. Therefore, you need not harbour any more doubts in your mind and heart. It is in your ignorance that you say that Ram may not break the bow. Let this charming image also charm your inner being, so to say, by eliminating its darkness of doubts and worries.

Oh Janak! Consider this divine image (of Lord Ram) as being potent enough (i.e. empowered) to remove all sorts of (spiritual) faults, shortcomings, blemishes and defects (that inherently taint the mind and heart of all creatures), and watch this wonderful spectacle unfold before your eyes. In this bow-like ocean, the water symbolising the strength of these vane kings and princes is in a high tide. Regard Raghubir (Sri Ram) as being equivalent to sage Agastya! (who would now dry up this symbolic water of haughtiness and vanity of these proud kings and princes by breaking the bow after all of them have finished trying their might and failing to move it even a bit).

(Just sit back, relax and enjoy; don’t be perturbed or exasperated. Watch calmly as Lord Ram breaks the bow, and then watch the reaction on the kings and princes. Watch their long faces as they shrivel up and wither in humiliation, ignominy and shame when the bow finally breaks.) Hearing this, Janak became hesitant, unable to decide what to do. He pondered over the matter even as Lord Sri Ram bowed at the feet of his Guru (Vishwamitra) to pay his obeisance and started to walk towards the bow’. The Lord was emotionless and calm; he had no disturbances in his mind. He was neither joyful at having got this opportunity, nor apprehensive and doubtful at the outcome. He neither exulted nor sulked. When he moved towards the bow majestically, there were many auspicious signs and good omens portending good tidings and indicating success.

The Gods started raining flowers and sounding their kettle-drums in the sky (when Lord Ram moved towards the bow). Janak, the citizens of the city, and the close relatives (of Sita) became exhilarated in their minds and hearts, while the assembled kings felt very humiliated, dejected and ashamed’.

Laxman asked the earth and Sheshnath (the legendary serpent who holds the earth on its thousand hoods) to be prepared and girdled-up because Sri Ram will soon lift and string the bow, which is bound to be followed by an uproarious thunder and violent vibrations as the bow breaks. (Laxman alerted them to brace themselves for the violent tremors and the earthquake that would follow the breaking of the bow. This was necessary, lest the whole earth would topple over on its side and sink into the vast cosmic ocean.)

When Sri Ram reached the bow in a calm and composed manner, king Videh (Janak), along with his family members (such as his queen and mother of Sita), became very thoughtful and worried. (The king was naturally worried about the outcome as the future of his daughter hinged on it. He very much wanted Lord Ram to break the bow, but was in doubt because of the Lord’s tender age and delicate frame as compared to the robust and muscular bodies of all the other kings and princes. But sage Vishwamitra had already assured him not to worry.)

Sita was unable to say anything openly out of hesitation because it was an established tradition that a bride is not supposed to speak in public. She however became remorseful in her heart, remembering and invoking urgently goddess Gauri (Parvati), Lord Ganesh and Lord Shiva simultenously (to help her out of this muddle by making it possible for Lord Ram to break the bow and settle her future). Sita was hesitant because she was uncertain whether they will answer her prayers or not; she does not know what is in store in her destiny. She prayed earnestly and urgently because there was no time to procrastinate any further. It was a do or die situation for her. Sri Ram was her true and one love, and her union with him now depended on such a ridiculous condition as the breaking of a bow. She felt exasperated and frustrated beyond measure but could not gather courage to speak to her father to abandon his incredulous vows and let her marry the groom of her choice. The only avenue left for her was to pray to the patron Gods and Goddesses of the clan i.e. Lord Shiva and Parvati, beseeching them to intercede on her behalf and ensure that see get her beloved’s hand in marriage. Her dilemma is similar to that of Parvati who has to take the permission of her father Himwan to marry Shiva. Please see Parvati Mangal, verse no. 23 and Chanda 9. This book is published by me separately in this series, as Book no. 5.

Watching Sri Ram, she (Sita) appears to drown in the ocean of uncertainties that resulted in great anguish, despair and dejection in her mind’. At that time her left arms and eyelids fluttered as if they were extending their hands of reassurance and support to her (and trying to salvage her from drowning in an ocean of despair and hopelessness)”. (When the left arm and eyelids of a woman flutter it is seen as a good sign. So, amid all the despair and gloom, this sign gave hope and expectation to Sita.)

These auspicious signs made her gather some courage, but it did not last long. [She thought—] ‘The groom is of a young age while the bow is most formidable and huge. The creator is most unfavourable and antagonised towards me now.'

When Lord Ram reached the bow, he glanced at Sita (also known as Janki as she was the daughter of Janak). Intuitively he recognized what was going on inside her mind and heart because the Lord is ‘all-knowing’, and therefore he knows the inner thoughts of the other person’. So, the Lord lifted the bow in a playful manner (i.e. without any effort, easily, cheerfully and playfully), stringed it, and then pulled the string back right upto his ears (thereby bending the bow). (Lord Ram realised the emotional upheaval going on inside Sita. He could make it out from her face and her demeanours. The Lord saw that Sita was praying fervently to Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati to make it possible for him to break the bow. Sita’s anxiousness and a strong desire to have him as her groom were evident from her expressions. Lord Ram wanted to ascertain the wishes of Sita before he would touch the bow, but when he found that Sita longed to have him as her groom, he made a final decision of lifting the bow. Not only this, the Lord stringed it and then pulled its string back upto his ears in a mode that is done when one shoots an arrow from a bow.)

After having ascertained the intensity and sincerity of love and affection that Sita had for him, Raghubir (the brave warrior of king Raghu’s dynasty; Lord Sri Ram) broke the bow just like a lion’s cub kills a huge elephant. (The lion jumps on the back of an elephant and kills it. Here, Lord Ram is compared to the lion’s cub because just like the cub being the son of the king of the forest, the lion, Lord Ram is also a ‘son of a king, king Dasrath of the Raghu dynasty’, and the bow is compared to the mighty elephant.)

When the bow was broken, there was such a terrible roar and a thunderous snapping sound that the earth and the mountains shook and trembled’, Treasure chests represented by all the worlds appeared to get filled with the pearls symbolising the glory and fame of Raghubir (Sri Ram)”. (That is, this tremendous feat of Lord Ram of having successfully broken a bow that had defied the might of all other great kings of that time instantly spread his glory far and wide in all the corners of the world. In this stanza, Lord Ram’s great deeds and his countless other virtues are likened to the priceless pearls, and the different corners of the world to different treasure chests. The Lord’s glories were so huge and countless that all such chests were filled and brimming over. In other words, the Lord’s glories and fame resounded in all the corners of the world so much that nothing else was heard at that time)

This caused immense exultation, exhilaration and joy amongst friendly people’, while the face of those who were inimical and jealous became dejected, gloomy and remorseful. As soon as it became clear that Ram is the successful candidate who will get the hands of Sita in marriage, the defeated kings felt gloomy like the bird known as Chakor that feels upset when the sun rises as it prefers the moon to the sun, as well as the water lily which shrivels up when the sun rises. In contrast, the citizens of Janakpur, the gods as well as wise kings who had decided not to go near the bow, felt happy like the Chakvi and Chakva as well as the lotus flower which opens its petals at the sight of the sun to indicate that it is feeling cheerful at seeing the face of the sun.

