-and returned, each to his own home, extolling Rama’s great and spotless fame. Several days passed in this fashion, to the delight alike of the citizens and the guests.

At length the propitious day of the wedding arrived; it was the delightful month of Agahana and the beginning of the cold season. Having carefully examined and determined the propitious nature of the planets, date, asterism, the conjunction of the stars, the day of the week and the hour of the wedding,

-the Creator despatched the note concerning the hour of the wedding through Narada; it was the very same calculation that Janaka’s astrologers had already made. When all the people heard of this event, they observed, ‘Why, our astrologers are also so many Creators!’

The most auspicious and sacred hour before sunset (which is the time when cows generally return home from pasture, and is marked by clouds of dust raised by their hoofs) arrived; perceiving propitious omens, the Brahmans sent word to Janaka.

The king said to the family priest (Shatananda), ‘What is now the cause of delay?’ Shatananda then summoned the ministers, who came equipped with all that was auspicious.

Then sounded a number of conches, drums and tabors and other instruments of music, and festal vases and objects of good omen (such as curds, turmeric and blades of durva grass) were displayed. Graceful women (whose husbands were alive) sang songs, and holy Brahmans intoned Vedic texts.

Thus they set out to invite the wedding guests with due honour and came to their lodgings. When they saw the magnificence of Dasharath, the king of Avadh, even Indra, the lord of gods, looked very small to them.