Canto 1: Bāla-kāṇḍa (Boyhood)Chapter 18: The Advent of Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and ŚatrughnaText 1.18.39
Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 18: The Advent of Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna
Text 1.18.39
अथ राजा दशरथस्तेषां दारक्रियां प्रति।
चिन्तयामास धर्मात्मा सोपाध्यायः सबान्धवः॥
atha rājā daśarathas teṣāṁ dāra-kriyāṁ prati
cintayām āsa dharmātmā sopādhyāyaḥ sabāndhavaḥ
atha = then; rājā = King; daśarathaḥ = Daśaratha; teṣām = Their; dāra-kriyām = wedding; prati = about; cintayām āsa = thought; dharma-ātmā = the righteous; sa-upādhyāyaḥ = his teachers; sa-bāndhavaḥ = and relatives.
Then, the righteous King Daśaratha, his teachers and relatives thought about Their wedding.
It was time for Them to graduate from Vedic studies. Dharmātmā (“righteous”) indicates that King Daśaratha searched for brides for his sons in terms of (1) śīla or character, (2) vayaḥ or age, (3) vṛtta or appearance, and (4) abhijana or family.