Both in the city as well as in the sky, there was a tumultuous cacophony of sound of merry singing of auspicious songs and beating of musical instruments such as the kettle-drums when everyone found that the beautiful Kalpa Tree (which is the all wish-fulfilling tree of Gods; the Nyctanthes arvor tristis tree) representing fulfilled desires has bloomed. (When Lord Ram broke the bow, it signaled the fulfillment of desire of everyone, whether it were the citizens, king Janak, Sita and his mother, or even the Gods, that Ram should become the groom for Sita. The ‘Kalpa Tree’ is a metaphor used in classical literature to indicate fulfillment of desires and wishes. Therefore, as soon as Ram snapped the bow, the city and the sky erupted in spontaneous cheering. There was joyous singing and enthusiastic playing of musical instruments almost instantaneously.)

The royal priest (named Shatanand) ordered all the companions and friends of Sita to sing auspicious songs befitting the occasion. So, all of them started singing merrily in unison as they took her with them to the place where Lord Ram stood majestically after breaking the bow (so that Sita could put the victory garland around the Lord’s neck and declare her marriage with him). In this way, Sita’s heart-felt wish that she be married to Ram was fulfilled.

The ‘Jaimaal’ (victory garland) looks most adorable in Janki’s (Sita’s) hands. Say, which poet can ever describe that indescribable and incomparable scene? (The sight of Sita standing with the victory garland in her hands was so fabulous and grand that no poet can ever be able to describe its magnificence and beauty though usually they are thought to be skilled in the use of words and experts in describing the beauty of Nature. But that scene defied their expertise and skill as it is beyond description in words. It ought to be noted that Tulsidas has liberally employed the ‘present tense’ in his narrative to indicate that whatever he says is being revealed to him on the canvas of his mind like a live video of events that actually happened thousands and thousands of years ago. Well, this is the standard technique employed by all great bards whose narratives are so vivid and lively that they transport the reader to the actual moment when the event was taking place.)

Sita looks affectionately but hesitantly towards her beloved (i.e. Lord Ram)’ as if a soft wind is trying to move a delicate creeper nearer to the Kalpa Tree. (Here, Sita is compared to the ‘creeper’, and Lord Ram to the Kalpa Tree. Sita’s wish was to get close to Lord Ram permanently and live with the Lord for the rest of her life just like the creeper that survives only when it wraps around the tree. The ‘soft wind’ here refers to the good turn of events that has enabled this to happen. It also may refer to the summons of the royal priest, Shatanand, inviting Sita with the victory garland to be put around the neck of Lord Ram. There is yet another way of interpreting this verse. When Sita approaches Lord Ram, she is full of emotions. Anxiety, helplessness and desperation have given way suddenly to happiness, success and fulfillment. She seems overwhelmed and overjoyed, not knowing what to say and how to react. As she approaches Lord Ram, her eyes flicker, once looking at the Lord’s charming face and then looking away. She hesitates to gaze at the Lord because it would be too immodest to do so, but at the same time she is unable to resist the desire to see the Lord’s charming and handsome form. This constant flickering of her sight is compared to the swaying of the creeper as it is buffeted by the wind—once moving closer to the trunk of the Kalpa Tree and then moving slightly away from it. In this comparison, the ‘wind’ would be the changing emotions of Sita—once impelling her to fix her sight on her beloved by foregoing formalities and neglecting social niceties and then deterring her from doing so as it would be deemed immodest and against traditions for a young girl to look at another person so intently.)

The most fascinating sight of Sita putting the garland around the neck of Lord Ram resembled the scene when of a lotus flower traps the beautiful face of the full moon in a snare belonging to Kamdeo-cupid'. While she (Sita) was putting the garland around Lord Sri Ram’s neck, she looked most adorable as if the lotus traps the moon in the snare of Kamdeo-cupid. (This is a fine example of excellent imagery. The lotus flower is compared to Sita here, and Lord Ram’s beautiful face to the full moon. When Sita lifted her arms to put the garland around Lord Ram’s neck, the face of the Lord was framed within her arms as well as the garland they held. It appeared that one was viewing the full moon through the loop formed by the bent stem of a beautiful lotus flower. This view is invoked here by Tulsidas to describe the beauty of the instant when Sita had lifted her delicate hands to put the garland around the neck of Lord Ram. At that specific moment, Lord Ram’s face was cupped within the two extended arms of Sita as she lifted the garland to put it around the neck of the Lord, and the Lord had to bend his face a bit and hold it closer to Sita’s face to facilitate her doing it. At the same time as Sita’s arms circling Lord Ram’s face, the Lord’s face was also framed by the garland as it was being moved over his head to be placed around the neck. The garland and the fair complexion of Sita’s arms are compared to the lotus flower, while the face of Lord is likened to the full moon. Sita’s face is like the face of Kamdeo-cupid, and the mutual love and affection that the Ram and Sita had for each other is the ‘snare’ of Kamdeo who is the patron god of love and desires. Another way of looking at this verse is as follows: The hands of Sita that held the garland are like the beautiful lotus flower with its curved stem, Lord Sri Ram’s face is equivalent to the full moon, and the garland itself is the snare of Kamdeo-cupid. This is because with this garland Sita appears to have virtually ‘trapped’ Lord Ram permanently in the ‘snare’ of her ‘beauty’ which was a reflection of the beauty of Kamdeo. She has also ‘trapped’ Lord Ram in the ‘snare’ of her intense ‘love and affection’ for the Lord, virtues for which Kamdeo is cited as a meptahor, for all times to come.)

The wonderful and fabulous image on that auspicious day of Lord Sri Ram and Sita standing together was simply matchless. The queens (i.e. members of the royal household) were feeling very ecstatic every moment of that wonderful day when happiness and rejoicing pervaded everywhere’.

After garlanding the Lord, the companions took Janki (Sita) away cheerfully’, They were as happy and excited as well as full of warmth and thrill as if the buds of the water-lily warmly open up when they see the moon rise. (In this scene, the many companions of Sita are compared to the many water lilies in a pond, and Lord Ram’s as well as Sita’s cheerful faces to the full moon. When Sita’s friends saw both Ram and Sita happy at their union, they too felt exceedingly happy.)

The Gods were exhilarated, and they jubilantly showered flowers from the sky’. At that time, all the Bhuvans (corners of the world) were filled with happiness, joy and cheer. After Sita left with her companions, Lord Ram too proceeded from the spot where the bow lay broken on the ground to where his Guru (sage Vishwamitra) was seated.

