sana (seat), (2) PŒdya (water for washing the feet), (3) Arghya (water for washing the hands), (4) caman¶ya (water to drink), (5) SnŒn¶ya (water for ablution), (6) Gandha (sandal-paste), (7) Vastra (raiment), (8) Puƒpa (flowers), (9) Dhµupa (burning incense), (10) D¶pa (light), (11) Naivedya (food), (12) caman¶ya (water for rinsing the mouth), (13) TŒmbµula (betel-leaves), (14) Dakƒi˜Œ (a gift in coins), (15) Pradakƒi˜Œ (circumambu- lation), and (16) N¶rŒjana (waving lights). 360 * ÝR” RMACARITAMNASA* rŒma karahu saba sa¯jama ajµu, jau ¡ bidhi kusala nibŒhai kŒjµu. guru sikha dei rŒya pahiò gayaµu, rŒma h¾daya¡ asa bisamau bhayaµu.2. janame eka sa¯ga saba bhŒ¶, bhojana sayana keli larikŒ¶. karanabedha upab¶ta biŒhŒ, sa¯ga sa¯ga saba bhae uchŒhŒ.3. bimala ba¯sa yahu anucita ekµu, ba¯dhu bihŒi baRehi abhiƒekµu. prabhu saprema pachitŒni suhŒ¶, harau bhagata mana kai ku¢ilŒ¶.4. Extolling Ýr¶ RŒma’s goodness, amiability and noble disposition, the lord of sages, Vasiƒ¢ha, said, thrilling over with emotion, “The king has made preparations for the installation ceremony; he would invest You with regal powers. RŒma, You should observe religious austerity today so that God may bring this affair to a happy conclusion.” Having admonished Him in this way the Guru returned to the king; while Ýr¶ RŒma felt uneasy in His heart and said to Himself, “My brothers and myself were all born together and together have we dined, slept and played in our childhood; the piercing of our ear-lobes, (one of the sixteen sacraments incumbent on a Hindu), our investiture with the sacred thread, wedding and all other ceremonies have been gone through together. The only unseemly practice in this spotless line is that the eldest should be installed on the throne to the exclusion of his younger brothers.” May this loving and graceful expression of regret on the part of the Lord drive away all suspicion from the mind of His devotees. (1—4)