At last, after many courtesies and compliments, the lord of Raghus set out on his journey with all his brothers. Janaka went and clasped Vishvamitra’s feet and placed their dust upon his head and eyes.

‘Listen,’ he said, ‘O lord of sages to him who is blessed with your sight nothing is unattainable – such is my heart’s conviction. That joy and fair renown which the regional lords of the universe long to have, but hesitate to crave,

- I find within my grasp, O master; for all success follows upon seeing you’. Again and again the monarch humbly bowed his head and took leave with the sage’s blessing.

The marriage procession set forth to the sound of kettledrums, and the whole assemblage, great and small, was transported with joy. As they gazed on Rama, the men and women of the villages felt gratified on realizing the object of their eyes.

Halting at convenient stages on the road and gladdening the people on the roadside, the marriage procession drew near to Ayodhya on an auspicious day.

Amid the beat of the kettledrums and clamour of many excellent tabors and sackbuts and conches, and the neighing of horses and trumpeting of elephants, and clash of cymbals and drums and sweet-tuned clarionets,

-when the citizens heard the procession coming, they were all in a tremor of delight, and everyone began to decorate his own fair house, the markets, the streets, the squares and the city gates.