विवाहान्तकुशण्डिकाThe kuśaṇḍikā that ends the marriage
Verse 263
अश्ममण्डलिकासप्तारोहौ कुर्यादमन्त्रकम् । निशायां चेत् तदा स्त्रीभिः पश्येद् ध्रुवमरुन्धतीम् ॥ २६३ ॥
aśmamaṇḍalikāsaptārōhau kuryādamantrakam | niśāyāṁ cēt tadā strībhiḥ paśyēd dhruvamarundhatīm || 263 ||
Translation
Without mantras he should do the mounting of the stone and of the seven circles. If it is night, then with the women he should look at Dhruva and Arundhatī.
Word by word
- aśma
- of the stone
- maṇḍalikā
- and of the circles
- sapta
- seven
- ārōhau
- the two mountings
- kuryāt
- (kuryāt) should do
- amantrakam
- (amantrakam) without mantras
- niśāyāṁ
- at night
- cēt
- if
- tadā
- then
- strībhiḥ
- with the women
- paśyēd
- (paśyet) should look at
- dhruvam
- (dhruvam) Dhruva
- arundhatīm
- (arundhatīm) Arundhatī
Meaning
Aśmārohaṇa, stepping on a stone (a sign of steadfastness), and the seven steps (saptapadī), are done without mantras; tradition holds the marriage complete only with the seven steps. At night the couple look at Dhruva, the pole star, emblem of constancy, and Arundhatī, the wife of Vasiṣṭha, emblem of a faithful wife.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
"Aśmamaṇḍalikā" and the rest. Then the bridegroom with his wife should do, without mantras (amantraka, free of mantras), the mounting of the stone (aśmārohaṇa) and the mounting of the seven circles (saptamaṇḍalikārohaṇa). If he does that mounting at night, then, surrounded by women, the bridegroom with his wife should look at Dhruva (the pole star) and Arundhatī.