Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 73, Shloka 20
त्रिसप्ततितमः सर्गः (Sarga 73): Mithilā Vivāha
Kanyādāna and the Fourfold Marriage Rites
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:।।।।
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 ||
Thưa “Xin vâng” với Janaka, hiền thánh ṛṣi Vasiṣṭha—đặt Viśvāmitra và bậc dharmika Śatānanda làm tiền dẫn—đã theo đúng nghi quỹ dựng bàn thờ ở giữa nhà rạp hôn lễ. Đại khổ hạnh ấy trang nghiêm bàn thờ bốn phía bằng hương hoa, cùng các bát vàng, bình nước đục lỗ cắm mầm non, đĩa đầy mầm, lư hương có trầm đang cháy, khí cụ hình vỏ ốc, muôi và thìa tế, các bình đầy nước arghya và lễ phẩm, cùng đồ đựng lúa rang và gạo thánh đã được gia trì.
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.
FAQs
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.
Vasiṣṭha accepts Janaka’s request and, with other sages, prepares and decorates the altar and ritual implements for the wedding ceremony.
Vasiṣṭha’s ritual competence and disciplined holiness (tapas), expressed through careful, rule-governed preparation.