Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 73: The Grand Wedding of Sītā and Rāma
Text 1.73.40
सर्वे भवन्तः सौम्याश्च सर्वे सुचरितव्रताः।
पत्नीभिः सन्तु काकुत्स्था मा भूत्कालस्य पर्ययः॥
sarve bhavantaḥ saumyāś ca sarve sucarita-vratāḥ
patnībhiḥ santu kākutsthā mā bhūt kālasya paryayaḥ
sarve bhavantaḥ = [may] all of You; saumyāḥ ca = [be] gentle; sarve = all of You; sucarita-vratāḥ = nicely execute religious vows; patnībhiḥ = with Your wives; santu = may; kākutsthāḥ = O descendants of Kakutstha; mā bhūt kālasya paryayaḥ = let there be no delay [in the proceedings].
O descendants of Kakutstha, may all of You, with Your wives, [be] gentle. [May] all of You, with Your wives, nicely execute religious vows. Let there be no delay [in the proceedings].
It is clear that the ritual of udaka-pradāna [where water sanctified by appropriate mantras is sprinkled by the father-in-law on the hand of the bridegroom] has been concluded. For Māṇḍavī and Śrutakīrti, Janaka only gave his permission [and blessings] because he was the eldest [in their family]; the sanctified water was sprinkled by Kuśadhvaja alone [on Bharata’s and Śatrughna’s hand respectively]. In this regard, Yājñavalkya says:
pitā pitāmaho bhrātā sakulyo jananī tathā
kanyā-pradaḥ pūrva-nāśe prakṛtisthaḥ paraḥ paraḥ
“The father or the grandfather or the brother or a man of the same family or the mother should give the daughter in marriage. If each of the former has perished, the immediate next in good [mental and physical] health should give the daughter in marriage.” (Yājñavalkya-smṛti 1.63-64)