Canto 1: Bāla-kāṇḍa (Boyhood)Chapter 30: Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa Protect Viśvāmitra’s SacrificeText 1.30.7
Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 30: Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa Protect Viśvāmitra’s Sacrifice
Text 1.30.7
अथ काले गते तस्मिन्षष्ठेऽहनि समागते।
सौमित्रिमब्रवीद्रामो यत्तो भव समाहितः॥
atha kāle gate tasmin ṣaṣṭhe ’hani samāgate
saumitrim abravīd rāmo yatto bhava samāhitaḥ
atha kāle gate tasmin = when five days had passed; ṣaṣṭhe ahani samāgate = and the sixth day arrived; saumitrim = the son of Sumitrā; abravīt = told; rāmah = Rāma; yattaḥ bhava = be ready; samāhitaḥ = and focused in mind.
When five days had passed and the sixth day arrived, Rāma told the son of Sumitrā: Be ready and focused in mind.
The sixth day of the sacrifice was the climax of the performance, [technically known as] the day of sutyā [when soma stalks are pressed out]. It can be gathered from the previous chapter that the inauguration of the preparation for the sacrifice [technically known as dīkṣā] was conducted the day before the sages informed Lord Rāma that the sacrificial performance would run for six days and nights. So, it is understood that this sacrifice was a satra sacrifice meant to be carried out for seven [days and] nights.