All the gods began decorating their different types of vehicles^1 in many ways in
preparation to accompany the marriage procession.
Meanwhile, auspicious omens began to happen, and celestial damsels known
as the ‘Apsaras’ sang and danced in merry abandon^2. (Doha no. 91)
[Note—^1 The different gods had different types of personal means of transport. Some
of them are the following—Vishnu (the sustainer) has Garud (the celestial heron),
Brahma (the creator) has Hansa (a swan-shaped airplane), Indra (the king of gods)
has Erawaat (the elephant), Yam (the god of death and hell) has a male buffalo,
Kuber (the treasurer of gods) has the Pushpak (a self-driven air-plane), Varun (the
Water-God) has Magar (alligator), Agni (the Fire-God) has a he-goat, Pawan (the
Wind-God) has a deer, Ishaan (one of Shiva’s various forms) has Brishava (the bull),
and Nairitta has phantom.
When Lord Ram was married to Sita at Janakpur, all the gods had decorated their
mounts and joined the marriage procession as it headed towards the venue of the
marriage ceremony—refer: Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, Chaupai line nos. 2-3 that
precedes Doha no. 314.
(^2) A similar situation is narrated while describing the marriage of Lord Ram with
Sita. When the marriage party was ready for departure from Ayodhya, the auspicious
omens which revealed themselves are narrated in Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand,
Doha no. 303 along with its preceding Chaupai line nos. 2-8, and Chaupai line no. 3
that follows this Doha.]
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caupā’ī.
sivahi sambhu gana karahiṁ singārā. jaṭā mukuṭa ahi mauru sam̐vārā. 1.
kuṇḍala kaṅkana pahirē byālā. tana bibhūti paṭa kēhari chālā. 2.
The attendants of Lord Shiva began grooming and adorning their Lord (to prepare
him as a groom). [Shiva had never bothered about his appearances. He was an
excellent ascetic, and like all ascetics he was never concerned about his external
features, whether he looked attractive and charming to others or not. But this was a
different situation. Now he was to be married, and a groom is not expected to look
like a hermit or an ascetic. Therefore, the close attendants of the Lord began adorning
him so that he looks attractive in his role as a groom.]
They cleaned and tied his thick lock of usually unkempt hairs into a decent-
looking plait that was turned around in a spiral to form a wonderful crown that
adorned the Lord’s head. Then they decked it up with a crest of serpents. (1)
The ear-rings and bracelets that he (Shiva) wore also consisted of serpents. His
body was smeared with ash^1 (from the fire sacrifice), and skin of a lion was used as
his wrap-around garment. (2)
[Note—^1 Shiva’s natural complexion is blue like that of Lord Vishnu. But when ash
was smeared on his body, he looked fair-complexioned.]