Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 68: Daśaratha Delighted
Text 1.68.1

जनकेन समादिष्टा दूतास्ते क्लान्तवाहनाः।
त्रिरात्रमुषिता मार्गे तेऽयोध्यां प्राविशन्पुरीम्॥

janakena samādiṣṭā dūtās te klānta-vāhanāḥ
tri-rātram
uṣitā mārge te ‘yodhyāṁ prāviśan purīm

janakena = by Janaka; samādiṣṭāḥ = commissioned; dūtāḥ te = the messengers; klānta-vāhanāḥ = tiring their horses; tri-rātram = three nights; uṣitāḥ = spent; mārge = on the way; te ayodhyām prāviśan purīm = and then entered the city of Ayodhyā.

The messengers commissioned by Janaka spent three nights on the way, tiring their horses, and then entered the city of Ayodhyā.1

Daśaratha was then called for the wedding of Janaka’s daughter [with Śrī Rāmacandra]. This is described in this chapter.

1 We should remember that these messengers were actually Janaka’s ministers (mantriṇaḥ). On the occasion of Daśaratha’s putra-kāmeṣṭi fire sacrifice, Daśaratha had sent his minister Sumantra to personally invite some of the kings. For the marriage of his own beloved daughter, King Janaka would not send anyone less than his own trusted ministers.