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Sita, knowing that the wedding party has come into the city, shows a little of her own glory. She sends the siddhis, the powers that come at her call, to do the king’s hospitality. The king has already taken Janaka’s gifts with love and been led toward the lodging given to the party. In the same city are two sons of that king who have heard that their father has come. Their hearts cannot hold the joy. From shyness they cannot say to the guru that they long to see him.
The men of the wedding party find all the happiness of the gods within easy reach in their quarters. No one knows anything of the secret of the wealth. Rama knows it for Sita’s glory. Vishvamitra sees the brothers’ modesty, takes them to his heart, and sets out with them for the lodging where Dasharatha is. The king rises at the sight of the sage coming with the two sons. Then there are prostrations and embraces: the king at the sage’s feet, the two sons prostrate before their father. Their heads at Vasishtha’s feet, Bharata and his younger brother saluting Rama. The sight of Rama cools the wedding party, and the four sons shine beside their father. The welcoming party goes back. The people, who have the party with them before the appointed day, ask the Creator that the days and nights grow longer. They call Rama and Sita the utmost of splendor and the two kings the utmost of merit. The women of Janakpur speak among themselves of the two brothers who will come to take Sita and of two more boys like them. They spread the ends of their garments and ask the Creator that all four be married in their city. They say that Shiva will do it all.
Inside the lodging and outside it
The main figures in this episode
- Sita who knows that the wedding party has come into the city. She shows a little of her own glory, remembers the siddhis in her heart, calls them, and sends them to do the king’s hospitality. Her glory Rama knows for hers. The townspeople call her, with Rama, the utmost of splendor and the image of Janaka’s merit. Janaka, the women say, will send for her again and again.
- Rama and Lakshmana the two brothers in the city with the guru. Their hearts cannot hold the joy when they hear that their father has come. They cannot say to the guru that they long to see him. Vishvamitra takes them to his heart and brings them to the lodging. They prostrate themselves before their father and are taken to his heart. They bow their heads at Vasishtha’s feet, and bow to the brahmins. Rama raises Bharata and his younger brother and takes them to his heart. He meets townspeople, household, kinsmen, beggars, ministers, and friends, each as is fitting. Lakshmana meets the two with his limbs brimming with love. The sight of Rama cools the wedding party.
- Dasharatha the king who came with the wedding party. Before him the welcoming party sets Janaka’s gifts, which he takes with love and which go as largesse to beggars. He is led to the lodging where Sita’s siddhis do his hospitality. He rises at the sight of the sage coming with the two sons, and prostrates himself before Vishvamitra. He takes his two sons to his heart, and wipes away an unbearable grief. Beside him the four sons shine. He is one of the two kings the city calls the utmost of merit.
- Vishvamitra and Vasishtha Vishvamitra, the guru to whom the two brothers cannot say what they long for. He sees their modesty, is content, takes them to his heart with his eyes full of water, and brings them to the lodging. There the king prostrates himself before him. He takes the king to his heart, blesses him, and asks after his welfare. Vasishtha, at whose feet the two brothers bow their heads. Glad with love, he takes them to his heart.
- Bharata and Shatrughna the two sons who came with their father. They salute Rama, are raised and taken to his heart, and are met by Lakshmana. They are two of the four sons who shine beside the king. They are the two boys the women speak of. One of them says that Bharata is of Rama’s very likeness and that Lakshmana and Shatrughna are of one form.
- Janaka and Shatananda Janaka, the king who sends the gifts, whom everyone in the wedding party praises. His merit, the townspeople say, has its image in Sita. He, the women say, will send for Sita again and again. He is one of the two kings the city calls the utmost of merit. Shatananda, who with the brahmins, the ministers, the bards of every order, and the learned honors the king and the wedding party. Asking leave, he goes back.
- The women of Janakpur glad, with the men of the city, at the sight of Dasharatha and his sons. The cuckoo-voiced women who say to one another that the two brothers will be guests of the eyes and that two more boys are like them. Spreading the ends of their garments, they ask the Creator that all four brothers be married in this city. They say, with water in their eyes, that Shiva will do it all.
A welcome laden with gifts
Golden pitchers were filled, with milk, sherbet, cool drinks, and water in the commentary’s list. Platters, dishes, and lovely vessels of many kinds were heaped with sweets like nectar, of kinds past describing. Many fruits and fine handsome things the king, Janaka, sent with joy for the gift. With ornaments, clothes, great jewels of many kinds, birds, beasts, horses, elephants, and conveyances of many kinds.
Auspicious things and things of good omen the king sent as well, scented and handsome, of many kinds. Filling carrying-pole after carrying-pole with curd, flattened rice, and gifts past counting, the porters set out.
When the welcoming party caught sight of the wedding party, joy filled their hearts and their limbs filled with thrill. Seeing the welcoming party with its array, the men of the wedding party, glad, struck the drums.
Then, in joy, some gave their horses the rein and went to meet one another, as if two seas of joy had left their bounds and met.
Sita’s hospitality in the lodging, and the secret no one knew
Raining flowers, the beautiful women of the gods sang, and the gods, glad, beat kettledrums. The welcoming party set all the things before the king and made their entreaty with great love. The king took everything with love, and largesse was made of it and given to beggars. After worship, honor, and praise, the welcoming party led him toward the lodging.
Wondrous cloths were laid down to walk on, cloths at whose sight Kubera gives up his pride in wealth. A very beautiful lodging was given, where everyone had ease of every kind.
Sita knew that the wedding party had come into the city. She showed a little of her own glory. Remembering them in her heart, she called all the siddhis and sent them to do the king’s hospitality. Hearing Sita’s order, all the siddhis went to where the lodging was. They were carrying all wealth and happiness and the enjoyments and luxuries of the city of the gods.
