Shloka 21

त्रिसप्ततितमः सर्गः (Sarga 73): Mithilā Vivāha

Kanyādāna and the Fourfold Marriage Rites

Devanagari script

तथेत्युक्त्वा तु जनकं वसिष्ठो भगवानृषि:।विश्वामित्रं पुरस्कृत्य शतानन्दं च धार्मिकम्।।1.73.20।।प्रपामध्ये तु विधिवत्वेदिं कृत्वा महातपा: ।अलञ्चकार तां वेदिं गन्धपुष्पै स्समन्तत: ।।1.73.21।।सुवर्णपालिकाभिश्च छिद्रकुम्भैश्च साङ्कुरै:।अङ्कुराढ्यैश्शरावैश्च धूपपात्रै स्सधूपकै:।।1.73.22।। शङ्खपात्रै स्स्रुवै स्स्रुग्भि: पात्रैरर्घ्याभिपूरितै:।लाजपूर्णैश्च पात्रीभिरक्षतैरभिसंस्कृतै:।।1.73.23।।

Transliteration

tathety uktvā tu janakaṃ vasiṣṭho bhagavān ṛṣiḥ | viśvāmitraṃ puraskṛtya śatānandaṃ ca dhārmikam || prapāmadhye tu vidhivad vediṃ kṛtvā mahātapāḥ | alañcakāra tāṃ vediṃ gandhapuṣpaiḥ samantataḥ || suvarṇapālikābhiś ca chidrakumbhaiś ca sāṅkuraiḥ | aṅkurāḍhyaiḥ śarāvaiś ca dhūpapātraiḥ sadhūpakaiḥ || śaṅkhapātraiḥ srucaiḥ srugbhiḥ pātrair arghyābhipūritaiḥ | lājapūrṇaiś ca pātrībhir akṣatair abhisaṃskṛtaiḥ ||

Translation

जनक की आज्ञा सुनकर “तथास्तु” कहकर महर्षि वसिष्ठ ने विश्वामित्र और धर्मात्मा शतानन्द को आगे रखकर मंडप के मध्य विधि से वेदी बनाई। फिर उन्होंने उस वेदी को चारों ओर सुगन्धित पुष्पों से तथा विवाह-यज्ञ के लिए आवश्यक समस्त पवित्र पात्रों और द्रव्यों—स्वर्णपात्र, अंकुरयुक्त छिद्र-कुम्भ, अंकुरसमृद्ध शराव, धूपदान व धूप, शंखाकार पात्र, स्रुव-स्रुग, अर्घ्य-पूर्ण पात्र, लाज-पूर्ण पात्र और संस्कारित अक्षत—से भली-भाँति सजाया।

Word by Word

ततःthereafter

सीताम्Sītā

समानीयhaving brought

सर्वाभरणभूषिताम्adorned with all ornaments

समक्षम्in the presence

अग्नेःof Agni (fire)

संस्थाप्यhaving placed

राघवाभिमुखेfacing Rāghava (Rāma)

तदाthen

अब्रवीत्said

जनकःJanaka

राजाking

कौसल्यानन्दवर्धनम्(Rāma,) increaser of Kausalyā’s joy

Context

Venerable and renowned ascetic Vasishta said "Be it so".And with Viswamitra and virtuous Satananda in the forefront, an altar was duly improvised in the centre of the sacrificial pavilion. He adorned the altar on all sides with fragrant flowers, golden ladles, waterpots with holes filled with sprouts, earthen vessels with sprouts, holders of burning fragrant incense conchshaped vessels, sacrificial ladles, bowls filled with with water for arghya and other purposes, vessels with roasted paddy and grains of rice.

Characters & Entities

Janaka

Vasiṣṭha

Viśvāmitra

Śatānanda

prapā (marriage pavilion)

vedi (altar)

arghya

akṣata

lāja

dhūpa

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma is safeguarded by ritual exactness and purity: the repeated catalog of implements underscores that sacred action is done with care, truthfulness to tradition, and communal witness.

What is the narrative situation?

A parallel/expanded recital (as preserved in the Southern Recension) reiterates the preparation and adornment of the wedding altar by Vasiṣṭha with leading sages.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Vasiṣṭha’s steadiness and authoritative mastery of sacred procedure.