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.
अथ राजा दशरथानुमतेन सर्वानेव नृपानागमय्याचिंतयत् कथं सर्वानेव तिरस्कृत्य वैदेही रामाय देयेति
Then King Daśaratha, with their consent, summoned all the kings and considered how Sītā might be given to Rāma, setting aside all others.
अथ रात्रौ मुहुर्मुहुर्निःश्वस्य निद्रालुरपि न निद्रामाप
That night, though he sighed repeatedly and was overcome by sleep, he did not obtain rest.
अथ मध्ये निशं राजा शुचिर्भूत्वा त्र्यंबकं सांबिकं मंगलदुकूलधारिणं कमलभवपुरुषोत्तमशक्र-प्रमुखनिखिलदेवैर्भृगुप्रमुखमुनिवरैर्हाहाप्रमुखगंधर्वैस्तुंबुरुप्रमुखैश्च श्रुतिस्मृतीतिहासपुराणैर्मूर्तिमद्भिश्च सिद्धविद्याधरादिमातृकागणैश्च नंदीप्रमुखगणैश्च सेव्यमान पादकमलं सर्वामंगलपरिमोचकमतिपुण्यसलिलया गंगया निष्कलं केन चंद्रमसा सेव्यमान शिरोभागं वामांकारूढया गिरिजया प्रदीयमानवीटिं सहासं सकामं सहावेक्षणमाददानं गोक्षीरसदृशं प्रतिकूलकस्तूरिकासदृशकंठं मृदुसूक्ष्मस्निग्धजटाभिर्विरचितकपर्दं विशुद्धकार्तस्वरकुंडलोपशोभितगंडभागं द्विरष्टवर्षवयसं गोक्षीरसदृश स्थूलमुक्ताफलकौसुंभवर्णांचलेनावेष्टितशिरोभागं विविधरत्नविरचितकार्तस्वरभूषितवक्षःस्थलमतिधवलोपवीतेनोपशोभितशरीरमंबिकानुलग्नकुंकुमारुणसुगंधिशरीरमीक्षमाणं तर्जमानकाममार्गणं कोटिकंदर्पसदृशं मनसाचिंतयत्
In the middle of the night, the king, having purified himself, meditated on Tryambaka, accompanied by Ambikā, adorned with auspicious garments, served by Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Indra, all the gods led by them, the sages headed by Bhṛgu, the Gandharvas led by Hāhā and Tumburu, the personified Vedas, Smṛtis, Itihāsas, and Purāṇas, the Siddhas, Vidyādharas, Mothers, and the hosts led by Nandī; whose lotus feet are served by the supremely holy Gaṅgā, whose head is adorned by the moon, who is embraced on the left by Girijā, who is radiant, smiling, and gracious, whose glance is full of desire, whose throat is dark as musk, whose matted hair is soft, fine, and fragrant, adorned with a crest, whose cheeks are beautified by pure golden earrings, who appears as a youth of sixteen, whose head is wrapped in a cloth the color of saffron and pearls, whose chest is adorned with various jewels and golden ornaments, whose body shines with a pure sacred thread, whose body is fragrant with saffron from Ambikā, who looks upon the threatening arrows of Kāma, whose mind is as proud as a crore of Cupids—thus he contemplated.
जजाप शतरुद्रियं जुहाव च तेनैव कामाहुतीः प्रास्तुवच्च पुरुषसूक्तेन
He recited the Śatarudriya hymn, offered oblations of desire with it, and also praised with the Puruṣasūkta.
अथ तादृश एव महेश्वरस्तत्र प्रादुरभूत्
Then, just so, Maheśvara appeared there.
अथ राजा नमस्कृत्यास्तुवीत
Then the king, having bowed, began to praise him.