Sri Ram went near his Guru. The king and the queens as well as the men and women folk (citizens) were all exhilarated and excited, feeling overjoyed with warmth and happiness as if a horde of thirsty male and female elephants has plunged in a cool ocean consisting of Amrit, the nectar that not only quenches their thirst but also injects fresh life in the group of tired elephants. (During hot summer days, the elephants get mad with thirst. When they find a water body, they plunge head-on into it. Imagine their pleasure when instead of a small pond or lake containing ordinary they find an ocean full of cool soothing nectar! They would jump and hop madly in ecstasy as they plod into this ocean, and would never wish to come out. These elephants would feel extremely happy and joyful as well as contented. The citizens of Janakpur felt like these elephants. A few moments ago there was uncertainty and anxiety symbolizing the intense thirst of the agitated elephants, and now when Lord Ram has broken the bow and it has become final that he would marry Sita, the citizens erupted in joy like the thirsty elephants suddenly discovering a large ocean full of nectar. What more could they expect and want?)

The king (Janak, the father of Sita) worshipped and honoured Kaushik (Vishwamitra), got his blessings, and felt very happy and contented. Then he prepared an invitation-card showing the auspicious time when the stars would be favourable for the marriage ceremony to be formalized. (This is called a ‘Lagan’.) Then he assembled all the necessary items needed for the Tilak ceremony (which is equivalent to the official engagement of the bride with the groom), and sent it along with the formal invitation to Ayodhya (to Ram’s father, king Dasrath) through his messenger, his his royal priest named Shatanand.

The king (Janak) summoned expert artisans and instructed them to prepare and decorate the ‘Mandap’ (which is a large, decorated platform covered by a canopy under which the marriage is solemnised)’. Young married girls began singing auspicious and felicitous songs suitable for the occasion, while ceremonial music was played cheerfully all around the city.

They worshipped Gauri (Parvati) and Ganesh (the deity worshipped first during all religious ceremonies) for the all-round welfare of Sita and Lord Sri Ram’, In this manner, the king, along with his kith and kin as well as the people of the city, felt very happy, delighted and contented’.

To begin with, they put ‘Haldi’ (turmeric) on the body of Sita, and sang auspicious and felicitous songs. They observed the traditions of the clan, put the ceremonial ‘Kalash’ (pots or vessels), and filled them with oil!

Meanwhile, the sage (Shatanand) arrived at Ayodhya (as a messenger of king Janak, with an invitation for king Dasrath to attend the marriage ceremony of Ram with Sita)’, and bathed in river Saryu. This bath gave him the reward of repeating 100 crore holy names of the Lord. (1 crore = 10 million. This is because river Saryu is said to be as holy as river Ganges, the river that traces its origin in the toe-nails of Lord Vishnu.)

Hearing of the arrival of the sage, the king (Dasrath) came forward to warmly welcome, worship and honour him. Then the sage exchanged pleasantries and gave him the invitation-card called ‘Lagan Patrika’. This made the king extremely happy and jubilant’. (The ‘Lagan Patrika’ is a letter detailing all the auspicious moments when the stars are favourable, and when all the various religious ceremonies and rituals associated with solemnization of marriage are to be performed.)

Hearing this news (or, as soon as this good news spread), there was great rejoicing in the city and spontaneous felicitous music began to be played. Auspicious ceremonial pots and pitchers were put up everywhere in the city, and colourful awnings and canopies were spread everywhere, here and there throughout the city”.

The king (Dasrath) kept aside all other routine work and started preparations for assembling a grand marriage party’. He worshipped Lord Ganesh and then embarked on the journey (to Janakpur).

Drums and trumpets are being sounded, and auspicious signs and omens are occurring regularly. In this way, amidst constant rejoicing and merry-making, the groom’s party headed for Sita’s place. By and by, the city of Janakpur came near.

The marriage party arrived near the city of Janakpur. Then all the people of the city went forward to enthusiastically and warmly welcome the honoured guests. Everyone from the bride’s side amiably and cheerfully met everyone from the groom’s side. This led to great bonhomie and development of a strong bond of mutual trust and friendship between the two sides. All were contented and felt fulfilled in every way.

There was great rejoicing, festivities, vibrant celebrations and a uproarious tumult in the city as it erupted in joyous abundance when the marriage party arrived. Tulsidas wonders how anyone can ever describe it in words. (That is, it is not possible to narrate in words the spirit of joy and happiness that prevailed during that time. One must imagine it.) After the welcoming formalities were over, the guests (of marriage party) were taken to the designated place of lodging which was arranged for their comfortable stay. It had all the amenities one could think of, and the guests were treated to such regal comforts and pleasures that they desired nothing more. Nothing was left unattended, nothing was left to chance, and every need one could imagine of was well-provided for.

Kaushik (Vishwamitra) took Sri Ram and Laxman and went to the place where the marriage party was lodged, a place called Janwasa. He felt very happy on seeing the party; his heart was blooming with emotions of endearment, love and affection. (Sage Vishwamitra and the two brothers Ram and Laxman were lodged at a different place. So, when the news came that king Dasrath has arrived with the marriage party, the sage took the two brothers along with him to meet the king.)

The king affectionately embraced Sri Ram and Laxman and seated them lovingly on his laps. He felt extremely pleased and exhilarated at that moment. Not even hundreds of Sheshnaths (the legendary hundred hooded serpents) can ever describe the immense sense of joy and exhilaration that flowed at that time in abundance at that time. In other words, thousands of expert narrators and writers will never be able to describe the intensity of love and affection as well as the atmosphere of joy, happiness and cheer that prevailed during those moments when king Dasrath met his two sons Ram and Laxman as well as sage Vishwamitra. The loving father who was not willing to part with his two beloved sons at any cost, but had to relent and send them to the far away forest to fight demons under pressure of the two great sages, sage Vashistha and sage Vishwamitra, would naturally be overjoyed and brim-over with love and ecstasy on seeing them once again. And it was not an ordinary reunion. As every father would dream of, king Dasrath was extremely delighted and pleased to learn that his son Ram has established his majesty and glory on his own in the middle of an assembly where all the mighty and powerful kings and princes of the world at that time were present. To add icing to the cake, his son had succeeded in marrying a beautiful princess by defeating all other contenders in full public view, and this was no ordinary or lean achievement as the victory was centered on breaking of an object, the bow, that was regarded as being as much invincible and strong as the ‘Vajra’, the mighty weapon of Indra, the king of Gods. Therefore, this victory established Lord Ram’s fame throughout the world instantenously. Say, what more can or would a father ever want? Hence, the happiness of Dasrath knew no bounds, and it had many dimensions— he was happy to meet his beloved sons once again; he was happy to see Ram established as a matchless warrior having an equally matchless strength and might; he was happy that he has got married; and he was happy that the father-in-law of Ram is also a renowned king in his own right.

The king (Dasrath) worshipped sage Kaushik (Vishwamitra) and gave alms to Brahmins generously. Besides that, he did all the good deeds that were deemed necessary for the welfare and good of Sri Ram who is akin to a sun for helping the lotus-like eyes of the world to develop and bloom. (The metaphor of the lotus and the sun is used to mean that Lord Ram gives immense happiness and joy to the world. The Lord’s sight and presence is a giver of all sorts of cheerfulness and happiness to the creatures of this world. Lord Ram is compared to the ‘sun’, and the rest of the world to the ‘lotus flower’. When the world ‘sees’ the Lord with it’s ‘eyes’, it becomes jubilant and exhilarated just like the lotus flower that opens its petals as soon as it sees the rising sun.)

