बालिकाश्च विद्युल्लतांशुशोधितगात्रयष्टय उद्भिन्नकुचकमलकुड्मलविविधहारोपशोभिवक्षसो यत्किंचिद्भाषिण्योऽतिचपलमृदुगतयो वृद्धवनिताश्चागच्छन्
Young girls, their bodies slender as lightning vines, with budding lotus-like breasts adorned with various necklaces, speaking little, moving gently and swiftly, and elderly women also arrived.
अथ विदेहे पुरतः क्रोशमात्रे चूतवनिकायां विविधविटपविस्तरप्रदेशविविधविहंगकूजिता-कर्णनदत्तकर्णवनहरिणशाववत्यां महारजतनिर्मितोच्चनीचप्रासादोपशोभितप्रदेशविविधविहंगायां हेमवल्कलसंवीतभसितो-द्धूलितशरीरजटिलमुनिगणध्यानोपासनोपशोभितवृक्षमालायां विविधविद्यधरवधूपयोधरभाराभिभूतविचरिततरंगसरसीयुतायां सरस्तीरमिलितसैरंध्रीयुवतिभिराहूयमान तरुणजनायां नानावर्णकुसुमसौरभवासिताशेषप्रदेशायामितस्ततो रिरंसया प्रदर्शितस्फारशफरीविलोचनतरलचक्षुषा प्रभाविलसितशरीरवेश्याजनायां विविधाश्चर्ययुतायां दशरथः सामात्यपुरोहिताभिरामरामादिपुत्रसहितः सुखमुवास
Then, in front of Videha, at a distance of a krośa, in a mango grove with various trees, resounding with the calls of many birds, pleasing to the ear, with deer and fawns, adorned with tall and low palaces made of silver, filled with birds, with golden bark-clad, ash-smeared ascetics meditating beneath trees, with groups of Vidyādhara women burdened by their breasts wandering by the lake, with lakeside maidens calling out to the young, fragrant with flowers of many colors, displaying their shining eyes with longing, bodies radiant, full of wonders, Daśaratha, accompanied by ministers, priests, Rāma, and other sons, dwelled there happily.
अथ वैदेहोऽपि मिथिलां नानापताकोपशोभितां विविधप्रासादगोपुरोद्यानदेवतायतनोपशोभितामन्योन्यकेलिचतुरयुवतिजनानुकीर्णामुशीरविरचितमहाप्रपां सुकेलीजनोपशोभितविशिखां । विविधपण्योपशोभितरथ्यां तत्रतत्र ब्रह्मघोषशोभितमठां प्रतिमंदिरं मीमांसादिव्याख्यानसंपादि सामाध्ययनां सुपुण्यहविर्गंधसामादिस्वरपदक्रमश्रुतिब्राह्मणवाटिकामनेकपरिवृढमंदिरप्रवेशनिष्क्रीतागुरुकुंकुमाध्वर्य्युवेषां मृदुलवसन तांबूल रक्तदंतच्छदकामिनीमृदुवचनकठिनवचनकरसंज्ञानिर्द्धारित प्रतिवचनविविधोपायना हरणकरजनोपशोभितां मृदुधवलजघनपरिवीतवस्त्रोपरिभागेन स्निग्धवर्तुलपरस्परसंघर्षपयोधरमध्यप्रदेशोपशोभित वामांसकंदोपशोभितवनितां विविधमुक्ताहारजपासंकाशदशनच्छद मंदहासमालाकारसहस्रोपशोभितां पुण्यासवसाधनमंदिरां तत्रतत्र विचित्रतोरणां विशुद्धवीथिकां तत्रतत्र स्थापितकल्पपादपां रंभाविभूषितद्वारां पुरीं शोभितां शोभयामास
Then Videha entered Mithilā, adorned with many flags, various palaces, towers, gardens, shrines, crowded with clever women engaged in mutual play, with a great water pavilion made of uśīra grass, lively with playful people, decorated gateways, streets lined with shops, monasteries resounding with Vedic chants, temples with commentaries on Mīmāṃsā and other texts, places of Sāma recitation, Brahmin gardens filled with the fragrance of sacred offerings, entrances and exits crowded with teachers, saffron-robed priests, women with soft garments, betel-loving, red-toothed, gentle and harsh speech, skilled in gestures, bearing gifts, adorned with soft white garments around their hips, breasts rubbing together, left shoulders adorned, women with various pearl necklaces, hibiscus-like teeth, gentle smiles, wine-houses, decorated arches, pure lanes, wish-fulfilling trees, doors adorned by Rambhā, the city shone with splendor.
अथाभिकलनार्थं विलासिन्यो निशादूर्वाक्षतामंत्रमंगलकज्जलितकैशिकधमिल्ललताग्रंथि-त जटोपशोभित सीमंतशीर्षशोभितनासामुखविचित्राभरणार्हणहेमपात्रावस्थिताज्यगुग्गलु फलादिसौभाग्यद्रव्यमुद्वहंतीभिः स्त्रीभिरन्यैरपिशोभितजनैः स राजा निर्जगाम
Then, for the wedding preparations, beautiful women, with hair adorned with auspicious turmeric, tied in knots, decorated with garlands, their foreheads shining, noses and mouths adorned with various ornaments, carrying golden vessels filled with ghee, incense, fruits, and other auspicious items, together with other people, the king proceeded forth.