राजोवाच- क्षितिसलिलगगनपवनदहनरविशशियजमानमूर्तिभिरष्टमूर्ते विश्वमूर्ते लोकमूर्त्ते त्रिभुवनमूर्ते वेदपुराणमूर्त्ते यज्ञमूर्ते स्तोत्रमूर्त्ते शास्त्रमूर्त्तेस्वधामूर्त्ते नारायणमूर्त्ते सर्वदेवतामूर्त्ते त्रयीमयत्रयीप्रमाणत्रयीनेत्रसा-मप्रियवसुधाराप्रियभक्तिप्रियभक्तसुलभाभक्तविदूरस्तुतिप्रिय धूपप्रिय दीपप्रिय घृतक्षीरप्रिय द्रो णकरवीरप्रिय श्रीपत्रप्रिय कमलकह्लारप्रिय नंद्यावर्तप्रिय बकुलप्रिय यूथिकाप्रिय कोकनदप्रिय ग्रीष्मजलावासप्रिय यमनियमप्रिय नियतेंद्रियप्रिय जपप्रिय श्राद्धप्रिय गायनप्रिय गायत्रीप्रिय पंचब्रह्मप्रिय सदाचारप्रिय गोत्रोत्सादिकमलभवहरिहरनयनसमर्चित पादकमलजयप्रद हरिप्रार्थितजलोत्पादितचक्रप्रदर्शकृत्स्मृतियुक्तिप्रद स्मृतमंगलप्रद मृत्युञ्जय नमस्ते नमस्ते
The king said: O Lord of eight forms—earth, water, sky, wind, fire, sun, moon, and the sacrificer; O form of the universe, form of the worlds, form of the three worlds, form of the Vedas and Purāṇas, form of sacrifice, form of hymns, form of scriptures, form of oblations, form of Nārāyaṇa, form of all the gods, essence of the three Vedas, measure of the three Vedas, three-eyed one, lover of the earth, lover of devotion, easily attained by the devoted, far from the undevoted, lover of praise, incense, lamps, ghee, milk, the hero Droṇa, the goddess Śrī, lotuses, the conch, the turning of the Nandī wheel, the bakula flower, the yūthikā flower, the kokanada, fond of dwelling in water in summer, fond of restraint and discipline, fond of controlled senses, fond of recitation, fond of ancestral rites, fond of singing, fond of Gāyatrī, fond of the five Brahmas, fond of good conduct, whose lotus feet are worshipped by Brahmā, Hari, and Hara, giver of victory, who showed the discus produced from water at Hari's request, giver of memory and auspiciousness, conqueror of death—salutations, salutations to you!
इति स्तोत्रमाकर्ण्य भगवान्भवो राजानमुवाच वरदोऽहं वरं वृणु
Hearing this hymn, the blessed Bhava said to the king: 'I am the giver of boons; choose your boon.'
राजोवाच श्रीमन्मम कन्या वैदेही रामाय दित्सिता स्वयंवरे कुलरूपबलोत्साह संपन्नानेकभूपराक्षसविप्रादिसर्वप्राणिसमागमे रामाधिकबलो यदि तामग्रहीष्यत् तदा वचनमनृतं मम पापं च भविष्यति
The king said: O illustrious one, my daughter Vaidehī is to be given to Rāma in the svayaṃvara. She is endowed with noble lineage, beauty, strength, and spirit, and in the assembly of many kings, demons, brāhmaṇas, and all beings, if someone stronger than Rāma should seize her, then my word will be false and I will incur sin.
प्रत्युत दशरथोऽपि सर्वानेवागतान्विजेतुमलं क्षत्रकदनश्च रामो यद्यायास्यति तर्हि मम सुतां किं करिष्यति वा किंकिं वा प्रेषयिष्यति कीदृशं कारयिष्यति मम किंवा करिष्यति सर्वथा हि प्रभूतबलवाहनो नरपतिरशेषमपि त्रिभुवनं हन्यात् किमुत मामल्पसत्वं किमुत बहुना भवानेव शरणं ममोपायं वद यथा विवाहे श्रेयो भविष्यति रामश्च जामाता भविष्यति
Moreover, even Daśaratha himself, if he comes with all those who have arrived, is fully capable of conquering them all; and if Rāma, the destroyer of kṣatriyas, comes, then what will he do to my daughter, or what will he send, or what kind of thing will he cause to be done, or what will he do to me? Indeed, a king with great armies could destroy the entire three worlds, let alone us who are weak. In short, you alone are my refuge; tell me a means by which the marriage will be auspicious and Rāma will become my son-in-law.