Looking at each his own quarters, the men of the wedding party had all the happiness of the gods within easy reach, in every way. No one knew anything of the secret of the wealth, and all of them praised Janaka. Rama knew it for Sita’s glory. Recognizing its cause, her love in the commentary’s reading, he rejoiced in his heart.
What the brothers could not say to the guru
When the two brothers heard that their father had come, their hearts could not hold the great joy. From shyness they could not say it to the guru. The longing to see their father was in their minds. Vishvamitra saw their great modesty, and great contentment arose in his heart.
Glad, he took both brothers to his heart. Every part of him thrilled, and water filled his eyes. They set out for the lodging where Dasharatha was, as if a lake had set out toward a thirsty man.
When the king saw the sage coming with the two sons, he rose in joy and went, as if taking soundings in the sea of happiness.
The four sons beside their father
The king prostrated himself before the sage, setting the dust of his feet on his head again and again. Vishvamitra took the king to his heart and, speaking a blessing, asked after his welfare.
Then the two brothers prostrated themselves. At the sight the king’s heart could not hold the happiness. Taking his sons to his heart, he wiped away an unbearable grief, the grief of separation in the commentary’s reading. It was as if a dead body had met with life.
Then the two bowed their heads at Vasishtha’s feet. Vasishtha, glad with love, took them to his heart. The two brothers bowed to the company of brahmins and received the blessings their hearts desired.
Bharata, with his younger brother Shatrughna, made his salutation to Rama. Rama raised them and took them to his heart. Lakshmana rejoiced to see the two brothers and met them with his limbs brimming with love.
Townspeople, household, kinsmen, beggars, ministers, and friends: Rama, kind and humble, met them all, each as was fitting.
At the sight of Rama the wedding party was cooled. In the commentary’s reading, the fire of separation that had burned in every heart went out. The way of love cannot be told. Beside the king the four sons shone, as if wealth, dharma, and the rest had taken bodies. The rest, in the commentary’s count, are desire and release.
May the days and nights grow longer
Seeing Dasharatha with his sons, the men and women of the city were especially glad. Raining flowers, the gods beat drums, and the dancing women of heaven danced, singing.
Shatananda, the brahmins, the ministers, the bards of every order, and the learned honored the king, and the wedding party with him. Asking leave, the welcoming party went back.
The wedding party had come before the appointed day, and so the joy in the city was all the greater. All the people had the bliss of Brahman, and they said to the Creator, “May the days and nights grow longer.”
Here and there the townspeople, men and women meeting in gatherings, said this: “Rama and Sita are the utmost of splendor, and the two kings the utmost of merit.”
The city reckons its merit
The townspeople went on. “Sita is the image of Janaka’s merit. Rama is Dasharatha’s merit wearing a body. No one has worshiped Shiva as these have, and no one has won fruit like theirs.” These, in the commentary’s reading, are the two kings. “None like them has been in the world, none is anywhere, and none will be.”
“We all are heaps of every merit,” they said, “who were born into the world as dwellers of Janakpur, who have seen the beauty of Sita and Rama. Who is so especially a doer of merit as we? Further, we shall see Rama’s wedding, and take the gain of the eyes in the right way.”
The two brothers will be guests of the eyes
The women with cuckoo voices said to one another, “Lovely-eyed one, there is great gain in this wedding. By great fortune the Creator has made it come about: the two brothers will be guests of the eyes.”
“Out of affection Janaka will send for Sita again and again. And the two brothers, lovely as ten million Kamadevas, will come to take her. There will be hospitality of many kinds. To whom, friend, is such a father-in-law’s house not dear? And each time, seeing Rama and Lakshmana, all the people of the city will be happy.”
The ends of their garments spread for all four brothers
The women went on, “Friend, as the pair of Rama and Lakshmana is, just so are two boys with the king: dark and fair, handsome in every part. So say all who have been to see them.”
One said, “I saw them today, and it was as if Brahma had adorned them with his own hands. Bharata is of Rama’s very likeness. Men and women cannot make them out at a glance. Lakshmana and Shatrughna are of one form, every part of them matchless from nail to crown. They please the mind, and the mouth cannot describe them. There is no likeness for them anywhere in the three worlds.”
In the commentary’s reading of the line, the servant Tulsi says that poets and the learned tell of no likeness for them anywhere. Seas of strength, modesty, learning, character, and splendor, they alone are like themselves. Spreading the ends of their garments, all the women of the city made the Creator hear their words: “Let all four brothers be married in this city. And we will sing fine auspicious songs.”
With water in their eyes and their bodies thrilled, the women said to one another, “Friend, Shiva will do it all. The two kings are seas of merit.”
Received, and given on
The welcoming party set all the things before the king. The king took everything with love. Largesse was made of it and given to beggars. A very beautiful lodging was given, and Sita sent the siddhis to do the king’s hospitality. They went to where the lodging was, carrying all wealth and happiness and the enjoyments of the city of the gods. The men of the wedding party had all the happiness of the gods within easy reach and praised Janaka. The two brothers bowed to the company of brahmins and received the blessings their hearts desired. Shatananda and those with him honored the king and the wedding party. Asking leave, the welcoming party went back.
The next episode opens with the women making every wish in this way and filling their hearts with surging joy. And with the kings who had come for Sita’s choice of a husband seeing the four brothers and finding happiness. Speaking Rama’s spotless and vast fame, the kings go each to his own house. Some days pass so, with the townspeople and the wedding party all rejoicing.
The same story, elsewhere: Valmiki’s Ramayana, chapter 4: Mithila, the Breaking of Shiva’s Bow, and the Wedding of Sita.
Source: the Gita Press edition of Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, Balkand, doha 305 to sortha 311, read with Hanuman Prasad Poddar’s Hindi commentary.