In plain words
So saying, the elder brother takes his little brother along and sets out to watch this play of the decorated bulls. The bull-man names the cow Sītā and the bull Rāma, trains them in a fitting way and brings them along. ‘Mother! Do you like Rāma?’ he asks the cow. As he has trained her, the cow says she does not like him. Next he asks the bull: “O Rāma! Do you like this Sītā?” At first both say no; but after that they agree. Then he marries Sītā to Rāma. In this way the festival brings great joy even to cattle, birds and beasts. There is no region where this festival is not kept. In every region, people of every religion celebrate it. The names, though, may differ. Not only that: Sankrānti matters very much to the farmers. By the time this festival comes, the farmers’ homes are bright with the wealth of grain. When the farmers bring the grain home, the sparrows and the doves enjoy themselves, eating the grains. The villagers praise the farmers for working hard and raising a good crop. Sankrānti is the festival that gives joy to everyone, from the farmer to the king. The women too give Sankrānti a special place and celebrate it in style. At this festival it is the custom for a new son-in-law to go to his in-laws’ house.
“Go to your in-laws’ house, O new bridegroom! There you will have more comfort: your sweet young sister-in-law will chat with you, your elder sister-in-law will tease you again and again, the whole village will honour you greatly, your father-in-law too will lay cloths beneath your feet; go, my dear, to your in-laws’ house and come back.”