# Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 6 — Worship before the abhiṣeka *Rāma worships Nārāyaṇa with Sītā, offers havis and eats its remainder, they sleep on kuśa as Ayodhyā celebrates* Portion: Preparations for Rāma’s abhiṣeka · Verses: 28 · Ref format: 2.6. ## Sequence - Rāma bathes, worships Nārāyaṇa with Sītā, makes an āhuti (oblation) into Agni, eats the remaining havis, and lies with her on a grass bed in Viṣṇu's shrine (6.1–4) - before dawn he rises, arranges decorations, performs his morning worship, and has brāhmaṇas pronounce blessings as music fills the city (6.5–8) - hearing that the couple have observed the upavāsa, the citizens renew their celebrations (6.9–10) - flags rise over temples, markets, houses, public halls, and trees; performers entertain the crowds, flowers and incense cover the royal road, and lamps are prepared (6.11–18) - people praise Daśaratha for recognizing his age and choosing a capable, considerate successor (6.19–24) - visitors arrive from the countryside until Ayodhyā is packed with people waiting to witness the ceremony (6.25–28). ## Verses **2.6.1** gate purohite rāmaḥ snāto niyatamānasaḥ saha patnyā viśālākṣyā nārāyaṇam upāgamat When the family priest had gone, Rāma, bathed and with mind controlled, together with his large-eyed wife approached Nārāyaṇa. **2.6.2** pragṛhya śirasā pātrīṃ haviṣo vidhivat tadā mahate daivatāyājyaṃ juhāva jvalite 'nale Taking up on his head the vessel of oblation according to rule, he then offered the clarified butter to the great deity in the blazing fire. **2.6.3** śeṣaṃ ca haviṣas tasya prāśyāśāsyātmanaḥ priyam dhyāyan nārāyaṇaṃ devaṃ svāstīrṇe kuśasaṃstare And having eaten the remainder of that oblation and prayed for what was dear to himself, meditating on the god Nārāyaṇa, on a well-spread bed of kuśa grass, **2.6.4** vāgyataḥ saha vaidehyā bhūtvā niyatamānasaḥ śrīmaty āyatane viṣṇoḥ śiśye naravarātmajaḥ with speech restrained, together with Vaidehī, and with mind controlled, the son of the best of men lay down in the splendid shrine of Viṣṇu. **2.6.5** ekayāmāvaśiṣṭāyāṃ rātryāṃ prativibudhya saḥ alaṃkāravidhiṃ kṛtsnaṃ kārayām āsa veśmanaḥ When but one watch of the night remained, he woke and had the entire decoration of the house carried out. **2.6.6** tatra śṛṇvan sukhā vācaḥ sūtamāgadhabandinām pūrvāṃ saṃdhyām upāsīno jajāpa yatamānasaḥ There, listening to the pleasant voices of the bards, panegyrists, and minstrels, and worshipping at the morning twilight, with mind controlled he prayed silently. **2.6.7** tuṣṭāva praṇataś caiva śirasā madhusūdanam vimalakṣaumasaṃvīto vācayām āsa ca dvijān Bowing his head, he praised Madhusūdana; and clad in spotless silk, he had the brahmins recite benedictions. **2.6.8** teṣāṃ puṇyāhaghoṣo 'tha gambhīramadhuras tadā ayodhyāṃ pūrayām āsa tūryaghoṣānunāditaḥ Then the sound of their auspicious-day benediction, deep and sweet, resounding with the sound of musical instruments, filled Ayodhyā. **2.6.9** kṛtopavāsaṃ tu tadā vaidehyā saha rāghavam ayodhyā nilayaḥ śrutvā sarvaḥ pramudito janaḥ Then, hearing that Rāghava together with Vaidehī had observed the fast, all the people whose home was Ayodhyā were delighted. **2.6.10** tataḥ paurajanaḥ sarvaḥ śrutvā rāmābhiṣecanam prabhātāṃ rajanīṃ dṛṣṭvā cakre śobhāṃ parāṃ punaḥ Then all the townsfolk, hearing of Rāma's consecration and seeing that the night had brightened into dawn, again made supreme adornment. **2.6.11** sitābhraśikharābheṣu devatāyataneṣu ca catuṣpatheṣu rathyāsu caityeṣv aṭṭālakeṣu ca On the temples of the gods that resembled peaks of white cloud, at the crossroads, in the streets, on the sacred shrines and the watchtowers, **2.6.12** nānāpaṇyasamṛddheṣu vaṇijām āpaṇeṣu ca kuṭumbināṃ samṛddheṣu śrīmatsu bhavaneṣu ca and in the markets of merchants, rich with various wares, and in the prosperous, splendid houses of