The Wedding of Ram and Sita, and Parashurama

Janaka's messengers spent three nights on the road, reached Ayodhya and told everything: Ram had broken the bow of Shiva, and King Janaka wished to give him his daughter Sita in marriage. King Dasharatha's eyes filled with tears. He consulted Guru Vasishtha, and the very next day the wedding party set out, with sages in front and wagons of wealth and the fourfold army behind. In four days they reached Mithila.

Janaka came out of the city to receive them. Dasharatha said with a smile, "King, the one who receives a gift is in the hands of the giver. We will do as you say."

Two houses meet

The next day the assembly sat. As custom required, Vasishtha first recited the lineage of the bridegroom, beginning with Brahma and coming down through Manu, Ikshvaku, Sagara, Bhagiratha, Raghu and Aja to Dasharatha. Then Janaka recited the line of his own house.

After that Janaka said, "I give my daughter Sita to Ram, and my second daughter Urmila to Lakshmana." Then Vasishtha and Vishwamitra made one more proposal: "King, your younger brother Kushadhwaja also has two daughters. Give them to Bharata and Shatrughna." Janaka gladly folded his hands. So four marriages were settled under one canopy: Ram and Sita, Lakshmana and Urmila, Bharata and Mandavi, Shatrughna and Shrutakirti.

Taking the hand

At the auspicious hour the altar was made ready and the fire was lit. Janaka led Sita in, placed her before the fire facing Ram, and spoke words that are still remembered at weddings:

Iyam Sita mama suta sahadharmachari tava,
pratichchha chainam bhadram te panim grihnishva panina.

"This is Sita, my daughter, who will walk with you in every duty. Accept her, and may you be blessed. Take her hand in yours. She will be devoted and fortunate, and will follow you always like your shadow."

The four brothers took the hands of the four brides and walked around the fire. Flowers rained from the sky. Janaka sent his daughters off with more wealth than could be counted, but the hardest thing was to watch them go.

Parashurama

The next day Vishwamitra left for the Himalayas and the party turned towards Ayodhya. On the way a storm suddenly rose, darkness fell and the birds cried out in fear. Before them stood Parashurama, son of Jamadagni, an axe on his shoulder and a huge bow in his hand. This was the man who had destroyed the kshatriyas twenty-one times.

He said, "Ram, I hear you broke the bow of Shiva. This other bow is Vishnu's. Set an arrow to it, if you can. Then I will fight you in single combat."

Dasharatha trembled and began to plead. Ram spoke calmly: "You are a brahmin and a kinsman of my teacher Vishwamitra, so I will not loose an arrow that takes your life." He took the bow, set an arrow to it and said, "But this arrow cannot be drawn in vain. Tell me, shall it destroy your power of movement, or the worlds you have won by your austerities?"

Parashurama's fire left him. He recognised who stood before him. "Take my worlds, but leave me my power of movement, for I must return to Mount Mahendra before sunset. I feel no shame in being defeated by you." He walked around Ram in reverence and went away.

Homecoming

Ayodhya was hung with flags and its roads were sprinkled with water. Kaushalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi welcomed the brides with lamps and led them into the palace. Some days later Bharata left with his uncle Yudhajit for his mother's home, and Shatrughna went with him.

The days of Ram and Sita passed in happiness. Valmiki says that Sita was dear to Ram because his father had chosen her, and dearer still for her own qualities and beauty. And Sita knew what was in Ram's heart without his saying it.

Here the Bala Kanda ends. The story continues in the Ayodhya Kanda, where everything changes in a single night.