तदानीं मंगलतुर्यघोषादेव दुंदुभिभेरीनिःसाणमर्दलशंखादिनादाः प्रादुर्बभूवुः
At that time, the sounds of auspicious instruments arose: drums, kettledrums, cymbals, conch shells, and others resounded.
गायकाश्च मंगलानि जगुः
Singers sang auspicious songs.
मंगलवेदवाक्यानुपाठेन वैदिकाः ब्राह्मणाः । कुलपाठका भेरीघोषेण कृत्स्नमाकाशमापूरयन्
Vedic Brahmins recited auspicious Vedic passages; family priests filled the entire sky with the sound of kettledrums.
अथान्योन्याक्षतपूर्वमंगीकुर्वंतः सूतबंदिजनादिभिः स्तूयमानाः पुरं प्रविविशुः
Then, after mutually performing the auspicious rites, praised by charioteers and bards, they entered the city.
विदेहनगरात्पश्चिमभागे निर्मितं मंदिरं दशरथः प्रविवेश
Daśaratha entered the palace built on the western side of the city of Videha.
अवशिष्टाश्च यथायोग्यं भवनं विविशुः
The others entered their respective residences as appropriate.
अथ नारदो मिथिलां तदानीमेवागच्छत्
Then Nārada arrived in Mithilā at that very time.
विदेहोऽपि देवर्षिमभिपूज्य स्वागतं दृष्ट्वा भोजनं कारयित्वा। सुखासीनाय मुनये सघनसारं तांबूलं दत्वा व्यज्ञापयत्
Videha, honoring the divine sage, welcomed him, arranged a meal, and, after seating the sage comfortably, offered him fragrant betel and made a request.
श्वो विवाहे भवान्स्थातुमर्हति कारयितुं विवाहम्
Tomorrow, you should remain for the wedding and conduct the ceremony.
श्वो हि नक्षत्रं सूर्यनक्षत्रदर्शनं तत्र विवाहो न कर्तव्य इति
Tomorrow is the conjunction with the solar nakṣatra; the wedding should not be performed then.
अथ मौहूर्तिकं वृद्धगार्ग्यमाहूय राजा पप्रच्छ क्व विवाहमुहूर्तः
Then the king summoned the aged Gārgya, the astrologer, and asked, 'When is the auspicious moment for the wedding?'
श्व इति गार्ग्य उवाच
Gārgya replied, 'Tomorrow.'
राजा च नारदं गार्ग्यं चोदीक्ष्य भो इदमित्थमिति पप्रच्छ
The king, having looked at Nārada and Gārgya, asked them, 'Is it thus?'
अथ नारदो गार्ग्यमुवाच
Then Nārada spoke to Gārgya.
कथमुक्तं लग्नं दास्यसि
How will you declare the auspicious moment?
अथ गार्ग्यो विषघटिकाश्च विहाय लग्नं दास्यामि इत्युवाच
Then Gārgya said, 'Having set aside the inauspicious periods, I will declare the auspicious moment.'
नारदोपि ब्रह्मवचनानि किं न जानासीत्युक्तवान्गार्ग्यम्
Nārada also said to Gārgya, 'Do you not know the words of Brahmā?'
गार्ग्यस्तुष्टस्तान्दोषानपठत्
Gārgya, being pleased, recited those faults.
उल्का च ब्रह्मदंडश्च मोघः कंपस्तथैव च । सर्वकार्यविनाशाय दृष्टा वै ब्रह्मणा पुरा
A meteor, the staff of Brahmā, futility, and trembling—these have all been seen by Brahmā in the past as causes of the destruction of all undertakings.
प्रतिष्ठासु विवाहेषु मौंजीबंधाभिषेकतः । अन्येषु सर्वकार्येषु विषनाडीर्विवर्जयेत्
At installations, marriages, investitures with the sacred thread, consecrations, and all other undertakings, one should avoid the inauspicious periods.
अतः परं तु कार्य्याणां करणेन च दोषभाक् । विवाहादिषु कार्येषु दोषमेव वदाम्यतः
Therefore, in the performance of actions, one incurs fault; in works such as marriage, I declare only the fault.
उल्का दहेत्कुलं सर्वं ब्रह्मदंडो विनाशयेत् । मोघस्तु मरणा यस्यात्कंपः कंपाय कर्म्मणः
A meteor burns up the whole family; the staff of Brahmā brings destruction; futility causes death; trembling brings disturbance to the action.
इति नारदोक्तमाकर्ण्य गार्ग्यो मुनिर्मौनपरोऽभवत्
Hearing this statement of Nārada, the sage Gārgya became silent.
दध्यौ रविं ग्रहपतिं विहाय विषनाडीर्विवाहः क्रियतमिति
He meditated on the Sun, the lord of the planets, and said, 'Let the marriage be performed, setting aside the inauspicious periods.'
नारद उवाच- कथं ब्रह्मवचनम्
Nārada said: 'How is this the word of Brahmā?'
सूर्य उवाच- देशभेदेन व्यवस्थोदिता तदस्मिन्देशे विवाहो विषघटिकां विहाय कर्तव्य एव
The Sun said: 'The rule is established according to the region; in this land, the marriage must indeed be performed, setting aside the inauspicious period.'