Interestingly the Ambani kid's wedding came just a day before "Vivaha Panchami" - a day that marks the glorious wedding of Rama and Sita in Ramayana
In fact there have been films dedicated to depicting Sita Swayamvar, notably in 1934, when there was a Tamil film titled "Sita Kalyanam"
The film was remade in Telugu and was a major hit
So clearly this is a theme that has remained big in the Hindu psyche
Some involved the girl choosing her husband among a list of suitors by her own volition
Others involved an added step - the father of the bride posts a challenge, and gives his Kanya away to the person who meets the challenge successfully
The Swayamvaras of Draupadi and Sita are of the latter type
The great sage Vishwamitra takes Rama and his anuja Lakshmana along to the country of Mithila where the great king Janaka is holding the swayamvara for his daughter Janaki
A challenge at which many great princes failed until Rama came along
"तदेतन्मुनिशार्दूल धनु: परमभास्वरम्।
रामलक्ष्मणयोश्चापि दर्शयिष्यामि सुव्रत।।
"O Sage you are a tiger among asceties, you are faithful to your vows, I shall show this effulgent bow to your Rama, Lakshmana"
सुतामयोनिजां सीतां दद्यां दाशरथेरहम्।।
"O Sage if Rama could lift and string this bow I shall give my daughter Sita, not born from a woman, to him (son of Dasaratha)"
नृणां शतानि पञ्चाशद्व्यायतानां महात्मनाम्।
मञ्जूषामष्टचक्रां तां समूहुस्ते कथञ्चन।।
पश्यतां नृपसहस्राणां बहूनां रघुनन्दन: ।
आरोपयत्स धर्मात्मा सलीलमिव तद्धनु:।।
"Virtuous Rama, the delight of the Raghus, in the presence of several thousands of men fixed the string to the bow and drew it as though with ease"
तद्बभञ्ज धनुर्मध्ये नरश्रेष्ठो महायशा:।।
"Rama, the best among men, righteous and famous lifted the bow. Stringing it with a twang he drew it and broke it into two in the middle"
निपेतुश्च नरा स्सर्वे तेन शब्देन मोहिता:।
वर्जयित्वा मुनिवरं राजानं तौ च राघवौ।।
This is an interesting shloka that refers t not just Rama but also Lakshmana as a "Raghava" (belonging to the clan of Raghu)
जनकानां कुले कीर्तिमाहरिष्यति मे सुता।
सीता भर्तारमासाद्य रामं दशरथात्मजम्।।
By receiving Rama, son of Dasaratha, as her husband, my daughter Sita will bring glory to my dynasty
सीता प्राणैर्बहुमता देया रामाय मे सुता।।
"O Kaushika (i.e Vishwamitra) I announce Sita to be the 'Reward of prowess'. My vow has come true. She is more valuable than my life and fit to be given to Rama
भवतोऽनुमते ब्रह्मन् शीघ्रं गच्छन्तु मन्त्रिण:।
मम कौशिक भद्रं ते अयोध्यां त्वरिता रथै:।।
प्रदानं वीर्यशुल्काया: कथयन्तु च सर्वश:।।
"That Sita, the reward of prowess is to be given to Rama be reverentially communicated in detail to king Dasaratha and he may be conveyed here"
जनकेन समादिष्टा दूतास्ते क्लान्तवाहना:
त्रिरात्रमुषिता मार्गे तेऽयोध्यां प्राविशन् पुरीम्
"Commanded by Janaka the messengers travelled for 3 days, rested for three nights on the way and entered the city of Ayodhya along with their horses"
It takes the entourage 4 days to reach Mithila from Ayodhya
जनकोऽपि महातेजा: क्रियां धर्मेण तत्त्ववित्।।
यज्ञस्य च सुताभ्यां च कृत्वा रात्रिमुवास ह ।
