tTEÏy¤ÀÏva   t¤   jnk|   v¢s¿aE   Bgvan¦¢x:     .
¢váa¢mæO|   p¤rÞk]Ïy   StanÓd|   c   Da¢mIkm¯  ¡ 21¡

tTa

so be it

i¢t

thus

uÀÏva

having said

t¤

indeed

jnk|

to Janaka

v¢s¿:

Vasishta

Bgvan¯

lord

§¢x:

sage

¢váa¢mæO|

Viswamitra

p¤rÞk]Ïy

in the lead

StanÓd|

Satananda

c

and

Da¢mIkm¯

righteous

p#pamÒyE   t¤   ¢v¢Dv¹E¢d|   k]Ïva   mhatpa:   .
Al·kar   ta|   vE¢d|   gÓDp¤ÝpW:   smÓtt:  ¡ 22¡

p#pamÒyE

in the centre of the wedding canopy

t¤

verily

¢v¢Dvt¯

as per procedure

vE¢d|

the sacrificial altar

k]Ïva

having done up

mhatpa:

of great penance

Al·kar

decorated

ta|

that

vE¢d|

ritualistic altar

gÓDp¤ÝpW:

with fragrant flowers

smÓtt:

all around

   
s¤vNIpa¢lka¢Bà   ¢Cd#kØBWà   saÄðrW:   .
AÄðraFYW:   SravWà   D¥ppaæOW:   sD¥pkW:   ¡ 23¡

s¤vNIpa¢lka¢B:

with crucibles made of gold

c

and

¢Cd#kØBW:

with pots having holes

c

and

saÄðrW:

with sprouts

AÄðraFYW:

full of sprouted seedlings

SravW:

earthern pitchers

c

and

D¥ppaæOW:

incense-smoking vessels

sD¥pkW:

along with smoke

 
SpaæOW:   *¤vW:   *¤¢ÂB:   paæOWrÃyaI¢Bp¥¢rtW: .
lajp¥NIà   paæO£¢BrXtWr¢Bs|Þk]tW:            ¡ 24¡

SpaæOW:

with picture-pitchers

*¤vW:

ladles used for pouring oblations

*¤¢ÂB:

wooden ladles for pouring clarified butter into the sacrificial fire

paæOW:

by vessels

ArÃya¢Bp¥¢rtW:

filled with water meant to be given as `Arghya', i.e. for purificatory sipping

lajp¥NI:

filled with puffed rice

c

and

paæO£¢B:

with vessels

AXtW:

with unbroken rice

A¢BsÞk]tW:

sanctified by chanting of secret formulae

That   great   sage   Vasishta   of   great   penance,having   told,`So   be   it',
to   Janaka,   with   Viswamitra   and   Satananda   in   the   lead,   having
set   up   an   altar   as   per   injunctions,   in   the   middle   of   the
marriage   canopy,   decorating   the   altar   on   all   four   sides   with
sweet-smelling   flowers,   golden   bowls   containing   sprouted
cereals,   seedlings   kept   in   picturesque   pitchers ,  pots   with
young   plants,   vessels   from   which   arose   incense-filled   smoke,
conches   with   stands,   ladles   to   be   used   for   pouring   oblations
into   the   sacrificial   fire,   wooden   ladles   for   pouring   ghee   into
the   obla   tory   fire,   vessels   containing   sacred   waters,   containers
full   of   puffed   rice   and   with   rice   which   had   been   sanctified
with   holy   chants   (21-24).  
dBI:   smW:   smaÞt£yI   ¢v¢DvÓmÓæOp¥vIkm¯   .
A¢g"maDay   vEïa|   t¤   ¢v¢DmÓæOp¤rÞk]tm¯     ¡
j¤havag"aW   mhatEja   v¢s¿aE   Bgvan¦¢x:      ¡ 25¡

dBI:	with sacred grass

smW:	of the required number

smaÞt£yI

spreading out

¢v¢Dvt¯

as laid down

mÓæOp¥vIkm¯

along with chanting of sacred formulae

A¢g"|

the ritualistic fire

AaDay

having established

vEïa|

into the altar

t¤

indeed

¢v¢DmÓæOp¤rÞk]tm¯

to the accompaniment of chants and as per procedure

j¤hav

poured oblations

Ag"aW

into the sacriicial fire

mhatEja:

of great resplendence

v¢s¿:

