Rāmāyana | Ayodhyā Kaṇḍa | Chapter 6

6. Rāma's Observation of Rituals

[Rāma and Sītā perform rituals and woke up early morning. Ayodhyā was celebrating the great function and all thoroughfares were full of happy people.]

After the departure of the family priest Rāma took bath and worshipped Lord Nārāyaṇa with great concentration along with his wife who had broad eyes. 6.1

Then in accordance with the rituals he held on his head a pot of Havis [cooked rice] and performed oblations with ghee and Havis on the fire to Lord Vishnu. 6.2

Then Rāma, the son of a great man, ate the remaining Havis, for his own welfare, adopting silence meditated on Lord Vishnu with a disciplined mind and slept along with Sītā on the divine temple of Lord Vishnu on a bed of Durba grass. 6.3-6.4

He awoke when one quarter of the night was remaining and got his home decorated in a befitting manner. 6.5

Then after hearing the sweet songs of pleasant words from the bards and poets, he performed his early morning rituals and chanted Gāyatrī with great devotion. 6.6

Dressed in spotless silk attire, with a deeply bowed head, he praised the killer of Madhu and listened to the purification rites by the Brahmins. 6.7

Thereafter in a sweet majestic voice they proclaimed the auspiciousness of the day and the entire Ayodhyā was filled with sounds of musical instruments. 6.8

Hearing that Rāma undertook fast along with the princess of Videha, from their home, the people of Ayodhyā became happy. 6.9

All the citizens of Ayodhyā, hearing about the coronation of Rāma, started decorating their house from dawn itself. 6.10

On the temple towers surrounded by white clouds, in four road junctions, on thoroughfares, on tall monuments, on towers of forts, on shops of merchants selling various goods, on prosperous and great houses, on all public halls and on tall trees, banners of various colours were hung. 6.11-6.13

Groups of actors, dancers and musicians entertained people by pleasing their mind and heart and these sounds could be heard everywhere. 6.14

When the time for coronation of Rāma was approaching people in cross roads and in private homes talked only about the coronation. 6.15

Similarly boys playing in groups in front of their homes were only talking about stories relating to the crowning of Rāma. 6.16

On the occasion of the coronation Of Rāma, the royal highway was strewn with flowers and made fragrant by burning of incense sticks. 6.17

Having a doubt that the coronation may prolong till night, for providing light to the high ways. trees full of lamps were provided all over. 6.18

All the people living in the city, after decorating it were eagerly desiring to see the coronation of Rāma as Yuvarāja and had assembled in road junctions, public halls in groups and were praising king Daśaratha. 6.19-6.20

"Oh, our great king Daśaratha is the great son of Ikshvāku clan, and realizing that he has become old, he is doing this coronation of Rāma." 6.21

"We are all blessed to have Rāma as our king, since he knows the good and bad people and rule for a very long time." 6.22

"Being one without pride, very learned, a follower of Dharma and lover of his brothers, That Rāma would also love all of us like his brothers." 6.23

"Let the soul of Dharma and the spotless Daśaratha live long, for only by his grace we are able to see the coronation of Rāma." 6.24

All these conversations were also being heard by the hordes of people who have come from the village, who have come to the town hearing the news." 6.25

At that time the city was overflowing from the crowd of people who have come from the villages from different directions to see the coronation of Rāma. 6.26

Due to the moving to and fro from a huge crowd of men, a noise rose from there which was like roaring sound of the ocean with a great speed. 6.27

Crowded by citizens wishing to see the coronation of Rāma, who have arrived from all directions, Ayodhyā resembled city of Indra and with the sound generated made it resemble the ocean with all its aquatic animals. 6.28

This is the end of Sixth Sarga of Ayodhyā Kanda which occurs in Holy Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki as the First Epic.