Then all the four princes came to their father with their brides, and such was the beauty, the felicity and the rapture that it seemed to overflow the guest-chambers like a torrent.

Next, there was a magnificent banquet of a rich variety of dishes, to which Janaka invited all the members of the bridegroom’s party. Carpets of priceless cloth were spread on the way as Dasharath sallied forth with his sons.

The feet of all were courteously washed and then they were seated on wooden seats each according to his degree. Janaka washed the feet of Dasharath with a courtesy and affection past all telling.

Then he washed Rama’s lotus feet, which are ever enshrined in Shiva’s lotus heart; and, also with his own hands, washed the feet of the other three brothers as though they were Rama himself.

To each guest Janaka assigned an appropriate seat and sent for all the cooks, who began respectfully to set out the dishes, wrought all of jewelled leaves stitched together with golden pins.

The expert and polite cooks passed round, and in a moment served all with tasty, delicious and pure boiled rice and pulse and ghi (clarified butter) extracted from cow’s milk.

After taking the first five morsels (with the repetition of five mantras, viz., pranaya svaha, apanaya svaha, vyanaya svaha, udanaya svaha, samanaya svaha, directed to the five vital breaths of the body which are prana, apana samana, vyana and udana), the guests began to eat, listening with great delight to abusive songs. Confections of various kinds, sweet as ambrosia and more delicious than words can tell, were served.