Shloka 1.71.5
जनककुलवर्णनम् तथा सीतोर्मिलादानम् (Janaka’s Genealogy and the Bestowal of Sita and Urmila)
उदावसोस्तु धर्मात्मा जातो वै नन्दिवर्धन:।नन्दिवर्धनपुत्रस्तु सुकेतुर्नाम नामत:।।।।
vīryaśulkāṁ mama sutāṁ sītāṁ surasutopamām |
dvitīyām ūrmiḷāṁ caiva trir dadāmi na saṁśayaḥ ||
As the bride-price won by valor, I bestow my daughter Sītā—like a daughter of the gods; and also my second daughter Ūrmilā. I declare it three times, leaving no room for doubt.
Virtuous Nandivardhana was the son of Udavasu whose son was Suketu.
Satya and maryādā in public commitments: Janaka formalizes the gift of his daughters through a clear, repeated declaration to prevent ambiguity and uphold righteous social order.
After Rāma’s feat with the bow, Janaka publicly announces the bestowal of Sītā to Rāma and Ūrmilā in connection with the marriage alliance.
Janaka’s truthfulness and procedural propriety—he ensures the vow is unmistakable and socially valid.