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 King Videha adorned Mithilā, decorated with many flags, with various palaces, towers, gardens, and temples, crowded with clever young women, with great wells made of uśīra grass, with beautiful women, with streets adorned with various goods, with monasteries resounding with Vedic chants, with temples, with schools of Mīmāṃsā and other philosophies, with Brahmins reciting the Sāma Veda, with houses filled with the fragrance of clarified butter, with women with soft garments, betel-reddened lips, sweet and harsh words, skilled in witty replies, with ornaments, with women whose soft white garments covered their hips, whose breasts shone with smooth, rounded forms, with beautiful arms, adorned with pearl necklaces and hibiscus-red lips, with gentle smiles, with houses for sacred wine, with splendid gateways, pure streets, wish-fulfilling trees, and doors adorned with plantain trees—he made the city shine.
अथाभिकलनार्थं विलासिन्यो निशादूर्वाक्षतामंत्रमंगलकज्जलितकैशिकधमिल्ललताग्रंथि-त जटोपशोभित सीमंतशीर्षशोभितनासामुखविचित्राभरणार्हणहेमपात्रावस्थिताज्यगुग्गलु फलादिसौभाग्यद्रव्यमुद्वहंतीभिः स्त्रीभिरन्यैरपिशोभितजनैः स राजा निर्जगाम
Then, for the purpose of the wedding preparations, courtesans, with hair adorned with auspicious turmeric, rice, and durvā grass, with braids decorated with flowers, with foreheads and noses shining with various ornaments, carrying golden vessels filled with ghee, incense, fruits, and other auspicious items, and accompanied by other women and attendants, led the king out.
तदानीं मंगलतुर्यघोषादेव दुंदुभिभेरीनिःसाणमर्दलशंखादिनादाः प्रादुर्बभूवुः
At that moment, auspicious sounds from trumpets, drums, kettle-drums, cymbals, conch-shells, and other instruments arose.
गायकाश्च मंगलानि जगुः
Singers performed auspicious songs.
मंगलवेदवाक्यानुपाठेन वैदिकाः ब्राह्मणाः । कुलपाठका भेरीघोषेण कृत्स्नमाकाशमापूरयन्
Vedic Brahmins recited auspicious Vedic passages, and family priests, accompanied by the sound of kettle-drums, filled the entire sky.
अथान्योन्याक्षतपूर्वमंगीकुर्वंतः सूतबंदिजनादिभिः स्तूयमानाः पुरं प्रविविशुः
Then, mutually honoring each other without injury, praised by charioteers and attendants, 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 at Mithilā at that very moment.
विदेहोऽपि देवर्षिमभिपूज्य स्वागतं दृष्ट्वा भोजनं कारयित्वा। सुखासीनाय मुनये सघनसारं तांबूलं दत्वा व्यज्ञापयत्
Videha, having duly honored the divine sage and welcomed him, arranged a meal; after seating the sage comfortably, he offered him rich betel and made a request.
श्वो विवाहे भवान्स्थातुमर्हति कारयितुं विवाहम्
Tomorrow, you should be present at the wedding to conduct the ceremony.
श्वो हि नक्षत्रं सूर्यनक्षत्रदर्शनं तत्र विवाहो न कर्तव्य इति
For tomorrow, the star is the solar star; the wedding should not be performed then.
अथ मौहूर्तिकं वृद्धगार्ग्यमाहूय राजा पप्रच्छ क्व विवाहमुहूर्तः
Then the king summoned the aged Gārgya, the expert in auspicious times, and asked, 'When is the wedding hour?'
श्व इति गार्ग्य उवाच
Gārgya replied, 'Tomorrow.'
राजा च नारदं गार्ग्यं चोदीक्ष्य भो इदमित्थमिति पप्रच्छ
The king, after instructing Nārada and Gārgya, asked, 'O, is it thus?'
अथ नारदो गार्ग्यमुवाच
Then Nārada spoke to Gārgya.
कथमुक्तं लग्नं दास्यसि
How will you give the auspicious time as stated?
अथ गार्ग्यो विषघटिकाश्च विहाय लग्नं दास्यामि इत्युवाच
Then Gārgya said, 'I will give the auspicious time, leaving aside the poison hours.'
नारदोपि ब्रह्मवचनानि किं न जानासीत्युक्तवान्गार्ग्यम्
Nārada said to Gārgya, 'Do you not know the words of Brahmā?'
गार्ग्यस्तुष्टस्तान्दोषानपठत्
Gārgya, 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 were seen by Brahmā in ancient times as omens for the destruction of all undertakings.
प्रतिष्ठासु विवाहेषु मौंजीबंधाभिषेकतः । अन्येषु सर्वकार्येषु विषनाडीर्विवर्जयेत्
At consecrations, weddings, the investiture with the sacred thread, and other ceremonies, one should avoid the use of vessels for poison.
अतः परं तु कार्य्याणां करणेन च दोषभाक् । विवाहादिषु कार्येषु दोषमेव वदाम्यतः
Therefore, performing actions at such times brings fault; in ceremonies like weddings, I declare there is indeed fault.
उल्का दहेत्कुलं सर्वं ब्रह्मदंडो विनाशयेत् । मोघस्तु मरणा यस्यात्कंपः कंपाय कर्म्मणः
A meteor burns up an entire family, the staff of Brahmā brings destruction, futility leads to death, and trembling causes the failure of actions.
इति नारदोक्तमाकर्ण्य गार्ग्यो मुनिर्मौनपरोऽभवत्
Hearing this teaching of Nārada, the sage Gārgi became silent.
दध्यौ रविं ग्रहपतिं विहाय विषनाडीर्विवाहः क्रियतमिति
He meditated on the sun, the lord of planets, and decided that the wedding should be performed, setting aside vessels for poison.
नारद उवाच- कथं ब्रह्मवचनम्
Nārada said: How is the word of Brahmā to be understood?
सूर्य उवाच- देशभेदेन व्यवस्थोदिता तदस्मिन्देशे विवाहो विषघटिकां विहाय कर्तव्य एव
The Sun said: The rule is established according to region; in this land, the wedding must be performed, omitting the vessel for poison.
नारदोप्यनुमेने
Nārada also agreed.
उवाच श्वः पराह्णे च क्षत्त्रविवाहश्च भवेदतः स्वयं वरार्थं नृपा आगच्छंतु तन्नृपदूतान्प्रेषय
He said: Tomorrow or the day after, let the kṣatriya wedding take place; let the kings themselves come for the sake of the bridegroom—send messengers to those kings.