He (Ram)—who is like the intrinsic quality of beauty, charm and magnificence that is inherent to all beautiful ornaments—is himself adorned with ornaments befitting the happy occasion of marriage. In other words, though the Lord is intrinsically beautiful and charming because he is a personified form of the Supreme Being from whom the beautiful Mother Nature has emerged, and therefore he does not need any external ornamentation to make him more beautiful and charming, but still the Supreme Being accepts worldly obligations and requirements that come with his having assumed a human form as Lord Ram. Therefore, he gladly accepted his gross body being decorated by gross ornaments though his original divine body does not need any such decorations. The Lord indeed personifies the virtues of beauty, charm and magnificence, and since he pervades the world from the inside as well as the outside, it did not matter to him if some signs of artificial decorations are put on his gross body’.

He (Lord Ram) looks very adorable and elegant as he stood with a cheerful mind in the middle of the exuberant marriage party. This sight reminds one of the magnificent garden of Kamdeo-cupid where a beautiful all wish-fulling Kalpa Tree stands majestically in the center. (Here, Lord Ram is likened to the ‘Kalpa Tree’, and the marriage party of cheerful members as the ‘garden of Kamdeo-cupid’. Kamdeo is the patron god of beauty and charm as well as everything else associated with these virtues. This implies that every member of the marriage party is finely attired and look adorable, but like the Kalpa Tree standing majestically in the middle of the garden and becoming the center of attraction for everyone as no other tree can match it in its beauty and its ability to please everyone, Lord Ram too stands out uniquely and looks exceptional in this august gathering.)

Videh (king Janak) sent countless varieties of gifts for the guests. The Gods praised such gesture, and the members of the marriage party felt very happy, delighted and contented. (The Gods praised king Janak for being noble-hearted and liberal in giving gifts to the invited guests. The guests on the other hand felt happy and contented as it indicated that they are being properly honoured and shown due respect by the bride’s father. The immensity of the gifts also showed them that he is rich and prosperous. Of course, every one of the groom’s side would feel happy on finding out that the bride’s side is prosperous and well-off financially.)

The two Gurus of the respective clans completed all the prescribed formal rites as ordained by the Vedas’. Thereafter, Janak cheerfully sent an invitation to the groom’s party to come to the venue.

Then the sage (Shatanand) went to the residence of the groom’s party (the Janwasa) and respectfully invited them, saying, “Please come along’. At this, the members of the marriage party headed by king Dasrath invoked and remembered the Guru (Vashistha), Gauri (Parvati), Girish (Shiva) and Ganesh, and then set off for the matriage venue.”

He (Dasrath) remembered his Guru and started for the venue of the marriage ceremony. The Gods showered flowers, and a variety of red carpets were spread out to welcome him. Janak did all that was possible to show honour to Dasrath so much so that the latter was overwhelmed with the affection shown towards him by the former. The two felt most exhilarated and joyous when they met each other. Both of them were comparable to each other in terms of virtues, glories, fames, as well as good and noble characters.

Watching the two (i.e. Janak and Dasrath), the Gods as well as humans, including great sages and seers, felt extremely cheerful and happy. They lauded this pair and exclaimed in unison—‘It is a remarkable pair. Glory to them! Indeed, they are worthy of praise and laurels.’

They (i.e. the Gods, the ordinary humans and the exalted sages and seers) search in all the three worlds (the celestial, the terrestrial and the subterranean; everywhere) but cannot find anything appropriate to compare with kings Dasrath and Janak. Indeed, Dasrath and Janak are unique in themselves’.

In the bride’s household, there is great rejoicing and exultation. Everyone is busy decorating and assembling things which are necessary accessories for such happy occasions (of marriage), while sweet-voiced beautiful women are singing felicitous songs, making marry and cracking jokes.

Hearing those magnificent songs, Uma (Parvati), Rama (Laxmi) and other divine consorts of various Gods became exhilarated. All of them assumed the illusive forms of womenfolk of the city and went to the venue of the marriage ceremony to participate in it.

They arranged the paraphernalia for doing the auspicious Arti of the groom (Sri Ram) and proceeded to meet him. They are so happy and jubilant that they resemble the buds of the golden lotus that open up their petals at the sight of the rising sun.

When they (the womenfolk of Janakpur) observe the elegant, fascinating, magnificent and stupendous beauty and charm of the form of Lord Sri Ram, from his toenails to the tuft of hairs on his head, they behold it spellbound, enthralled and mesmerised by the beauty of the sight. At that time, they hoped that their bodies should have had thousands of eyes, just like Indra has, so that they could have watched the unparalleled enchanting sight of Lord Ram’s beauteous form with all those extra eyes and enjoy it thousands of times more than what they can do now with merely two eyes at present. (The human body has only two eyes. So, these women praised Indra, the king of Gods, who is believed to have thousands of eyes in the form of ‘holes’ in his body. They hoped that if they too had as many eyes on their bodies as does Indra, then they too would have been able to see the wonderful form of the Lord with all these thousand eyes simultaneously, and enjoy thousands of times more than they are able to do at present with merely two natural eyes.)

Those women walked gracefully with an elephant-like majestic gait. They were overwhelmed with the warmth of love and affection heaving inside their hearts. They felt extremely fortunate and blessed. They perform all the rituals warmly and affectionately according to the established traditions of the clan, but do not feel satisfied or done with it. (That is, they perform the rituals again and again repeatedly, so that they are able to spend some more time with Sri Ram.)

Those clever maidens of the city do not delay in doing the various rites and completing all the necessary formalities. Those women with beautiful eyes get immense joy and delight by repeatedly watching Lord Sri Ram.

After performing the ceremonial Arti (showing of small lighted lamps) and making offerings (generally involving sprinkling of coloured rice grains around the object of Arti; here, around Sri Ram), they became so overwhelmed with lovable emotions that they lost control over their bodies (i.e. they became unaware of their surroundings as they were spellbound by the captivating and charming image of Sri Ram as a groom).

They are unable to exercise control over their bodies (as they have become very excited and ecstatic). They intently observe the beautiful image of Sri Ram. It looks as if they have won over the enemy represented by their eyelids in the battlefield. (That is, they stare unblinkingly at Sri Ram, being most enchanted and mesmerised by his stupendous beauty. They have ‘conquered their eyelids’ in the sense that they stopped them from closing and opening repeatedly as they gaze fixedly at the enchanting image of the Lord.)

It appears that an emperor symbolized by their eyes has conquered an enemy represented by the constant blinking of the eyelids so that these womenfolk could now enjoy unhindered the happiness and prosperity of a beautiful kingdom symbolized by the enchanting image of Lord Ram as a groom. Then king Janak gave suitable and honourable seats to Dasrath and his companions. (That is, he seated Dasrath and his party according to their position in the royal and social hierarchy.) Thereafter, he worshipped sages Kaushik and Vashistha. Then he worshipped the king (Dasrath) and offered them all new garments and ceremonial robes.

