# Bāla Kāṇḍa 76 — Return to Ayodhyā: The couples’ reception and married life *Rāma gives the bow to Varuṇa and comforts Daśaratha, Ayodhyā welcomes the couples and Rāma & Sītā grow in mutual affection* Portion: Return to Ayodhyā · Verses: 18 · Ref format: 1.76. ## Sequence - After Paraśurāma leaves, Rāma gives the bow and arrow to Varuṇa (76.1) - he salutes the ṛṣis and reassures his distressed father that the danger has passed and they can resume their journey (76.2–3) - Daśaratha embraces him, kisses his head, and joyfully urges the army toward Ayodhyā (76.4–5) - they enter a city of banners, music, watered roads, scattered flowers, and citizens calling blessings (76.6–7) - Kausalyā, Sumitrā, Kaikeyī, and the other palace women welcome Sītā, Ūrmilā, Māṇḍavī, and Śrutakīrti (76.8–9) - the brides worship at the temples and salute their elders before retiring happily with their husbands (76.10–11). Married, trained in weapons, and surrounded by friends and prosperity, the princes continue serving their father (76.12–13) - Rāma and Sītā spend many seasons together, each deeply present in the other's heart (76.14) - his affection grows through her character, beauty, and their honored marriage → her love answers his, understood heart to heart (76.15–17) - the Kāṇḍa closes with Rāma shining beside Sītā like Viṣṇu beside Śrī (76.18). ## Verses **1.76.1** gate rāme praśāntātmā rāmo dāśarathir dhanuḥ varuṇāyāprameyāya dadau haste sasāyakam When (Paraśu)rāma had gone, Rāma the son of Daśaratha, his mind grown calm, gave the bow, together with its arrow, into the hand of the immeasurable Varuṇa. **1.76.2** abhivādya tato rāmo vasiṣṭha pramukhān ṛṣīn pitaraṃ vihvalaṃ dṛṣṭvā provāca raghunandanaḥ Then Rāma, having saluted the seers led by Vasiṣṭha, and seeing his father distraught, spoke — that delight of the Raghus: **1.76.3** jāmadagnyo gato rāmaḥ prayātu caturaṅgiṇī ayodhyābhimukhī senā tvayā nāthena pālitā “Rāma the son of Jamadagni has gone; let the fourfold army, guarded by you its protector, set out, facing toward Ayodhyā.” **1.76.4** rāmasya vacanaṃ śrutvā rājā daśarathaḥ sutam bāhubhyāṃ saṃpariṣvajya mūrdhni cāghrāya rāghavam Hearing Rāma's words, King Daśaratha embraced his son Rāghava with both arms and kissed him on the head. **1.76.5** gato rāma iti śrutvā hṛṣṭaḥ pramudito nṛpaḥ codayām āsa tāṃ senāṃ jagāmāśu tataḥ purīm Hearing that Rāma (Paraśurāma) had gone, the king, delighted and rejoicing, urged on the army and then swiftly proceeded to the city. **1.76.6** patākādhvajinīṃ ramyāṃ tūryodghuṣṭanināditām siktarājapathāṃ ramyāṃ prakīrṇakusumotkarām (He entered) the lovely city, decked with banners and flags, resounding with the blare of trumpets, its royal roads sprinkled with water, lovely, strewn with heaps of scattered flowers, **1.76.7** rājapraveśasumukhaiḥ paurair maṅgalavādibhiḥ saṃpūrṇāṃ prāviśad rājā janaughaiḥ samalaṃkṛtām the king entered (the city) thronged with townsfolk glad-faced at their king's entry and uttering auspicious words, filled and adorned with multitudes of people. **1.76.8** kausalyā ca sumitrā ca kaikeyī ca sumadhyamā vadhūpratigrahe yuktā yāś cānyā rājayoṣitaḥ Kausalyā, Sumitrā, and the fair-waisted Kaikeyī, and whatever other royal ladies there were, busied themselves with the reception of the brides. **1.76.9** tataḥ sītāṃ mahābhāgām ūrmilāṃ ca yaśasvinīm kuśadhvajasute cobhe jagṛhur nṛpapatnayaḥ Then the king's wives received the illustrious Sītā, the glorious Ūrmilā, and both daughters of Kuśadhvaja. **1.76.10** maṅgalālāpanaiś caiva śobhitāḥ kṣaumavāsasaḥ devatāyatanāny āśu sarvās tāḥ pratyapūjayan Resplendent in linen garments, amid auspicious utterances, all those (brides) at once paid worship at the temples of the gods. **1.76.11** abhivādyābhivādyāṃś ca sarvā rājasutās tadā remire muditāḥ sarvā bhartṛbhiḥ sahitā rahaḥ And having saluted those worthy of salutation, all the princesses then, delighted, sported in private, united with their husbands. **1.76.12** kṛtadārāḥ kṛtāstrāś ca sadhanāḥ sasuhṛjjanāḥ śuśrūṣamāṇāḥ pitaraṃ vartayanti nararṣabhāḥ Having taken wives and mastered weapons, possessed of wealth and of friends, those bulls among men lived on, attending upon their father. **1.76.13** teṣām atiyaśā loke rāmaḥ satyaparākramaḥ svayambhūr iva bhūtānāṃ babhūva guṇavattaraḥ Among them, Rāma, of exceeding fame in the world and of true prowess, was the most richly endowed with virtues, as the Self-existent (Brahmā) is among all beings. **1.76.14** rāmas tu sītayā sārdhaṃ vijahāra bahūn ṛtūn manasvī tadgatas tasyā nityaṃ hṛdi samarpitaḥ And spirited Rāma sported with Sītā for many seasons, his heart set on her, ever enshrined in her heart. **1.76.15** priyā tu sītā rāmasya dārāḥ pitṛkṛtā iti guṇād rūpaguṇāc cāpi prītir bhūyo vyavardhata Sītā was dear to Rāma, both because she was the wife given by his father and because of her virtue and the excellence of her beauty; and his love for her grew ever greater. **1.76.16** tasyāś ca bhartā dviguṇaṃ hṛdaye parivartate antarjātam api vyaktam ākhyāti hṛdayaṃ hṛdā And her husband dwelt doubly in her heart; and though her feeling arose within, her heart openly declared it, heart to heart. **1.76.17** tasya bhūyo viśeṣeṇa maithilī janakātmajā devatābhiḥ samā rūpe sītā śrīr iva rūpiṇī To him, the Maithilī, Janaka's daughter Sītā — equal to the goddesses in beauty, like Śrī incarnate — was dear all the more, above all others. **1.76.18** tayā sa rājarṣisuto 'bhirāmayā sameyivān uttamarājakanyayā atīva rāmaḥ śuśubhe 'tikāmayā vibhuḥ śriyā viṣṇur ivāmareśvaraḥ United with that delightful and exceedingly loving one, the most excellent of princesses, Rāma, the son of a royal seer, the mighty lord, shone forth surpassingly — as Viṣṇu, lord of the immortals, shines with Śrī.