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The cow-dust hour came, the clear hour at the close of the day when the herds come home and raise the dust of the road. It is the root of all fine auspiciousness. Knowing the omens favorable, the brahmins spoke to Janaka, Sita‘s father. The king asked his priest what now was the reason for delay. Some days had passed in rejoicing since the kings who had come for Sita’s choice of a husband went home speaking Rama‘s spotless and vast fame. The day of the appointed hour had come in the month of Agahan, the hour examined by the Creator and sent by Narada’s hand. In the city a queen will perform the welcome rite for her daughter’s groom, holding back the water in her eyes and knowing the occasion auspicious.
A company with conches and drums goes with honor to the lodging to fetch the groom’s side. At the word that the time has come the drums are struck. Dasharatha sets out with the sages and holy men. The gods, who have climbed into chariots of the sky to see the wedding, are full of love at the sight of the city. They look in wonder at the pavilion. Shiva makes them understand that this is the wedding of Sita and Rama, and moves the fine bull ahead. Rama rides in his bridegroom’s dress on a horse that walks with his will, and the gods gaze at him. The women of the city set out with the lamps of the arati to perform the parachhan, the welcome rite the women perform for the groom. Goddesses in the guise of women are among them, unrecognized. Sunayana, Sita’s mother, performs the rite with the water of her eyes held back. Rama goes to the pavilion, where jewels, cloths, and ornaments are waved over him and given away. Then the two fathers meet. The gods, who have seen many weddings since Brahma made the world, say they have seen two fathers so equal today. Janaka, with his own hands, sets thrones for everyone.
Who is there at the hour of the welcome rite
The main figures in this episode
- Rama the groom, in his bridegroom’s dress. His fame the kings go home speaking. With Sita, Shiva names him to the gods as those whose name, taken in the world, destroys the root of every misfortune. He rides a horse that walks with his will, and at him the gods gaze. He is welcomed with the parachhan and the arati, is given the water of welcome, and is seated in the pavilion. There the women wave jewels, cloths, and ornaments over him and give them away. He speaks no word in this episode.
- Sita for whose choice of a husband the kings had come, and whose wedding this is, as Shiva tells the gods. Her name with Rama’s, in Shiva’s words, destroys the root of every misfortune and brings the four aims into the palm of the hand. Her mother, holding back the water in her eyes, performs the welcome rite for the groom. She is in no scene of this episode in person.
- Janaka and Dasharatha Janaka, to whom the brahmins speak at the cow-dust hour and who asks his priest the reason for delay. He meets Dasharatha with great love, performing every rite of the Veda and of the world. Giving cloths to walk on and the water of welcome, he brings him into the pavilion. He sets thrones for everyone with his own hands and worships Vasishtha and Vishvamitra. Dasharatha, whose company makes Indra seem very small to those who come to fetch the groom’s side. He asks his guru and performs the rites of his line before he sets out. His fortune and wealth Brahma and the gods praise with a thousand mouths. He is seen on the way with his four sons at his side, and sits in state with the company.
- Sunayana Sita’s mother, whose name is the commentary’s. The queen who, calling the married women, arranges the things for the parachhan. Her happiness at the sight of Rama in his bridegroom’s dress a thousand Sarasvatis and Sheshas could not tell. Holding back the water in her eyes, she performs the rite and every observance of the Veda and of the line. Performing the arati, she gives the water of welcome.
- Shatananda Janaka’s priest, who is asked the reason for delay and calls the ministers, who arrange every auspicious thing and bring it.
- Shiva and Parvati Shiva, who climbs into the chariots of the sky with Brahma and the hosts of the gods. He makes the gods understand that this is the wedding of Sita and Rama, and moves the fine bull ahead. With Parvati he looks again and again at Rama’s form, limbs thrilled and eyes wet. Full of love for Rama’s form, he finds his fifteen eyes very dear. Parvati, who looks with him. With Shachi, Sarasvati, Lakshmi, and the goddesses she makes a fine guise of false women, mingles with the queens’ quarters, and is not recognized.
- Vasishtha and Vishvamitra the two sages whom Janaka worships in the pavilion. Vasishtha like the chosen deity of his line, with an entreaty made and a blessing received, and Vishvamitra with a love whose way cannot be told. Vasishtha is also the guru Dasharatha asks before setting out.
A cow-dust hour in the cold season
In this way the women of Janakpur made every wish and filled their hearts with surging joy. The kings who had come for Sita’s choice of a husband saw the four brothers and found happiness. Speaking Rama’s spotless and vast fame, the kings went each to his own house. Some days passed in this way, with the townspeople and the wedding party all rejoicing.
Then the day of the appointed hour came, the root of every auspicious thing. It was the cold season, Hemanta in the commentary’s naming, and the handsome month of Agahan. Planet, lunar day, asterism, yoga, and weekday: all of them were fine. Examining the hour, the Creator, whom the commentary names Brahma, gave it thought, and sent it by Narada’s hand. Janaka’s astrologers had reckoned the same. When all the people heard this, they said, “The astrologers are the Creator.”