Some of these maidens (who were friends of Sita) offered libations to Raghubir (Sri Ram) while they brought him gladly to the platform where the marriage was to be formalised. They are very excited and overwhelmed with surging emotions of warmth and exhilaration. They sing beautiful, melodious, auspicious and felicitous songs.

The groom, Lord Sri Ram, is present in the pavilion, and his dignified and elegant presence seems to enchant and attract the attention of the whole world. He looks fabulous and as vibrantly magnificent and adorable as Kamdeo-cupid does in the centre of a garden or forest during the spring season. (In this imagery, the decorated platform where the marriage was to be solemnized is compared to a beautiful garden, and Lord Ram who is seated in the centre of it is compared to Kamdeo-cupid, the God of charm, magnificence and beauty.)

Whatever was required to be done and whichever rite was needed to be performed according to traditions of the clan and the edicts of the Vedas, both the officiating royal priests (Vashistha and Shatanand) did them very cheerfully.

The king (Janak) worshipped the groom and gave him a beautiful throne to sit upon, while the maidens went to fetch the bride on getting the instructions to do so.

(After the groom, Lord Sri Ram, was duly honoured and seated, the bride, Sita, was summoned’. She came to the place of the marriage rites surrounded by her female companions and friends. These two verses describe the sight of Sita as she came to the spot where the rites were to be performed, and the celebrations that accompanied her arrival.) Sita looks naturally adorable and beautiful in the midst of a crowd of womenfolk who surround her from all sides. Goddess Saraswati finds herself incompetent to describe the majesty and grandeur of that moment as she cannot find adequate words (though she is supposed to be the patron goddess of language and speech). So, she feels ashamed and mortified at her ineptness and makes good her escape silently to avoid embarrassment. (In other words, Sita looked so magnificent and fabulous at that time that even the goddess of speech failed to find words to describe her beauty and charm. So, she hastily escaped from the site to avoid laughter and ridicule. This was because all other goddesses were also present there, and it would be a matter of shame not to sing the glory of that occasion when all other womenfolk were trying their best to sing melodious songs befitting that divine moment.)

Men and women folk became jubilant and thrilled as they watched the groom and the bride sitting together. They sang felicitous songs every now and then. The Gods too sang merrily, beating their musical drums and showering flowers from the sky every now and then.

Married ladies of the city sing auspicious songs using the name of the groom and the bride (i.e. Lord Sri Ram and Sita respectively). They cheerfully make the prince (Sri Ram) and the princess (Sita) worship Lord Ganesh and Gauri (Parvati) for the couple’s welfare and happiness.

The king of Mithila (Janak) established (i.e. kindled) the sacred fire and took water and Kush grass in his hands to prepare for the ritual called ‘Kanya Daan’ (wherein the bride’s father gives away his daughter in marriage to the groom in the witness of the Fire God).

The king made a solemn vow and formally handed over Sita—who had good virtues and characters, was the provider of all happiness, joy and comforts, and was most adorable and magnificent—to Sri Ram just as the king of the mountains called Giriraj had handed over Girija (Parvati) to Lord Shiva, and the Ocean had given away Laxmi (the goddess of wealth) to Hari (Vishnu) at the time of their respective marriages.

(Then the different marriage rituals were performed in succession as follows—) The vermillion was consecrated and put on the forehead of the bride by the groom. Rice flakes were scattered before the couple as well as the sacred fire before these flakes were offered to the sacrificial fire itself as an offering. Then the ritual of ‘Bhanwari (circumambulation around the sacred fire by the married couple) was completed. After that, the ‘Shil Pohani’ ritual was done (in which solid turmeric is crushed on a grinding stone or mortar with the help of a pestle). At that time, Sri Ram’s enchanting and magnificent dark-complexioned image stole the mind and heart of all those present.

In this way, the marriage rituals were completed with full dignity. Happiness, cheer, joy, exhilaration and ecstasy spread in all the directions of the world in great abundance. The sages and seers gave their blessings to the couple, while the Gods showered flowers from the sky.

Seeing that the creator has fully satisfied the desire of their hearts (as they had all wanted Lord Ram to marry Sita), the women folk felt exceedingly happy and contented. After that, the companions of Sita took the bride and the groom to the ‘Kohabar’ (i.e. the room in the house of the bride where the clan’s deities are placed and worshipped).

They (the companions of Sita as well as other ladies of the royal household and the city) look intently and repeatedly at him (Lord Sri Ram), so fascinated were they at the charming image of the Lord. They were so overwhelmed with joy and happiness that they liberally gave away as gift whatever they could lay their hands upon, such as different types of robes and clothes as well as gems and jewels. One cannot describe that day in which wave after huge wave of warmth, joy, happiness and celebrations surged ahead and heaved in great abundance.

When the necessity was felt for the presence of Sita’s brother during the course of the rituals, Mars (considered to be the son of earth) appeared personally in an illusive form and completed all the ritualistic formalities, thereby proclaiming (making it known) his blessings for the couple and his promise that he will always be favourable to them.

Clever women teach the clan’s traditions to both the groom and the bride. During the ‘Lahakori’ ritual, these women crack jokes with each other and tease the newly-wed couple with taunting remarks and songs that have sarcastic lyrics, deriving immense pleasure from the laughter that accompanies such remarks and the discomfiture that it causes to the couple.

During the ‘dice playing’ ritual, the clever women use the ploy of losing and winning the game to pass unsavoury and taunting remarks at the two queens (i.e. at the mothers of Sri Ram and Sita—Kaushalya and Sunaina respectively).

The mind and heart (‘Mana’) of Sita’s mother became very exhilarated as she performed the Arti (of the couple)". [Sita’s mother did the Arti to bless the couple, Lord Ram and Sita, as well as to wish them good in future. The light of the lamps is symbolic of the lighted path that stands for a bright future that is wished for the person to whom the Arti is shown. Tulsidas wonders—"Who can describe the exuberance, the warmth, the intensity of happiness, joy and delight that overflowed on that occasion? Even Saraswati (the goddess of speech) became overwhelmed with joy and delight so much so that she too became dumbfounded and speechless.” (In other words, the atmosphere at that time was fully charged with the emotions of love, affection, warmth and happiness that filled it and radiated in all the directions. These emotions were of such intensity and so divine that one could experience them and enjoy them but not able to describe them in words just like a man eating some delicious food enjoys the taste but is unable to describe it in words which would make others experience and enjoy the same taste as he did while he was eating the delicacy.)

In this way, the group of young women as well as the entire bride’s household got overwhelmed with joy and happiness as they watched, mesmerised and enthralled, the glamorous, majestic and magnificent image of Lord Ram and Sita standing together, an image that was like a treasury of all happiness, auspiciousness, good fortunes, luck and well-being (‘Mangal Nidhi’ ).

Watching Sri Ram and Sita, who are like a treasury of auspiciousness, good fortunes and all-round welfare, the clever women are thoroughly enjoying the benefit of having their eyes.

