the pride of ten million Cupids falls away. Says Mauna Mudita: the Prince of Awadh’s beauty flashed in a glimpse through the window, and my eyes sank helplessly into its path.
Pada 231
The heart-stealing beauty of Raghuvira dwells in my heart night and day as he sports upon the banks of the Sarayu.
A gold-brocade turban crowns him, marked by a musk tilak and a diamond crest above it. A jeweled necklace rests upon his breast, yellow cloth adorns him, and his gait is steady as a noble elephant’s.
Dear friend, seeing the Prince of Awadh, I retain no awareness of ornament or garment.
Pada 232
Your fortune has awakened, dear bridegroom Raghava!
From the day you came in the sage’s company, all your affairs were set right. Where could you have found such a bride? Reflect upon this within your heart.
Born in the solar dynasty, your destiny has opened the doors of blessedness. Count every breath, and never let your heart become separate from Sita.
Says Siya Sakhi: by wedding Sita, you have washed away the dark stain upon your lineage.
Pada 233
May Sita the bride’s bridegroom remain forever a true bridegroom.
Handsome, bliss-giving, and wise, his dark body is steeped in his beloved’s love. Rama embodies beauty and Love, spreading a canopy of ever-lovely form.
He savors that very form and his beloved’s beauty, yet his heart is never satisfied. Says Yugal-viharini: blessed is the Divine Couple who have received the companions’ benediction.