Valmiki Ramayana 1.73.20-23: Bala Kanda, Sarga 73, Shlokas 20-23
त्रिसप्ततितमः सर्गः (Sarga 73): Mithilā Vivāha · Kanyādāna and the Fourfold Marriage Rites
Setting: Mithilā, center of the marriage pavilion (prapā/maṇḍapa)Places named: Mithilā, Videha
तथेत्युक्त्वा तु जनकं वसिष्ठो भगवानृषिः ।
विश्वामित्रं पुरस्कृत्य शतानन्दं च धार्मिकम् ॥२०॥
प्रपामध्ये तु विधिवत्वेदिं कृत्वा महातपाः ।
अलञ्चकार तां वेदिं गन्धपुष्पै स्समन्ततः ॥२१॥
सुवर्णपालिकाभिश्च छिद्रकुम्भैश्च साङ्कुरैः ।
अङ्कुराढ्यैश्शरावैश्च धूपपात्रै स्सधूपकैः ॥२२॥
शङ्खपात्रै स्स्रुवै स्स्रुग्भिः पात्रैरर्घ्याभिपूरितैः ।
लाजपूर्णैश्च पात्रीभिरक्षतैरभिसंस्कृतैः ॥२३॥
tathety uktvā tu janakaṃ vasiṣṭho bhagavān ṛṣiḥ |
viśvāmitraṃ puraskṛtya śatānandaṃ ca dhārmikam ||20||
prapāmadhye tu vidhivad vediṃ kṛtvā mahātapāḥ |
alañcakāra tāṃ vediṃ gandhapuṣpaiḥ samantataḥ ||21||
suvarṇapālikābhiś ca chidrakumbhaiś ca sāṅkuraiḥ |
aṅkurāḍhyaiḥ śarāvaiś ca dhūpapātraiḥ sadhūpakaiḥ ||22||
śaṅkhapātraiḥ srucaiḥ srugbhiḥ pātrair arghyābhipūritaiḥ |
lājapūrṇaiś ca pātrībhir akṣatair abhisaṃskṛtaiḥ ||23||
वशिष्ठ ने हाँ कही और काम शुरू किया। विश्वामित्र और शतानन्द को साथ लिया। मंडप के बीच में वेदी बनाई, पूजा की विधि के हिसाब से। फूल और सब सामग्री से उसको सजाया। शादी के पूजा के लिए जो चाहिए था, सब लगा दिया।
Sandhi Notes
- दर्भैः समैः (विशेषण-विशेष्य)
- समास्तीर्य (सम् + आस्तीर्य)
- विधिवन्मन्त्रपूर्वकम् = विधिवत् + मन्त्रपूर्वकम्
- अग्निमादाय = अग्निम् + आदाय
- जुहावाग्नौ = जुहाव + अग्नौ
- भगवानृषिः = भगवान् + ऋषिः
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, water-pots with holes filled with sprouts, earthen vessels with sprouts, holders of burning fragrant incense conch-shaped vessels, sacrificial ladles, bowls filled with with water for arghya and other purposes, vessels with roasted paddy and grains of rice.
The teaching
Rites gain efficacy through 'vidhi' and through honoring the learned; leadership in dharma is collaborative and orderly.
- Ethical theme
- Saṃskāra-dharma and śiṣṭācāra
For your practice
A template for preparing one’s worship space with care and purity; supports bhāva through disciplined arrangement.
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace), with Adbhuta (wonder)
- Mood
- Ordered, sacred, festive-solemn
Themes
- Dharma
- Ritual
- Maryada
- Itihasa
- Ethics
- Southern Recension Variant
Ritual order as outward expression of inner order; multiplicity of implements pointing to one intention (ekāgratā).
Īśāvāsya spirit of offering: arranging the world as fit for the sacred (though not quoted, the ethos of consecration is aligned).
- Vashishtha and Janaka
- Assenting to king and executing the rite (dutiful)
- Vashishtha and Vishwamitra
- Co-leading sages; honorific precedence (respectful)
- Vashishtha and Satananda
- Local priestly authority collaborating in vivāha (cooperative)
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.73.20-22 (same preparation described with itemization); Rāmacaritamānasa Bālakāṇḍa (vivāha-maṇḍapa and yajña imagery)
Vedic domestic ritual conventions for vivāha-homa
1.73.19 (commissioning of rites); 1.73.22 (continued list of implements)
Anuṣṭup (śloka), extended narrative sequence
Narrative
Calm, descriptive; slight emphasis on 'विधिवत्' and 'अलञ्चकार'
FAQs
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.
A parallel/expanded recital (as preserved in the Southern Recension) reiterates the preparation and adornment of the wedding altar by Vasiṣṭha with leading sages.
Vasiṣṭha’s steadiness and authoritative mastery of sacred procedure.
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