Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 73, Shloka 22
त्रिसप्ततितमः सर्गः (Sarga 73): Mithilā Vivāha
Kanyādāna and the Fourfold Marriage Rites
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।।
suvarṇapālikābhiś ca chidrakumbhaiś ca sāṅkuraiḥ |
aṅkurāḍhyaiś śarāvaiś ca dhūpapātraiḥ sa-dhūpakaiḥ || 1.73.22 ||
Ngài lại bày biện: những bát vàng, các bình nước đục lỗ cắm mầm non, những đĩa đất đầy mầm, cùng các lư hương có hương trầm thơm ngát—để bàn thờ được đầy đủ mọi vật cần cho nghi lễ.
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.
FAQs
Dharma here is expressed as fidelity to prescribed sacred procedure (vidhi): a major life-sacrament is performed with completeness, purity, and due preparation rather than haste or personal whim.
In King Janaka’s sacrificial/marriage pavilion, Vasiṣṭha equips and decorates the altar with ritual vessels and auspicious materials as the wedding rites are about to proceed.
Vasiṣṭha’s disciplined competence and reverence for tradition—meticulous, scripture-aligned execution of dharmic rites.