Vasishta, the priest of the Ikshvakus, takes the trouble of addressing Janaka at length, and listing the lineage of Rama
आदिवंशविशुद्धानां राज्ञां परमधर्मिणाम्।
इक्ष्वाकुकुलजातानां वीराणां सत्यवादिनाम्।।
रामलक्ष्मणयोरर्थे त्वत्सुते वरये नृप।
सदृशाभ्यां नृपश्रेष्ठ सदृशे दातुमर्हसि।।
He responds with a detailed listing of his family's lineage that culminates with Sita
वीर्यशुल्कां मम सुतां सीतां सुरसुतोपमाम्
द्वितीयामूर्मिलां चैव त्रिर्ददामि न संशय:
"I offer my daughter Sita, who looks like a celestial maiden to Rama and my second daughter Urmila (to Lakshmana). I proclaim 3 times so that there is no doubt about it
"ददामि परमप्रीतो वध्वौ ते रघुनन्दन।।
रामलक्ष्मणयो राजन् गोदानं कारयस्व ह।
पितृकार्यं च भद्रं ते ततो वैवाहिकं कुरु।।
फल्गुन्यामुत्तरे राजंस्तस्मिन्वैवाहिकं कुरु।।
रामलक्ष्मणयो राजन् दानं कार्यं सुखोदयम् ।।
This suggests that gift-giving characterized marriages even back then
एवं भवतु भद्रं व: कुशध्वजसुते इमे।
पत्न्यौ भजेतां सहितौ शत्रुघ्नभरतावुभौ।।
स गत्वा निलयं राजा श्राद्धं कृत्वा विधानत:।
प्रभाते काल्यमुत्थाय चक्रे गोदानमुत्तमम्।।
"गवां शतसहस्राणि ब्राह्मणेभ्यो नराधिप:।
एकैकशो ददौ राजा पुत्रानुद्दिश्य धर्मत:।।
"For the welfare of each of his sons the king (Dasaratha) religiously gave away a hundred thousand cows to brahmins"
"श्रुत्वा त्वहमयोध्यायां विवाहार्थं तवात्मजान् ।
मिथिलामुपयातांस्तु त्वया सह महीपते।।
त्वरयाभ्युपयातोऽहं द्रष्टुकाम स्स्वसुस्सुतम्।
युक्ते मुहूर्ते विजये सर्वाभरणभूषितै:।
भ्रातृभिस्सहितो राम: कृतकौतुकमंगल:।।
वसिष्ठं पुरत: कृत्वा महर्षीनपरानपि।
पितु स्समीपमाश्रित्य तस्थौ भ्रातृभिरावृत:।।
कृतकौतुकसर्वस्वा वेदिमूलमुपागता:
मम कन्या मुनिश्रेष्ठ दीप्ता वह्नेरिवार्चिष:।
"तथेत्युक्त्वा तु जनकं वसिष्ठो भगवानृषि:।
विश्वामित्रं पुरस्कृत्य शतानन्दं च धार्मिकम्।।
प्रपामध्ये तु विधिवत्वेदिं कृत्वा महातपा:।
अलञ्चकार तां वेदिं गन्धपुष्पै स्समन्तत:।।
अङ्कुराढ्यैश्शरावैश्च धूपपात्रै स्सधूपकै:।।
शङ्खपात्रै स्स्रुवै स्स्रुग्भि: पात्रैरर्घ्याभिपूरितै:।
लाजपूर्णैश्च पात्रीभिरक्षतैरभिसंस्कृतै:।।
अग्निमादाय वेद्यां तु विधिमन्त्रपुरस्कृतम्।।
जुहावाग्नौ महातेजा वसिष्ठो भगवानृषि:।
समक्षमग्ने स्संस्थाप्य राघवाभिमुखे तदा।
अब्रवीज्जनको राजा कौसल्यानन्दवर्धनम्।।
इयं सीता मम सुता सहधर्मचरी तव।
प्रतीच्छ चैनां भद्रं ते पाणिं गृह्णीष्व पाणिना।।
पतिव्रता महाभागा छायेवानुगता सदा।
इत्युक्त्वा प्राक्षिपद्राजा मन्त्रपूतं जलं तदा।।
"This my daughter Sita will be your partner in performing her rightful duty. Accept her. Farewell. Take her hand into your own"
अग्निं प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य वेदिं राजानमेव च।
ऋषींश्चैव महात्मानस्सभार्या रघुसत्तमा:।।
यथोक्तेन तदा चक्रुर्विवाहं विधिपूर्वकम्।
"अथोपकार्यां जग्मुस्ते सभार्या रघुनन्दना:।
राजाऽप्यनुययौ पश्यंत्सर्षिसंघ स्सबान्धव:।।
Whats striking is the blow-by-blow account accorded to it by the poet - something that is seldom ever done for any other wedding
Whats also striking is the keen attention to ritual, which typifies vaIdIka weddings to this day
The elation at the impending good news does not cause him to forget his ritual obligations.
Something for us all to reflect on and imbibe
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