“O tiger among men,” said the sage, “at your command, all the kings have assembled. I have honored each of them as is fitting, O best of kings.” Then, with utmost care, the sacrificial preparations were completed by attentive men. “Now, O King, you may proceed from your residence to the sacrificial ground to perform the rite,” the sage continued. Surrounded on all sides by offerings of every desirable thing, the king was invited to behold the sacrificial site—a place so wondrous it seemed shaped by the mind itself. Thus, following the counsel of both Vasiṣṭha and Ṛśyaśṛṅga, the lord of the earth, King Daśaratha, set out on an auspicious day, chosen under a favorable star. Accompanied by the foremost Brahmins, led by Vasiṣṭha and with Ṛśyaśṛṅga at their head, the king began the sacred rites. All assembled at the sacrificial enclosure, performing each act strictly according to scripture and proper rule. The illustrious king, together with his wives, undertook the vow of consecration, preparing themselves for the great sacrifice. When the year was complete and the consecrated horse had returned, the king’s sacrifice commenced on the northern bank of the Sarayū. Ṛśyaśṛṅga and the foremost Brahmins performed the great Aśvamedha sacrifice for the high-souled Daśaratha. The officiating priests, deeply learned in the Vedas, conducted every ritual with precision, following scripture and established custom. They performed the Pravargya and Upasada rites as prescribed, and the twice-born carried out all the additional rituals. After duly honoring the sages, all the eminent seers, filled with joy, performed the morning Soma-pressing rites. The Indra offering was given, and the sinless king was consecrated; then the midday Soma-pressing commenced in due order. The third Soma-pressing for this great-souled king was also performed by the foremost Brahmins, exactly as described in the scriptures. There, Ṛśyaśṛṅga and the others, masters of mantra and precise pronunciation, invited the best of the gods, beginning with Indra. With sweet and gentle chants, the Hotṛ priests invoked the deities and offered their shares of the sacred oblations. Not a single offering was omitted or mistaken; all was conducted flawlessly, as if Brahmā himself oversaw the rites, and all present felt secure and at peace. During those days, no one was seen weary or hungry. Every Brahmin was learned; all attendants were proper, and none was ignorant. The Brahmins ate, their patrons ate, the ascetics and mendicants ate; the elderly, the sick, women, and children all partook as well. Yet, though they ate constantly, none felt sated or overfilled. Each day, heaps of food as vast as mountains appeared, all freshly and properly prepared. Men and groups of women from distant regions who had come for the sacrifice were abundantly provided with food and drink. The foremost of the twice-born praised the meals, declaring them well-cooked and delicious. Rāghava heard their words of satisfaction and blessing. Well-adorned men served the Brahmins, while others, adorned with polished jeweled earrings, attended to them with care. During intervals between rituals, the wise and eloquent Brahmins engaged in learned debates, each seeking to surpass the others in reasoning and knowledge. Day after day, the skilled twice-born, prompted as prescribed, performed all the rites at the sacrificial ground according to scripture. Among the king’s officiants, none was ignorant of the six Vedāṅgas, none undisciplined, none unlearned, and no Brahmin was unskilled in debate. When the time came to raise the sacrificial posts, six were made of Bilva wood, six of Khadira, and others of Bilva and leafy branches, as prescribed. One post was made of śleṣmātaka wood, another of devadāru wood, both with arms outstretched for grasping, and only these two were established there. All the posts were constructed by those skilled in scripture and sacrificial rites, and for the sake of the sacrifice’s splendor, they were adorned with gold. In total, there were twenty-one sacrificial posts, each set with twenty-one jewels and decorated with twenty-one garments. Firmly and skillfully made by craftsmen, they were set in their proper places, eight-sided and smooth in form. Draped in garments, worshipped with flowers and fragrances, they shone like the radiant Seven Sages in the sky. Bricks were made according to proper measure, and the altar fire was laid by Brahmins skilled in the art of constructing altars. The altar for King Daśaratha was constructed by learned Brahmins in the form of Garuḍa, with golden wings, triple-layered, and composed of eighteen parts. There, animals were assigned for each deity as prescribed; serpents and birds were also designated according to scripture. The sages assigned a horse and aquatic creatures as well, all in accordance with the sacred texts. Three hundred animals were fixed at the sacrificial posts, and the best jewel among horses was set apart for King Daśaratha. At the proper moment, Queen Kausalyā attended to the horse with great care, and with joy, she released it with three knives as prescribed. With steady mind and together with the bird, Kausalyā, desiring righteousness, spent the entire night there, fulfilling the sacred vow as ordained.