And the clear cow-dust hour came, the root of all fine auspiciousness. Knowing the omens favorable, the brahmins spoke to Janaka.
The wedding party sets out from the lodging
Janaka said to his priest, “Now what is the reason for delay?” Then Shatananda called the ministers, and arranging all the auspicious things, they brought them.
Conches, drums, tabors, and many instruments sounded. Auspicious pitchers were arranged, and the things of good omen, curd and durva grass among them in the commentary’s list. Handsome married women sang songs, and pure brahmins made the sound of the Veda.
In this way they went with honor to fetch the groom’s side, and came to where the wedding party had its lodging. When they saw Dasharatha’s company, Indra seemed to them very small.
“The time has come. Be pleased to come now.” At those words the blow fell on the drums. Asking his guru and performing the rites of his line, Dasharatha set out with the company of sages and holy men.
Seeing Dasharatha’s fortune and his wealth, the gods, Brahma and the rest, began to praise him with a thousand mouths, knowing their own birth vain.
What Shiva told the gods
The gods knew the occasion of fine auspiciousness, and they rained flowers, beating drums. Shiva, Brahma, and the rest, the hosts of the gods, climbed in many troops into chariots of the sky. Their bodies thrilled with love and their hearts were eager, and they went to see Rama’s wedding. Seeing Janakpur, the gods were full of love, and to every one of them his own world seemed small.
They looked in wonder at the wondrous wedding pavilion and at all the many unworldly things made there. The men and women of the city were treasuries of form, well made, of fine dharma and fine character, and wise. Seeing them, all the gods and the women of the gods became as if stars in the light of the moon. The Creator felt a special wonder. Nowhere did he see any work of his own.
Shiva made all the gods understand. “Do not lose yourselves in wonder,” he said. “Holding patience, consider in your hearts: this is the wedding of Sita and Rama. Those whose name, taken in the world, destroys the root of every misfortune and brings the four aims into the palm of the hand: these are that Sita and Rama.” The four aims, in the commentary’s count, are wealth, dharma, desire, and release.
So Shiva made the gods understand. Then he moved the fine bull ahead, the bull the commentary names Nandi. The gods saw Dasharatha on his way, great joy in his mind, his limbs thrilled. With him went the company of holy men and brahmins, as if happiness had taken bodies and were serving him. His four handsome sons shone at his side, as if every kind of release had taken a body, four kinds in the commentary’s count.
Seeing the fine pairs, colored emerald and gold, the gods felt no small love. Then, seeing Rama, they rejoiced in their hearts, and praising the king, they rained flowers. Looking again and again at Rama’s form, handsome from nail to crown, Shiva, and Parvati with him, had their limbs thrilled and their eyes wet.
A groom as dark as a peacock’s throat
The groom’s limbs were dark, with the lustre of a peacock’s throat, a dark with a green sheen in the commentary’s reading. His garments were of a fine color, yellow in the commentary’s reading, and they put the lightning to shame. Wedding ornaments of many kinds had been put on him, all of them auspicious and handsome in every way.
His handsome face was like the clear moon of autumn, and his eyes shamed the fresh lotus. All the beauty was unworldly, which the commentary reads as divine, a beauty maya did not make. It cannot be told, and in the mind it pleases.
A horse that walks with Rama’s will
With him his enchanting brothers shone, riding along and making restless horses dance. The princes showed fine horses, and the praisers of the line recited titles of honor.
And the horse on which Rama sat in state: seeing its gait, Garuda was shamed. It cannot be told. It was handsome in every way, as if Kama had made a horse’s guise.
It was as if Kama, making a horse’s guise, shone greatly for Rama’s sake. With its age, its strength, its form, its qualities, and its gait it charmed all the worlds. Its jewelled saddle glittered with light, set with fine pearls, gems, and rubies. Seeing the lovely bridle with its choice little bells, gods, men, and sages were beguiled.
Its mind absorbed in Rama’s will, the horse gained beauty as it walked, as if a cloud adorned with stars and lightning were making a fine peacock dance. The fine horse Rama rode, even Sarasvati could not describe.
Eyes counted at the sight of him
Shiva was full of love for Rama’s form, and his fifteen eyes seemed very dear to him. When Vishnu looked at Rama with love, he was charmed, and Lakshmi with him. Seeing Rama’s beauty, the Creator rejoiced, and knowing he had only eight eyes, he regretted it.
The commander of the gods’ army, whom the commentary names Kartikeya, had great eagerness in his heart. His gain of eyes was one and a half times the Creator’s, twelve eyes in the commentary’s count. Indra, wise, gazed at Rama, with the thousand eyes the commentary gives him, and took Gautama’s curse for the highest good.
