Shloka 20

त्रिसप्ततितमः सर्गः (Sarga 73): Mithilā Vivāha

Kanyādāna and the Fourfold Marriage Rites

Devanagari script

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

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

ਜਨਕ ਨੂੰ “ਤਥਾਸਤੁ” ਕਹਿ ਕੇ, ਭਗਵਾਨ ਰਿਸ਼ੀ ਵਸਿਸ਼ਠ ਨੇ ਵਿਸ਼ਵਾਮਿਤ੍ਰ ਅਤੇ ਧਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਸ਼ਤਾਨੰਦ ਨੂੰ ਅੱਗੇ ਰੱਖ ਕੇ ਮੰਡਪ ਦੇ ਵਿਚਕਾਰ ਵਿਧੀ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਵੇਦੀ ਬਣਾਈ। ਮਹਾਤਪਸਵੀ ਨੇ ਉਸ ਵੇਦੀ ਨੂੰ ਚੌਹੀਂ ਪਾਸੀਂ ਸੁਗੰਧਿਤ ਫੁੱਲਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਸਜਾਇਆ; ਸੋਨੇ ਦੇ ਪਾਤਰ, ਅੰਕੁਰਾਂ ਸਮੇਤ ਛਿਦ੍ਰ-ਕੁੰਭ, ਅੰਕੁਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਭਰੇ ਸ਼ਰਾਵ, ਧੂਪ-ਪਾਤਰ ਧੂਪ ਸਮੇਤ, ਸ਼ੰਖਾਕਾਰ ਪਾਤਰ, ਸ੍ਰੁਵ-ਸ੍ਰੁਗ ਹਵਨ-ਚਮਚੇ, ਅਰਘ੍ਯ ਆਦਿ ਅਰਪਣ ਲਈ ਭਰੇ ਪਾਤਰ, ਲਾਜ ਨਾਲ ਭਰੇ ਪਾਤਰ ਅਤੇ ਅਭਿਸੰਸਕ੍ਰਿਤ ਅੱਖਤ ਆਦਿ ਸਭ ਸਮੱਗਰੀ ਵਿਵਸਥਿਤ ਕੀਤੀ।

Word by Word

दर्भैःwith darbha grass

समैःeven/equal

समास्तीर्यhaving spread

विधिवत्according to rule

मन्त्रपूर्वकम्preceded by mantras

अग्निम्fire

आदायhaving placed/taken

वेद्याम्on the altar

तुindeed

विधिमन्त्रपुरस्कृतम्with rites and mantras duly preceding

जुहावoffered (oblations)

अग्नौin the fire

महातेजाःof great splendor

वसिष्ठःVasiṣṭha

भगवान्venerable

ऋषिःsage

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, 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.

Characters & Entities

Janaka

Vasiṣṭha

Viśvāmitra

Śatānanda

prapā (marriage pavilion)

vedi (altar)

dhūpa (incense)

arghya (honor-water offering)

lāja (parched grain)

akṣata (unbroken rice)

FAQs

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

Dharma is meticulous adherence to sacred procedure: the rite is made legitimate through vidhivat (scripturally correct) preparation, purity of materials, and leadership by qualified sages.

What is the narrative situation?

Vasiṣṭha accepts Janaka’s request and, with other sages, prepares and decorates the altar and ritual implements for the wedding ceremony.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Vasiṣṭha’s ritual competence and disciplined holiness (tapas), expressed through careful, rule-governed preparation.