o the sacred rule' {~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} admit of the conclusion that the ceremony
was supposed to have taken place in conformity with the vaidik
injunction.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} As the inauguration of _Rama_ was intended and the necessary
preparations for it were made when his father Dasaratha was still alive,
but as the ceremony itself, through the intrigues of his step-mother
_Kaikeyi_, did not take place then, but fourteen years later, after the
death of _Dasaratha_, an account of the preparatory ceremonies is given in
the _Ayodhyakanda_ (Book II) as well as in the _Yuddha-Kanda_ (Book VI.)
of the Ramayana, but an account of the complete ceremony in the latter
book alone. According to the _Ayodhyakanda_, on the day preceding the
intended inauguration _Rama_ and his wife _Sita_ held a fast, and in the
night they performed this preliminary rite: _Rama_ having made his
ablutions, approached the idol of _Narayana_, took a cup of clarified
butter, as the religious law prescribes, made a libation of it into the
kindled fire, and drank the remainder while wishing what was agreeable to
his heart. Then, with his mind fixed on the divinity he lay, silent and
composed, together with _Sita_, on a bed of Kusa-grass, which was spread
before the altar of Vishnu, until the last watch of the night, when he
awoke and ordered the palace to be prepared for the solemnity. At
day-break reminded of the time by the voices of the bards, he performed
the usual morning devotion and praised the divinity. In the meantime the
town Ayodhya had assumed a festive appearance and the inauguration
implements had been arranged {~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} golden water-jars, an ornamented
throne-seat, a chariot covered with a splendid tiger-skin, water taken
from the confluence of the Ganges and Jumna, as well as from other sacred
rivers, tanks, wells, lakes, and from all oceans, honey, curd, clarified
butter, fried grain, Kusa-grass, flowers, milk; besides, eight beautiful
damsels, and a splendid furious elephant, golden and silver jars, filled
with water, covered with _Udumbara_ branches and various lotus flowers,
besides a white jewelled _chourie_, a white splendid parasol, a white
bull, a white horse, all manner of musical instruments and bards.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} In the
preceding chapter {~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} there are mentioned _two_ white _chouries_ instead of
one, and all kinds of seeds, perfumes and jewels, a scimitar, a bow, a
litter, a golde