Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 71: Sītā’s Noble Lineage
Text 1.71.23

ददामि परमप्रीतो वध्वौ ते रघुनन्दन।
रामलक्ष्मणयो राजन् गोदानं कारयस्व ह।
पितृकार्यं च भद्रं ते ततो वैवाहिकं कुरु॥

dadāmi parama-prīto vadhvau te raghu-nandana
rāma-lakṣmaṇayo
rājan go-dānaṁ kārayasva ha
pitṛ-kāryaṁ
ca bhadraṁ te tato vaivāhikaṁ kuru

dadāmi = I bestow; parama-prītaḥ = with extreme happiness; vadhvau te = as daughters-in-law; raghu-nandana = O beloved descendant of Raghu; rāma-lakṣmaṇayoḥ = for Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa; rājan = O king; go-dānam = the go-dāna ceremony; kārayasva ha = please have conducted; pitṛ-kāryam = pitṛ-kārya (Nāndi-śrāddha); ca = and; bhadram te = may there be auspiciousness unto you; tataḥ = then; vaivāhikam = vaivāhika; kuru = perform.

With extreme happiness, I bestow them as daughters-in-law to you. O beloved descendant of Raghu, O king, please have the go-dāna ceremony conducted for Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa and then vaivāhika pitṛ-kārya [Nāndi-śrāddha].1 May there be auspiciousness unto you!

Authorities explain the word go-dānam here as follows. It refers to a certain ritual to be done before marriage. Go in this context refers to hairs and dāna in this context refers to shaving. This is a reference to the samāvartana ceremony for members of the higher three varṇas after they formally complete their education and training from a guru.

1 This is a ceremony where one’s pious forefathers are worshipped for their blessings to successfully complete the religious ceremony to be undertaken.