Janak gave his other three princesses in marriage to the remaining three princes. (Sita had one other sister named Urmila. She was married to Laxman. Janak’s brother, named Kushdhwaj or Kushketu, had two daughters—Mandavi and Srutikirti. They were married to Bharat and Shatrughan respectively.) Hearing this excellent news that all the four daughters have been married to the four brothers, the subjects of the kingdom were overjoyed and delighted. (They had prayed that at least Sita should be married to Lord Ram. So, when they learnt that all of them have been married simultaneously to the four brothers, Ram, Laxman, Bharat and Shatrughan, their joy and happiness knew no bounds. They had expected only one reward, and now they are getting their hands full of rewards. The citizens could not sufficiently thank their good luck and the gods who not only listened to their prayers to get Sita married to Lord Ram but went many steps ahead to reward them with happy tidings they had never imagined in their dreams that all the four princesses would be married to the four wonderful princes.) In this way, good tidings and happy events multiplied manifold times, and these made the marriage pavilion look all the more energized, fantastic, exuberant, colourful and vibrant. The marriage pavilion looked so wonderful with the three couples present together in it as if the Kalpa Tree (the all wish-fulfilling tree of Gods) is standing proudly and majestically alongside the Kamdhenu (the all wish-fulfilling cow of Gods), the Moon God, and the Chintamani (the magical gem that removes all worries)”. (Here, the Kalpa Tree is Lord Ram, and the other three divine entities such as Kamdhenu cow, the Moon God and the Chintamani are represented by Ram’s three brothers, viz. Laxman, Bharat and Shatrughan. This stanza can also be interpreted to mean that the Kalpa Tree stands for the pair of Ram and Sita, and the other three entities such as the Kamdhenu cow, the Moon God and the Chintamani stand respectively for the other three couples, viz. Laxman and Urmila, Bharat and Mandavi, and Shatrughan and Srutikirti.)

Janak’s younger brother (Kushdhwaj) had two daughters who were most beautiful and charming. Out of them, the elder one (Mandavi)—who was like hundreds of Ratis in beauty—was married to Bharat. (Rati is the divine consort of Kamdeo-cupid; she is symbolic of stupendous beauty.)

Sita’s younger sister (Urmila)—who was very famous owing to her radiant beauty and charm—was married to Laxman. And Laxman’s younger brother (Shatrughan) was married to Srutikirti who was a treasury of all noble virtues and qualities.

The other three marriages of the three brothers of Lord Ram were solemnised in the same manner as that of the Lord himself. In this way, the creator rewarded everyone with the fruit of getting this life as well as of having eyes (eyesight).

Various types of marriage gifts (dowry) such as male and female servants/attendants, elephants and horses, gold (in the form of ornaments and other things), beautiful clothes, wearing apparels, garments and robes, as well as priceless gems and jewels were given by Janak. These gifts were so immense that it is not possible to either describe them or list them.

By making immense gifts and showing warmth, honour and respect to all the guests, king Janak managed to endear everyone in the marriage party, making them feel at home, happy and cheerful. He showed so much genuine warmth and friendship that everyone, including the in-law’s family (i.e. king Dasrath and his kith and kin), felt fully contented and grateful to him. Janak left no stones unturned to make the guests contented and happy, and they fully appreciated his noble gestures and sincerity of approach. Hence, Janak was able to win over their hearts with his dedicated service, politeness, all possible humility, simplicity and prayerful demeanours that he could muster.

Then the king (Dasrath), accompanied by his four sons and daughter-in-laws, went to the place where he had been lodged’. It appeared that he has successfully done the four ‘Sadhans’ which helped him to obtain the four legendary great ‘fruits’ or rewards’. The ‘Sadhans’ are the four noble paths, ways, means etc. that one follows to achieve desired results in any endeavour. When these four Sadhans are done properly, the person is rewarded by the ‘four great fruits’. These ‘fruits’ are the following—(i) Artha or financial well-being, (ii) Dharma or being able to successfully fulfill all requirements of auspiciousness and righteousness; Kaam or being able to fulfill all desires and wishes, and (iv) Moksha or being able to attain emancipation and salvation for the soul. The four Sadhans are—(i) ‘Bhakti’ or devotion and dedication for the Lord God, (ii) ‘Tapasya’ or doing penances and observing austerities, (iii) ‘Shradha? or having respect and honour for the Lord God and the path of Dharma, and (iv) ‘Seva’ or doing selfless service. In this verse, the four ‘Sadhans’ refer to his four sons, Ram, Laxman, Bharat and Shatrughan, while the four ‘fruits’ refer to their respective brides, ie. Sita, Urmila, Mandavi and Srukriti. Well, every father would want that he gets a good bride for his sons, and when this happens, he feels very happy and fulfilled. This was the case with Dasrath too.

That night of the grand feast became memorable as it was exceptionally enjoyable, pleasant and enchanting. The women merrily sang sweet and melodious songs. The best of the musical instruments of the day were being played on that occasion. Having satisfied himself with food and drink, the king (Dasrath) felt happy and contented. He then proceeded to the place of his lodging.

The Nuts (dancers; acrobats), Bhaats (royal bards; minstrels), Magadhs (common bards; lay minstrels), the Suts (heralds) and Yaachaks (the beggars; alm-seekers)—all of them began lauding the great king and praising his glories. The king on his part never felt hesitant in cheerfully giving away gems and elephants liberally to Brahmins as donation so much so that the more he gave the more he wanted to give.

(When king Dasrath expressed his desire to return to Ayodhya—) King Janak repeatedly prayed to the groom’s party to stay for some more days after the marriage, and they obliged him by prolonging their stay for a few more days while he (Janak) served them in hundreds of ways (i.e. in all possible ways).

But when the news finally came that the groom’s party will go back the next morning, the queens in the royal household (of Janak) could not sleep the whole night, dismayed at the inevitable separation and the loneliness that would follow the exit of the guests.

There was a tumult in the city (and a pall of gloom descended on it) as soon as this news of the departure of the groom’s party spread. All the men and women folk of the city prayed to (i.e. requested) the Gods that Sri Ram should come back to his in-law’s place again and again in the future.

Janak made all the arrangements for the ceremonial departure of the party with full royal honours. Then Sri Ram, accompanied by his brothers, went to the palace of Janak to take permission to leave.

The mother-in-laws did the Arti and made ceremonial offerings to the groom(s)'. (All the four brothers, Ram, Laxman, Bharat and Shatrughan, had gone to request permission from their mother-in-laws to go back home.) The queens became exhilarated and thrilled in their hearts as they watched his (Sri Ram’s) dark but enchanting image’. (Lord Ram had a dark complexion, but inspite of this the Lord looked magnificent, dignified and elegant. His beauteous image or form was so enchanting that the more the queens watched it the more thrilled they became.)

Then Sri Ram asked them to give him permission to leave. Hearing it, all of them (queens) were overwhelmed with sorrow and sadness of separation. Setting aside all inhibitions and hesitations, they fell down affectionately at his feet and were filled with thrill.

They (Sita’s mother and other members of the royal household) formally handed over Sita along with other daughters to their respective husbands, and then prayerfully folded their hands as a token for giving permission to leave as well as to show their respect to Lord Ram (and his brothers). They repeatedly glanced at Raghunath (Sri Ram) and prayed to him—

Oh dear son! Do not ever set aside (i.e. forget) your ties of affection, endearment and love for us. Have mercy, grace and compassion in your heart towards us, and regard the king (Janak) and his subjects as your subordinates.! (The queens were very sad at the time of departure of the bride and the groom. They politely requested Lord Ram and his three brothers not to forget them and the rest of the citizens of Janakpur, and to maintain cordial relationships with them for all times to come.)