householders, **2.6.13** sabhāsu caiva sarvāsu vṛkṣeṣv ālakṣiteṣu ca dhvajāḥ samucchritāś citrāḥ patākāś cābhavaṃs tadā and in all the assembly halls and on conspicuous trees, bright banners were raised high, and flags too, at that time. **2.6.14** naṭanartakasaṃghānāṃ gāyakānāṃ ca gāyatām manaḥkarṇasukhā vācaḥ śuśruvuś ca tatas tataḥ And here and there people heard the voices of troupes of actors and dancers and of singers as they sang, voices pleasing to the mind and the ear. **2.6.15** rāmābhiṣekayuktāś ca kathāś cakrur mitho janāḥ rāmābhiṣeke saṃprāpte catvareṣu gṛheṣu ca And when Rāma's consecration had arrived, the people held conversations with one another about Rāma's consecration, in the squares and in the houses. **2.6.16** bālā api krīḍamānā gṛhadvāreṣu saṃghaśaḥ rāmābhiṣekasaṃyuktāś cakrur eva mithaḥ kathāḥ Even the children, playing in groups at the house-doors, held conversations with one another about Rāma's consecration. **2.6.17** kṛtapuṣpopahāraś ca dhūpagandhādhivāsitaḥ rājamārgaḥ kṛtaḥ śrīmān paurai rāmābhiṣecane And at Rāma's consecration the splendid royal road was made by the townsfolk, strewn with offerings of flowers and perfumed with the fragrance of incense. **2.6.18** prakāśīkaraṇārthaṃ ca niśāgamanaśaṅkayā dīpavṛkṣāṃs tathā cakrur anu rathyāsu sarvaśaḥ And for the purpose of illumination, fearing the coming of night, they likewise set up lamp-trees everywhere along the streets. **2.6.19** alaṃkāraṃ purasyaivaṃ kṛtvā tat puravāsinaḥ ākāṅkṣamāṇā rāmasya yauvarājyābhiṣecanam Having thus made that adornment of the city, the city-dwellers, longing for Rāma's consecration as heir-apparent, **2.6.20** sametya saṃghaśaḥ sarve catvareṣu sabhāsu ca kathayanto mithas tatra praśaśaṃsur janādhipam all coming together in groups in the squares and assembly halls, conversing with one another there, praised the king. **2.6.21** aho mahātmā rājāyam ikṣvākukulanandanaḥ jñātvā yo vṛddham ātmānaṃ rāmaṃ rājye 'hbiṣekṣyati “Ah, this king, the delight of the Ikṣvāku line, is great-souled, in that, knowing himself to be aged, he will consecrate Rāma in the kingdom!” **2.6.22** sarve hy anugṛhītāḥ sma yan no rāmo mahīpatiḥ cirāya bhavitā goptā dṛṣṭalokaparāvaraḥ “For we are all favoured, in that Rāma, the lord of the earth, who has seen the higher and lower of the world, will be our protector for a long time. **2.6.23** anuddhatamanā vidvān dharmātmā bhrātṛvatsalaḥ yathā ca bhrātṛṣu snigdhas tathāsmāsv api rāghavaḥ “Unarrogant of mind, learned, righteous, affectionate to his brothers — and as Rāghava is tender toward his brothers, so is he toward us also. **2.6.24** ciraṃ jīvatu dharmātmā rājā daśaratho 'naghaḥ yatprasādenābhiṣiktaṃ rāmaṃ drakṣyāmahe vayam “Long may the righteous, sinless King Daśaratha live, by whose grace we shall behold Rāma consecrated!” **2.6.25** evaṃvidhaṃ kathayatāṃ paurāṇāṃ śuśruvus tadā digbhyo 'pi śrutavṛttāntāḥ prāptā jānapadā janāḥ The country-folk, who had come having heard the news even from (all) the quarters, then listened to the townspeople speaking in this manner. **2.6.26** te tu digbhyaḥ purīṃ prāptā draṣṭuṃ rāmābhiṣecanam rāmasya pūrayām āsuḥ purīṃ jānapadā janāḥ And those country-folk, having come to the city from the quarters to behold Rāma's consecration, filled Rāma's city. **2.6.27** janaughais tair visarpadbhiḥ śuśruve tatra nisvanaḥ parvasūdīrṇavegasya sāgarasyeva nisvanaḥ From those spreading floods of people a sound was heard there, like the sound of the ocean whose surge has swelled high at the full-moon days. **2.6.28** tatas tad indrakṣayasaṃnibhaṃ puraṃ didṛkṣubhir jānapadair upāgataiḥ samantataḥ sasvanam ākulaṃ babhau samudrayādobhir ivārṇavodakam Then that city, resembling the abode of Indra, thronged and full of noise on every side with the country-folk who had come desiring to see, shone like the waters of the ocean crowded with sea-monsters.