Ayodhya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana describes Toothbrushes, Combs, Polished Mirrors, Collyrium, Raiments, Brushes, Wine, Meats of Goat, Boar, Deer, Peacocks and Wild Cocks.
After building highway from Ayodhya to banks of river Ganga, army of Bharata proceeds to meet Rama.
On the way, they meet Guha who helped Rama cross ganga.
Guha the king of Nishadas offers them fish, meat and honey.
Bharata’s men decide to halt for that night under hospitality of Guha and next morning cross Ganga on boats.
They proceed to meet sage Bharadwaja, who informs them that Rama along with Seetha and Lakshmana are staying on the chitrakoota mountain.
Bharata and his army are requested to stay there for that night and Bharadwaja invokes Viswakarma, the divine architect to arrange for a place to stay.
Bharadwaja invokes celestials and celestial musicians Viswavasu, Haha and Huhu as also Apsaras (nymphs) belonging to the celestial and celestial musicians’ race from all regions. He also invoked celestial nymphs called ghritachi, Vishvachi, Mishra Kesi, Alambusa, Nagadanta and Hema as also Hima who has an abode made in mountains.
Troops of Apsaras (divine nymphs) danced to the melodious rustling of the wind. The clestials and the celestial musicians sang. Vinas, stringed musical instruments transmitted their tunes. Sweat and harmonious sounds emitted smoothly, entered the sky earth and the ears of beings. When those celestial melodies ceased so pleasingly heard by the human ears, Bharata’s army saw the wonderful creations of Viswakarma.
A levelled land of approximately twenty miles on all sides, became covered by many carpets of grass, dark as emerald. At that place, Bilva, Kapittha, Panasa, Citron Amalaki and Mango Trees laden with fruit appeared. A forest of divine enjoyments from the territory of northern Kuru’s along with a river shaped with various trees on its bank appeared there.
Splendid square mansions with stables for elephants and horses as well as resplendent gates with watch-towers flanked by turrets were seen. A royal palace emerged, dazzling as a cloud, pierced by splendid arches, hung with white garlands, filled with fragrance of celestial perfumes, forming a perfect quadrangle, spacious, furnished with couches seats and palanquins, supplied with ambrosial drinks of every kind as well as magnificent attire and food of every variety, well-prepared eatables of every description in cleaned vessels free from dirt and all kinds of seats arranged in order looked charming with superb couches duly covered with rich carpets.
तत्र राज आसनम् दिव्यम् व्यजनम् चत्रम् एव च |
भरतो मन्त्रिभिः सार्धम् अभ्यवर्तत राजवत् || २-९१-३८
आसनम् पूजयाम् आस रामाय अभिप्रणम्य च |
वाल व्यजनम् आदाय न्यषीदत् सचिव आसने || २-९१-३९
Translation : Bharata along with his ministers went clock-wise round the excellent royal throne, whisk and the royal umbrella kept there, as if they were utilized by a king.
They paid reverence to the royal seat, bowing before it, as if Rama sat thereon and thereafter Bharata, taking hold of the whisk, sat down on the seat meant for the chief minister.
ततः तत्र मुहूर्तेन नद्यः पायस कर्दमाः |
उपातिष्ठन्त भरतम् भरद्वाजस्य शासनत् || २-९१-४१
Translation : Then, on an instant, by the orders of Bharadwaja, streams having milk thickened with rice (Paayasam), flowed towards Bharata.
यानि माल्यानि देवेषु यानि चैत्ररथे वने |
प्रयागे तान्य् अदृश्यन्त भरद्वाजस्य शासनात् || २-९१-४८
Translation : By the command of Bharadwaja, wreaths of flowers which were beloved of the gods or those which grow in the woods of chaitra ratha were seen at Prayaga (on the banks of river Ganga).
सुराम् सुरापाः पिबत पायसम् च बुभुक्षिताः || २-९१-५२
मांसनि च सुमेध्यानि भक्ष्यन्ताम् यावद् इग्च्छथ || २-९१-५३
Translation : O, wine-bibbers! Drink the wine, however much you desire! O troops stricken with hunger! Let milk thickened iwth rice and the meats which are very much fresh, be eaten.
उत्साद्य स्नापयन्ति स्म नदी तीरेषु वल्गुषु |
अप्य् एकम् एकम् पुरुषम् प्रमदाः सत्प च अष्ट च || २-९१-५४
सम्वहन्त्यः समापेतुर् नार्यो रुचिर लोचनाः |
परिमृज्य तथा न्यायम् पाययन्ति वर अन्गनाः || २-९१-५५
Translation : Seven to eight young women bathed every single man on the beautiful river-banks, after massaging their body with oil.
Women with charming eyes came running and shampooed their limbs. Lovely women likewise wiped off the moisture on their body with towels and gave them beverages to drink, mutually sharing them among each other.
आजैः च अपि च वाराहैर् निष्टान वर संचयैः |
फल निर्यूह संसिद्धैः सूपैर् गन्ध रस अन्वितैः || २-९१-६८
पुष्प ध्वजवतीः पूर्णाः शुक्लस्य अन्नस्य च अभितः |
ददृशुर् विस्मिताः तत्र नरा लौहीः सहस्रशः || २-९१-६९
Translation : Dishes of goat and boar with delicious sauces were there and condiments that were spicy, fragrant and succulent, cooked in fruit juices; vessels of rare metals filled with rice, decorated with flowers, were offered in thousands to those soldiers there. The soldiers saw them with wonder on all sides.
शुक्लान् अंशुमतः च अपि दन्त धावन संचयान् |
शुक्लामः चन्दन कल्कामः च समुद्गेषु अवतिष्ठतः || २-९१-७६
दर्पणान् परिमृष्टामः च वाससाम् च अपि संचयान् |
पादुक उपानहाम् चैव युग्मान् यत्र सहस्रशः ||२-९१-७७
आन्जनीः कन्कतान् कूर्चामः चत्राणि च धनूम्षि च |
मर्म त्राणानि चित्राणि शयनान्य् आसनानि च || २-९१-७८
प्रतिपान ह्रदान् पूर्णान् खर उष्ट्र गज वाजिनाम् |
अवगाह्य सुतीर्थामः च ह्रदान् स उत्पल पुष्करान् || २-९१-७९
नील वैदूर्य वर्णामः च मृदून् यवस संचयान् |
निर्वाप अर्थम् पशूनाम् ते ददृशुः तत्र सर्वशः || २-९१-८०
Translation : Soldiers saw there heaps of twings used for cleaning the teeth with white brushes at their tips, white sandal pastes stored in caskets, polished mirrors, piles of clothes, thousands of pairs of shoes and sandals, caskets containing collyrium for the eyes, combs, brushed, raiments bows, protectors of vitals, strange couches and seats, drinking ponds for donkeys camels elephants and horses, lakes with good stairs for descent having water-lilies and lotuses with sky-blue colour, with clear water offering a comfortable bath and soft grasses having a colour of Nipa tree (Kadamba or Nanclea cadamba) and of cat’s eye gems useful for feeding animals.