Kakutstha, knowing himself, being thus duly installed, the first night,
enhancing the delight of the citizens, was spent. At dawn, the
prisoners, to wake up the king, arrived at the palace. And those
songsters, well trained and having a musical voice like the Kinnaras,
began to eulogize the heroic king, to the increase of his joy. "Awake, O
gentle hero, increasing Kausalyā’s joy, O foremost of men. Thyself being
asleep the whole universe will be laid up with sleep. In prowess thou
art like Vishnu, in beauty thou art like two Aswins, in intellect thou
art like Vrihaspati and in the capacity of governing thou art like the
Patriarch Brahmā. Thy patience equals that of earth, thy effulgence
equals that of the sun, thy velocity equals the wind and thy gravity
resembles the deep. Thou art stable like a stake, gentle like the moon.
No king like thee had flourished before—no other shall follow. O
foremost of men, thou art irrepressible, ever pious and engaged in
bringing about welfare unto thy subjects. Fame and wealth shall never
renounce thee. O Kākutstha, in thee are perpetually stationed grace and
wealth." Thus did the panegyrists eulogise him in various sweet accents
and Rāghava got up. Like unto Hari rising up from the bed of serpents
Rāma, thus eulogized, rose up from his bed covered with a a white
coverlet. Taking white vessels full of water, thousands of well-trained
survitors stood waiting before the high-souled (Rāma). Washing his
mouth, being purified and offering oblation unto fire, he entered the
holy room of the tutelary deity much honored by the Ikshwākus. And there
having worshipped duly the celestials, manes and the Brahmins, he,
encircled by men, came to the outer apartment And there arrived the
leading priests headed by Vasishtha and ministers all resplendant like
unto fire. And there sat around Rāma the Kashatrya kings hailing from
various provinces as the celestials sit encircling their lord Indra. The
illustrious Bharata, Lakshmana and Satrughna began to worship him and he
appeared like a sacrifice conducted by Vedic hymns. And the servants,
with their eyes shut, sat around him. The twenty heroic monkeys headed
by the highly powerful Sugriva also began to worship him. As the
Guhyakas worship Kuvera so Bibhishana, accompanied by four Rākshasas,
waited upon him. All those who were advanced in the study of Vedas, born
in respectable families, and learned, bowed unto the king lowering their
beads. Like unto the celestial-king Indra worshipped by the saints the
king Rāma was being perpetually honored by the effulgent saints, kings,
monkeys, and Rākshasas. He appeared more beautiful than Indra at that
time. And religious themes were recited in that assembly by persons
conversant with the knowledge of Puranas.