All the gods envied Indra. Today there was no one like Indra. The hosts of gods were glad at the sight of Rama, and in the companies of both kings the joy was special.
The women set out to welcome him, and goddesses among them
In the kings’ companies on both sides there was great joy, and the kettledrums sounded loud. The gods, glad, rained flowers, crying, “Victory, victory, victory to Rama!” In this way it was known that the wedding party was coming. Many instruments sounded. The queen, calling the married women, arranged the auspicious things for the parachhan.
They were arranging the lamps of the arati in many ways and setting every auspicious thing in order. The fine women, with the gait of elephants, set out glad to perform the parachhan. All of them were moon-faced and all of them deer-eyed. All of them, with the beauty of their own bodies, loosened Rati from her pride. They wore fine saris of color upon color, and every ornament adorned their bodies.
With every limb adorned with fine auspicious things, they sang, shaming the cuckoo. Bangles, girdles, and anklets rang, and seeing their walk, Kama’s elephants were shamed. Instruments of many kinds were playing, and in the sky and in the city there were fine auspicious rites.
Making a fine guise of false women, Shachi, Sarasvati, Lakshmi, Parvati, and the goddesses who are pure and clever by nature went and mingled with the queens’ quarters. They sang auspicious songs in fine voices. Everyone was in the grip of joy, and no one recognized them.
Who was to know whom? In the grip of joy they all set out to perform the parachhan of Brahman in a bridegroom’s form. Fine singing, sweet drums, the gods raining flowers: a goodly splendor. Seeing the groom, all the women were glad at heart. The water surging up in their lotus eyes, a thrill spread over their fine limbs.
The water held back in a mother’s eyes
The happiness that rose in the mind of Sita’s mother, whom the commentary names Sunayana, at the sight of Rama in his bridegroom’s dress. A thousand Sarasvatis and Sheshas could not tell it in a hundred kalpas.
Holding back the water in her eyes and knowing the occasion auspicious, the queen, glad at heart, performed the parachhan. Every observance ordained by the Veda and every custom of the line she performed well and rightly.
The five sounds rang out, five instruments and five voices in the commentary’s two lists, and with them auspicious songs. Cloths of many kinds were laid down to walk on. Performing the arati, she gave the water of welcome, and then Rama went to the wedding pavilion.
The groom in the pavilion, and the joy of the gifts waved over him
Dasharatha sat in state with the company, and seeing the wealth, the guardians of the worlds were shamed. From time to time the gods rained flowers, and the brahmins recited the chants of peace as the moment asked. In the sky and in the city there was clamor. No one heard anything, his own or another’s. In this way Rama came to the pavilion, and, the water of welcome given, he was seated on a seat.
Seating him on the seat, performing the arati, and looking at the groom, the women found happiness. Heaps of jewels, cloths, and ornaments they waved over him and gave away, and they sang auspicious songs. Making the guise of brahmins, Brahma and the other gods watched the spectacle. Looking at Rama’s beauty, they reckoned their lives fruitful.
Receiving what had been waved over Rama and given away, the barbers, the gardeners, the bards, and the dancers blessed gladly, bowing their heads. The joy did not fit in their hearts.
These alone are like themselves
Janaka and Dasharatha met with great love, performing every rite of the Veda and every rite of the world. The two great kings, meeting, shone. Searching and searching for a likeness, the poets were shamed. They found none anywhere, and admitting defeat in their hearts, they brought this likeness into their breasts: these alone are like themselves.
Seeing the meeting of the two fathers whom the marriage made kin, the gods were full of love. Raining flowers, they began to sing their fame. “Since Brahma made the world,” they said, “we have seen and heard many weddings. An array and a company equal in every way, and two fathers so equal, we have seen today.”
At the gods’ beautiful and true words an unworldly love spread on both sides. Giving handsome cloths to walk on and the water of welcome, Janaka brought Dasharatha into the pavilion with honor.
At the sight of the pavilion, the sages’ minds were taken by its wondrous construction and its brightness. Bringing thrones with his own hands, wise Janaka set them for everyone. He worshiped Vasishtha like the chosen deity of his line and, making entreaty, received a blessing. The way of the supreme love with which he worshiped Vishvamitra cannot be told.
The hands that give honor
Giving cloths to walk on and the water of welcome, Janaka brought Dasharatha into the pavilion with honor. Bringing thrones with his own hands, he set them for everyone. He worshiped Vasishtha like the chosen deity of his line and, making entreaty, received a blessing. He worshiped Vishvamitra with a love whose way cannot be told.
The next episode opens with Janaka, glad, worshiping Vamadeva and the other rishis, giving divine seats to all of them, and receiving blessings from them all.
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 312 to 319, with the chaupais and chhand before doha 320, read with Hanuman Prasad Poddar’s Hindi commentary.