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राम
Leela Scene

The Women Carry Arati toward the Bridegroom

Bala Kanda, Doha 317

Doha 317 · Movement 3 of 3

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The arati plates are prepared in many forms, each flame and offering placed according to auspicious custom. Nothing needed for the welcome is left unordered.

Noble women set forth joyfully with the stately gait of elephants. Their movement is dignified rather than hurried, though the bridegroom they have longed to see is now close.

They carry the inner palace outward with them: maternal blessing, married fortune, household continuity, and the light by which Ram will be ceremonially received. The procession comes toward Mithila in royal splendour; the women approach it as the embodied welcome of the bride's home, turning the city threshold into a meeting of two sacred currents.

Lamp-bearing women advance with measured grace, carrying the blessing of Sita's home toward Ram.

Read the passage from the Manas
A joyful noblewoman carries aarti as she sets forth for parichhan.

AI-created devotional illustration · Doha 317

CompleteDOHA317verseandHindiPDF300; selectedone noblewoman setforth withaarti, sourceothersfullmetaoffcrop.

Source reference and artistic choices

Gita Press code81 undated · PDF pages 300 · printed pages 298. Reader passage: bala-kanda-doha-318. Printed numbering may differ.

Source facts

  • NOBLE WOMEN preparevariousaartis allauspiciousgear, joyfulGO PARICHAN notQUEENSexclusively.
  • ELEPHANTLIKE dignifiedGAIT simile no physicalelephanthybrid.

Artistic choices

  • Oneadultwomanheadtwoownhands supportoppositeplateedges/underside ONEgoldplate ONEgoldlamp ONEflameflowers. TWOvisibleownfeet forefootRIGHT ground rearLEFTheelraised underlongorangegold hem notfullanklecert. ActualeyesUPRIGHT partedgentlejoysmile contraryLEFT/CLOSEDprompt. FullbodyE10flatcrimson goldarchno elephantliteralbody, gaitstaticartistpose not actualmovement/elephantcomparativekinematiccert.
  • 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.
  • Selectedadultnoblewomansourceclass nothistoricalcaste/nameidentification; artist1plate1lampflame count no completevariousaar tis/ritualcensus.

An imaginative interpretation, not a historical portrait or documentary evidence.

सजि आरती अनेक बिधि मंगल सकल सँवारि। चलीं मुदित परिछनि करन गजगामिनि बर नारि।।317।।

Having prepared the aarti plate in many ways and arranged all the auspicious rites, the noble ladies with graceful elephant-like gait went forth joyfully to perform the welcome ceremony.