← 1.71.19 · Bāla Kāṇḍa 71: Vivāha: Four matches, śrāddha and godāna · 1.71.21 →
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.71.20
Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 71: Vivāha: Four matches, śrāddha and godāna. Two additional matches unite all four brothers with brides, Janaka affirms shared ownership and the munis’ authority, Daśaratha performs śrāddha and godāna
In the sequence: returning to his lodging with the munis, he performs the śrāddha and, at dawn, godāna (the pre-marital rite accompanied by gifts of cows)
1.71.20
sa gatvā nilayaṃ rājā śrāddhaṃ kṛtvā vidhānataḥ
prabhāte kālyam utthāya cakre godānam uttamam
Having gone to his lodging, the king performed the śrāddha according to rule, and rising at dawn's due time, carried out the excellent cow-gift (tonsure) rite.
Words: sa — he; gatvā — having gone; nilayaṃ — to his lodging, dwelling; rājā — king; śrāddhaṃ — the śrāddha rite; kṛtvā — having performed; vidhānataḥ — according to rule; prabhāte — at daybreak; kālyam — at the (right) time, at dawn; utthāya — having risen; cakre — performed; godānam — the cow-gift (tonsure) rite; uttamam — excellent, foremost
Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. 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.