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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.70.20

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 70: Vivāha: The Videha lineage and the wedding date. Janaka recounts the Videha lineage and Kuśadhvaja’s accession, offers Sītā & Ūrmilā and appoints the wedding day and preparatory rites

In the sequence: he now formally offers Sītā to Rāma and Ūrmilā to Lakṣmaṇa, repeating his commitment

1.70.20

kanīyān eṣa me bhrātā ahaṃ jyeṣṭho mahāmune
dadāmi paramaprīto vadhvau te munipuṃgava

This is my younger brother, and I am the elder, O great sage; most gladly I give you two brides, O bull among sages.

Words: kanīyān — younger; eṣa — this; me — my; bhrātā — brother; ahaṃ — I; jyeṣṭho — the elder; mahāmune — O great sage; dadāmi — I give; paramaprīto — most gladly, greatly pleased; vadhvau — two brides; te — to you; munipuṃgava — O bull among sages

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.