Vasishtha Commands the Wedding Drums to Sound
Bala Kanda, Chaupai 291
Doha 294 · Movement 1 of 2
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Vasishtha hears the account with immense joy. Happiness and prosperity flow toward the righteous without invitation, he says, just as rivers seek the ocean though the ocean asks nothing from them.
Dasharatha serves guru, Brahmin, cow, and god; Kausalya is equally pure. No king of such merit has been or will be, for who could possess greater virtue than the father of Ram?
Four sons surround him, brave, humble, vowed to dharma, each an ocean of qualities. The guru blesses every time and circumstance, then gives the awaited command: prepare the wedding procession and let the great drums sound. Ayodhya's inward joy receives permission to become movement.
The guru's blessing becomes a command, and the road to Mithila begins in the sound of drums.
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AI-created devotional illustration · Chaupai 291
All eight couplets PDF280281; selects Vasishtha joyful advice and wedding-party instruction, sourcefull facts preserved.
Source reference and artistic choices
Gita Press code81 undated · PDF pages 280, 281 · printed pages 278, 279. Reader passage: bala-kanda-chaupai-291. Printed numbering may differ.
Source facts
- Guru hears entire account and speaks with joy: happiness for righteous on earth.
- Rivers reach desireless sea as comparison.
- Likewise joy/wealth naturally reaches dharmic without invitation.
- King serves guru Brahmins COWS gods, Kaushalya equally pure.
- No equally meritorious in PAST PRESENT FUTURE, all three tenses retained.
- Who greater merit than king with son like Rama?
- FOUR brave humble dharma-vow sons oceans virtues.
- Always blessed, PREPARE WEDDING PARTY and beat NISANA KETTLEDRUMS, not trumpets.
Artistic choices
- One Vasishtha head two connectedarms two ownhands. ActualownRIGHT atCHEST ownLEFTopenpalmRIGHT waist, OPENeyesUPRIGHT gentlyPARTEDwarm smile (oppositepromptleft orientation). Whitecompacttopknot brownbeadband WHITElongstraightbeard shoulderhair olderwarmgoldenbrown UNMARKED forehead creamOCHREorange darkwoodROSARY. No otherfigures weapons trumpets/physicalsounds. Newlyreceivedletter outcrop no disposal/absence certificate; no exactspeech/motivehistory proof.
- Exact poses/gazes/numericalages/clothes/ornamentcounts/geargeometryfastening/materials/spatialframing artistchoices not history or wholeparticipant/anatomy/motion/audible/emotionmotive census. Fullsourceoffcrop facts retained noabsenceinference/corpuscorrection/inventedHindi/publishing. Source comparisons/characterinsults/threats not physicaltransformations/violentevents.
An imaginative interpretation, not a historical portrait or documentary evidence.
सुनि बोले गुर अति सुखु पाई। पुन्य पुरुष कहुँ महि सुख छाई।। जिमि सरिता सागर महुँ जाहीं। जद्यपि ताहि कामना नाहीं।। तिमि सुख संपति बिनहिं बोलाएँ। धरमसील पहिं जाहिं सुभाएँ।। तुम्ह गुर बिप्र धेनु सुर सेबी। तसि पुनीत कौसल्या देबी।। सुकृती तुम्ह समान जग माहीं। भयउ न है कोउ होनेउ नाहीं।। तुम्ह ते अधिक पुन्य बड़ काकें। राजन राम सरिस सुत जाकें।। बीर बिनीत धरम ब्रत धारी। गुन सागर बर बालक चारी।। तुम्ह कहुँ सर्ब काल कल्याना। सजहु बरात बजाइ निसाना।।
Hearing everything, the guru spoke with overflowing joy. For the virtuous, happiness fills the whole earth. Just as rivers flow toward the ocean, though the ocean harbors no desire for them, so too do joy and prosperity come of their own accord to the righteous, without being summoned. You serve gurus, learned ones, the sacred cow, and the gods. And Queen Kausalya is equally pure in her devotion. In all the world, none as virtuous as you has ever been born, nor ever shall be. Who could possess greater merit than you, O King, whose son is Rama Himself? Brave, humble, devoted to dharma and sacred vows: four splendid sons, each an ocean of virtue. May all times bring you blessedness. Now prepare the wedding procession and let the kettledrums sound!