‘We sincerely request you to be gracious towards these humble princesses, treating them kindly and affectionately as one of your own followers and servers’— saying this, the queens said many humble words of submission and prayer to the four brothers. (The two queens, Janak’s queen and his younger brother’s queen who were the mothers of the four brides, politely asked the grooms, the four brothers, to take care of their wives with great sensitivity, love and kindness, to forgive them for any mistakes they may make’, and to treat the girls affectionately as one of their own family members as they have become their life-partners from now onwards. Though it is obvious that once a girl is married, she becomes a part of the groom’s family, but the girls’ mother still requests the groom to be kind to her as the bride is new to the environment of the in-law’s family and may find it a bit difficult to adjust herself. She may be liable to commit errors or become homesick, so the groom is requested to ensure that she feels at home. He must also protect her against all harm because she is totally dependent upon him and is his life partner, both in joy as well as in sorrow. It is a natural reaction of a loving parent when he or she has to permanently part with the girl-child whom he or she had brought up so lovingly from day one of her life till the day of marriage. The mother is naturally worried about the happiness of her daughter because all of a sudden, she is transferred to a completely new surrounding of the in-law’s household. The bride’s mother is also worried because she has no way to find out about the nature and temperament of the groom and his family members. This uncertainty makes her very worried, but there is nothing she can do except to pray and humbly request the groom to be kind, forgiving and accommodating towards his wife.)

The mothers repeatedly clasped their daughters to their hearts with immense affection and love that appeared to spill over and drown everyone. When Sita bade them final goodbye and exited her mother’s place to accompany Lord Ram back to Ayodhya, all the men, women, horses, elephants, birds and animals of the city (of Janakpur, her native place) became extremely sad, sorrowful and agitated from the agony of separation. Having heard the prayers of the mothers-in-law, Sri Ram consoled and reassured them in all possible ways, and then he came back to his father’s place (with his newlywed wife Sita) where the marriage party had been lodged. (It must be noted that Lord Ram is always given precedence over his brothers as he is the eldest amongst them. So, though this Chanda starts with the queens requesting the grooms to take proper care of their respective brides, it concludes with mentioning only Sita and Ram. The other brothers and their brides are deemed to have politely followed Lord Ram who took the lead in taking leave of the mothers-in-law on behalf of all of them, and then departing for the place where his father, king Dasrath, was lodged.)

Musical instruments such as kettledrums started playing as the king (Dasrath) made his departure for Ayodhya. The Gods rained flowers (from the heaven), and many good and auspicious omens occurred at that time.

Janak met Janki (Sita) and gave her his good counsel’. (Janak, like any other father, was overcome with grief of separation from his beloved daughter. But being wise as he was, he advised Sita and the other daughters about the basic norms that a wife must follow in her life—for example, to serve her husband faithfully and loyally, to do everything possible to make him feel happy and contented, to uphold the dignity of both the families, that of her father’s as well as of her in-law’s, in everything she does, and to always follow the laws of Dharma, i.e. the laws of propriety, probity, righteousness and ethics.) He accompanied the groom’s party for quite a distance together with his ministers, Guru and brothers to see them off.

The king (Dasrath) was overjoyed and thrilled with affections when he saw the respect and courteousness that Janak had shown towards him and the rest of the bride’s party by coming to such a great distance to see them off. So, he finally stopped and pleaded with Janak to return to his city. Dasrath told Janak, ‘Oh great king! Please be kind to return now, for you have already come for such a long distance’. Then both the kings—who were virtually receptacles of virtuous and noble characters—began earnestly requesting and pleading with each other’. (In other words, while Dasrath pleaded with Janak to return back to his city for he has already come very far, the latter requested the former to let him go some further distance with him. This continued for quite some time and distance.)

Janak said with folded hands and palms touching each other as a mark of great respect for Dasrath, 'Oh the most exalted and noble one in king Raghu’s clan. You have obliged me so much and have been kind enough to have accepted me as one of your relatives (by accepting my daughters as the brides for your noble sons). You always establish those who have been unfortunate, who are on the verge of ruin and are desperate (i.e. you are very magnanimous, benevolent, beneficent and kind towards those who are junior to you and seek your patronage). I am so privileged to have you as my in-law and feel so thankful and obliged.'

(Janak continued--) ‘I gave you the trouble of having to come here all the way from Ayodhya—but please do not mind my audacity and misdemeanour. By the grace of the Lord, I came to realise your fame and glory (and this was the reason why I took the liberty to give you so much trouble). Indeed, it has been my privilege to have you at my place as my honoured guest and being able to serve you in whatever little way I could. This has given me great happiness and pleasure.' (Janak showed great respect to Dasrath. He said that though under normal circumstance it would have been proper if he had himself gone to Ayodhya to bring him to Janakpur, but it was not advisable as it would have been against established norms and traditions. This is because Dasrath’s son Lord Ram was to be married to Janak’s daughter Sita, and the bride’s father does not go personally to the groom’s father to invite him with the marriage party, but this invitation is sent through a messenger. Now, once this is done and the marriage is over, the two families are bonded together in a standing relationship. With this relationship now formalized and cemented, Janak says that he is so fortunate and lucky to have found a great king of Dasrath’s stature as his brotherly king. This marriage has indeed created a rare sort of union and alliance which has brought two renowned and mighty kings of the time together.)

Thereafter, he (Janak) duly worshipped, paid his obeisance to and honoured sage Vashistha and other sages and seers present on the occasion, and then caught hold of the feet of Kaushik (Vishwamitra) and prayed to him most humbly, expressing his sense of profound gratitude and heart-felt thankfulness to him.

After that, he (Janak) prayed to Raghubir (Sri Ram) along with his brothers. His throat was chocked with emotions of warm love, affection, delight and exhilaration as well as from the sorrow of separation (from his dearest daughter Sita, his son-in-law Sri Ram, as well as other daughters and their husbands, the other brothers of Sri Ram). Tears welled up and rolled down from his eyes.

Nevertheless, he somehow managed to gather courage and patience in his overwhelmed heart and said to Lord Ram— ‘Oh an ocean of grace, mercy and kindness! Oh, an ocean of happiness, joy and delight! Oh, the most exalted amongst gentlemen who are virtuous, righteous and noble! Oh, my dear and beloved son! Remember us from time to time. Never forsake us and your affection and warmth for us.

Hearing the earnest prayers of Janak who had said do not abandon your warmth and affections for us’, Raghubir (Sri Ram) felt touched, and he reciprocated his father-in-law’s sentiments by also praying to him politely with the same warmth and in the same manner. (That is, Lord Ram assured Janak that he need not worry at all as the relationship that has been established now between the two families is a permanent one. There is no question of him or any other member of his family ever forgetting Janak and his affectionate warmth.)

