मञ्जुरामायणम् - 2

ज्यां मातरं प्राप्य निजप्रियायाः रामः प्रणामं जनकाय चक्रे।
जामातरं प्राह मुनिस्तमस्मै ' ज्यामातरं प्राप्य कथं ह्ययं स्यात् ' ?।।

jyāṁ mātaram prāpya nijapriyāyāḥ rāmaḥ praṇāmaṁ janakāya cakre
jāmātaraṁ prāha munistamasmai "jyāmātaram prāpya katham hyayam syāt ?"

प्राप्य = after reaching
मातरं ज्यां = motherland
निजप्रियायाः = of his spouse,
रामः = Srirama
प्रणामं चक्रे = bowed
जनकाय = to Janaka
मुनिः = Sage (Visvamitra)
प्राह = told/introduced
अस्मै = to him(Janaka)
तम् = him (Rama)
जामातरं = (as) son in law
स्यात् = become
प्राप्य = after having
ज्यां= bow string
आतरं = as a fare/fee
कथं = how
अयं = this(rama)
(जामातरं) स्यात् = can become (my son-in-law)?

The context here is - Visvamitra brings Rama and Lakshmana to Mithila and introduces Rama to King Janaka as his son-in-law-to-be. Rama bows to King Janaka.

ज्यां मातरं प्राप्यनिजप्रियायाः रामः प्रणामं जनकाय चक्रे।
He does the साष्टाङ्गनमस्कार of falling down before the king on the ground, thus doing namaskAra for both Sita's father (Janaka) and her mother (bhUma devI).

When Sage Visvamitra introduces Rama to the King, he wonders how Rama could become his son-in-law (जामाता). This thought arises because he King Janaka had announced that to win Sita, one should be strong enough to string Lord Siva's bow. ज्या is the string that is tied on the bow. ज्या is the आतर or fee to win the hand of Sita.
Note:
1. The words जामातरम्, ज्यां मातरम् and ज्यामातरम् have been used with different meanings.
2. आतर according to Monier Williams is "fare for being ferried over a river". Thus the meaning has been extended to mean "fee/fare".

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