Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c6.7

v1.c6.7

the Brahmans on behalf of each son 100,000 cows—golden-horned, splendid, blessed with calves, yielding a brass pailful of milk ; 400,000 of the cows, and many other treasures he gives the Brahmans on the occasion of the godāna. On the same day Bharata’s uncle on the mother’s side comes, having in vain sought for his sister’s son in Ayodhyā, and takes part in the festival. Next morning the princes, in full decoration, with the wedding string ¹ in hand, then go together with the Rishis to the place of sacrifice. Janaka says his daughters are standing in full wedding apparel at the foot of the altar, and so let all be carried out forthwith. “Vasiṣṭha set up the altar in a shed (prapāmadhye), took sweet-smelling flowers, golden cooking-pots (suvarṇapālikā), and coloured pitchers, which were all furnished with shoots of trees, as also earthen platters (çarāva) decked with shoots, incense-pans with perfumes, shell-shaped vessels,² and great and small sacrificial spoons, and vessels holding the water for guests; further, dishes filled with roasted corn, and unhusked corn laid out; and he decked the altar round with these things. Vasiṣṭha, having strewn darbha-grass about according to the precept, and to the recitation of holy words, lighted the flame on the altar and made sacrifice in the fire. Then Janaka led up Sītā adorned with every kind of ornament, set her before the fire, facing Rāma, and now spoke to Kauçalyā’s son : ‘This is Sītā, my daughter, thy wife. Take her, I beg; take her hand with thy hand. As faithful wife she, the one favoured of happiness, follows thee evermore as thy shadow.’ After these words the king poured the water, consecrated with holy sentences, on Rāma’s hand. The same holy rites were then repeated with the other pair. All walked to the right thrice round the fire, the king, and the Ṛṣis. Next morning Janaka gave his daughters their dowries (kanyādhana) : many hundreds of thousands of cows, magnificent cloths, linen garments and 10,000,000 dresses, elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiery, all of heaven-like stature and well equipped, also a hundred girls, fine men and women slaves, worked and unworked gold, pearls, and coral. Then all went home” (Rām., i, 70 ff.). In Mahābh., iv, 72 the wedding of Abhimanyu, Arjuna’s son, with Uttarā, the daughter of the king Virāṭa is celebrated with great pomp. Shells, trumpets, drums blare out,¹ all kinds of beasts are slaughtered in hundreds, divers kinds of heady drinks are plentifully drunk; singers and tale-tellers, dancers and praise-utterers take their share in giving glory to the festival, bands of lovely, splendidly decked women take part and engirdle the shining bride. Her father bestows on the Pāṇḍava, probably for his son, seven thousand steeds swift as the wind, two hundred thoroughbred elephants, and many things besides; and Kṛṣṇa likewise a great number of precious things, such as women, jewels, dresses. Yudhiṣṭhira naturally shows himself on this occasion, too, as a true god of blessings for the Brahmans.