Canto 2: Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa ()Chapter 15: Daśaratha Personally Instructs Sumantra to Bring RāmaText 2.15.12
Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 15: Daśaratha Personally Instructs Sumantra to Bring Rāma
Text 2.15.12
अष्टौ च कन्या माङ्गल्याः सर्वाभरणभूषिताः।
वादित्राणि च सर्वाणि वन्दिनश्च तथापरे॥
aṣṭau ca kanyā māṅgalyāḥ sarvābharaṇa-bhūṣitāḥ
vāditrāṇi ca sarvāṇi vandinaś ca tathāpare
aṣṭau ca = there were eight; kanyāḥ = virgin girls; māṅgalyāḥ = auspicious; sarva-ābharaṇa-bhūṣitāḥ = decorated fully with ornaments; vāditrāṇi ca = [musicians with] musical instruments; sarvāṇi = all kinds of; vandinaḥ = professional reciters; ca = and; tathā apare = others.
There were eight auspicious virgin girls decorated fully with ornaments, [musicians with] all kinds of musical instruments, professional reciters and others.
The virgin girls were auspicious in the sense that they were fit to become auspicious [through marriage]. “All kinds of musical instruments” refers to the four kinds of musical instruments.