Vasishta

Bgvan¯

lord

§¢x:

sage

That   great   Vasishta,   who   was   extremely   effulgent,   spread   the   holy
grass   upon   the   sacrificial   altar,   as   laid   down   and   sanctified   by
the   chanting   of   the   secret   formulae.Then,   as   prescribed,   tending
the   fire,   accompanied   by   scriptural   chants,   (he)   made   oblations
into   the   fire   (25).
 
tt:   s£ta|   sman£y   svaIBrNB¥¢xtam¯  .
¢½y|   pî¢vy¤³a|   vW   kESvaÄðÅy¤ta¢mv   ¡ 26¡

tt:	thereafter

s£ta|

Sita

sman£y

having fetched

svaIBrNB¥¢xtam¯

decked in ornaments on all limbs

¢½y|	goddess Lakshmi

pî¢vy¤³a|

separated from (Her abode) the lotus

vW

verily

kESvaÄðÅy¤ta|

slipped from the lap of Lord Kesava

iv

as if

 
¢vï¤t¯p#Ba|   ¢vSalaX£|   n£lk¢·tm¥DIjam¯  ¡ 27¡

¢vï¤t¯p#Ba|

brilliant like the lightning

¢vSalaX£|

with wide eyes

n£lk¢·tm¥DIjam¯

having curly forelocks dark in colour

h|sa¢ÄðtEn   XaWmEN   ¢k|¢cÏp£tEn   s|v¦tam¯  .
va¢stEnaEäOr£yEN   s¤r³En   s¤s|v¦tam¯       ¡ 28¡

h|sa¢ÄðtEn

with swans in the border

XaWmEN

with silken garment

¢k|¢ct¯

light

p£tEn

yellow

s|v¦tam¯

draped

va¢stEn

with perfumed

uäOr£yEN

upper cloth

s¤r³En

cherry red

s¤s|v¦tam¯

clothed in a well fitting manner

smXmg"E:   s|ÞTaÔy   raGva¢Bm¤KE   tda   .
Ab#v£ÇjnkaE   raja   kaWsÚyanÓdvDInm¯   ¡ 29¡

smX|	right in front of the eyes

Ag"E:

of the fire

s|ÞTaÔy

having set up

raGva¢Bm¤KE

facing Rama

tda

then

Ab#v£t¯

spoke

jnk:

Janaka

raja

king

kaWsÚyanÓdvDInm¯

to the darling of Kausalya

Thereupon,   king   Janaka,   fetching   Sita,   who   was   decked   with
all   kinds   of   ornaments   in   the   respective   limbs   of   her   body,
draped   in   silken   raiment   of   light   yellow   hue   and   having   borders
bearing   the   picture   of   royal   swans   with   the   upper   garment   cherry-red in   colour   and   treated   with   perfumes,   brilliant   as   a   flash   of lightning,   with   tresses   that   were   dark-coloured   and   curly,   with
eyes   wide,   verily   that   Goddess   Lakshmi   who   was   separated   from
(Her)   pedestal   the   lotus   and   who   had   slipped   from   the   lap   of
Kesava,   in   front   of   the   sacrificial   fire,   stationing   her in   front   of   Rama,   spoke   thus   to   the   one   who   was   the   enhancer
of   Kausalya's   joy   (26-29).  
iy|   s£ta   mm   s¤ta   shDmIcr£   tv          .
p#t£ÅC   cWna|   Bd#|   tE   pa¢N|   g¦£Ýv   pa¢Nna ¡ 30¡

iy|

this

s£ta

Sita

mm

my

s¤ta

daughter

shDmIcr£

will be with you for leading a righteous life

tv

your

p#t£ÅC

may you accept

c

and

ena|

this one

Bd#|	auspiciousness

tE	be with you

pa¢N|

her hand

g¦£Ýv

take in

pa¢Nna

your hand

`This   Sita   is   my     daughter,   who   will   be   with   you   to   help   you
in   performig   all   rites,   rituals   and   righteous   acts   of   yours.   Hence,
may   you   accept   her   by   taking   her   hand   into   yours.   May   all   be   well with   you   (30).