Thereafter, Videh (Janak) met everyone else (for the last time) and bid them all farewell, and gathering courage and fortitude in his heart, he returned back (to his city). It is not possible to say anything about those sorrowful moments—the entire world was filled with grief, sorrow, gloom and sadness. After that, the lord of Kaushal (king Dasrath) cheerfully made his exit from Janakpur and headed for his own capital of Ayodhya to the accompaniment of the beating of drums and playing of trumpets.

On the way back to Ayodhya, they met Bhrigunath (sage Parashuram) with a battle-axe in his hand. He started scolding and pouring scorn at them with vengeance, seeking retribution for the breaking of Lord Shiva’s bow. He glared at them menacingly with angry and wrathful eyes.

But Sri Ram satisfied him (i.e. calmed him down with polite words). The great sage then regretted for his anger and the way he had behaved with Lord Ram’, gave the Lord his own bow (that he had got from Lord Vishnu), and then seeking forgiveness from the Lord and blessing himself that he was so lucky to have seen the Supreme Being personally at so close quarters, he went peacefully away (to do penances).

Recalling the strength of Lord Ram’s arms (by which he broke the mighty bow of Lord Shiva as easily as breaking a twig) and observing the magical effect of his dynamic personality (that humbled even the formidable sage Parashuram whose anger was legendary in as much as it created terror in the heart of those who dared to confront him), both king Dasrath as well as all the members of the marriage party felt extremely happy and exhilarated. The king felt especially happy, honoured and glad when he realised that the Creator had been exceptionally kind towards him (because he was blessed with such a wonderful and powerful son as Lord Sri Ram).

In this manner, having got all his sons married in a glorious way, the king (Dasrath) was able to spread his fame and glory far and wide in all the directions of the world. (All the great kings and princes of the time had assembled at Janakpur to try their hands at lifting and stringing the formidable bow to prove their strength and might, or to simply witness the event. It was in this gathering that Lord Ram had broken the bow very easily when all of the competitors had failed to as much as move the bow a fraction of an inch. This in itself was no mean achievement and was enough to establish the fame and glory of Ram throughout the world. It is natural that any father would feel extremely proud and honoured if his son achieves such a great feat, and so was the case with Dasrath.) Delighting the residents who lived along the way and spreading joy all around, the king finally returned back to his capital at Ayodhya.

When the marriage party arrived at Ayodhya, numerous auspicious signs and favourable omens started occurring. The Gods are showered flowers from the sky. The city erupted in a mood of exhilaration and joyous tumult. All the men and women folk of the city were ecstatic with joy and became very excited.

The citizens enthusiastically decorated the various Ghats (banks of river Saryu), the roads and avenues, the buildings and palaces, the marketplaces and each individual house of the city. All the avenues, streets, lanes and by-lanes were washed with scented water. They sang auspicious and felicitous songs in merriment to celebrate the arrival of the marriage party with the newly wed princes.

The denizens of the city made lovely geometrical patterns, such as elegant squares and circles, on the ground, and adorned them with ceremonial pitchers and decorative flags. Many kinds of musical instruments were cheerfully played with gusto and great enthusiasm, and their sound reverberated in the city in all directions.

In every household, festoons, buntings, flags, canopies and awnings were put up, and countless decorative trees, complete with fruits and green leaves, were planted everywhere in the city.

Many types of beautiful and auspicious trees were planted everywhere in the decorated city. Women folk, with beautiful eyes resembling those of a fawn, gathered together cheerfully and arranged the different paraphernalia—such as curd, grass, rice-grains and sandalwood etc. arranged on a platter—that are necessary for performing the Arti of the newly-wed princes and their brides.

Kaushalya (the chief queen and mother of Lord Ram), Sumitra (the second queen and mother of Laxman) and other queens were very delighted and jubilant in their hearts. They assembled all the items necessary for the ceremonial welcome to be extended to the newly wed couples as well as the accompanying marriage party. With this in hand, all of them went out of the palace with a graceful and dignified gait resembling that of a proud and elegant elephant (i.e. they walked majestically with elegance and dignity befitting great queens) to receive and welcome Lord Sri Ram and the marriage party.

The mothers intently watch, with great love and warmth overwhelming their hearts, the four sons along with their brides. They become exceedingly cheerful while performing the welcoming Arti. (The ‘Arti’ is a ritual whereby lighted oil lamps, along with other small things such as rice-grains, kush grass, flowers and curd etc., arranged on a platter are waved in a clockwise movement in the front of the guest as a token of respect and welcome.)

They became overwhelmed with the warmth of joy and happiness and made offering and sacrifices every other moment. They appeared to have immersed themselves in an ocean of happiness and joy when they saw the brides and the grooms.

The mothers spread out the ceremonial welcoming carpets and offered libations to the grooms and their brides as they escorted the couples respectfully towards the palace. At that time, huge symbolic waves of joy and happiness, exhilaration and ecstasy, warmth and emotions surged and heaved in all the directions of the world, covering the earth as well as the sky’. [In other words, there was great rejoicing and joyousness everywhere, in the city as well as other places.

The women folk lift the veil over the faces of the brides and glance at their beautiful faces. This thrills them no end, and they feel lucky that they have been amply rewarded for having eyes, and that their having taken birth as human beings has been fruitful, worthwhile and rewarding. (When the ladies saw the faces of the four brides, they were overjoyed, and thanked their good luck that they could see such beautiful faces in their lives. They thanked the Creator for giving them a human body with two eyes that could see such a magnificent sight, for if they had been born as some other creature they would have missed this wonderful opportunity.)

They (the brides and the grooms) were respectfully brought to the royal palace and all auspicious rituals were done'. Liberal donations in the form of gifts of gold, gems, cows and garments were given to Brahmins.

Alm-seekers and beggars were satisfied with alms and liberal charity. They gave their blessings to the newly wed couples and the royal family. Gods and spirits of dead ancestors were worshipped for the welfare, fame and prosperity of Lord Sri Ram.

They (the queens) did all the traditional rituals according to established procedures and traditions. Then they gave magnificent robes and wearing apparels to all—their relatives, kith and kin, all the ladies of the city including the elderly women, as well as to the Guru’s wife.

All of them profusely blessed the four couples and came out of the palace. They were as jubilant and cheerful in their hearts as water lilies are at the sight of the rising moon.

All the women folk are exhilarant, happy and ecstatic with joy just like the water lily is when it sees the moon in the night. (The water lily opens its buds and petals as soon as the moon rises, indicating in a symbolic way that this flower is happy at the sight of the moon. Likewise, when the ladies of the royal household as well as the general women folk of the city of Ayodhya see the newly wed couples they cheer up and become very happy.) At that time, Ayodhya was full of magnificence, glamour, elegance, happiness and joy that overflowed all over it. In this way, great poets and expert bards do their best at singing the wonderful and glories events associated with the divine marriage of Lord Ram with Sita.

Tulsidas says that those people who sing these auspicious verses related to the divine marriage of Lord Ram and Sita, verses that provide all round welfare, joy, cheer and happiness to all living beings, would invariably be blessed with good fortunes, wellbeing, happiness and auspiciousness in all the spheres of their daily life.