In the sacred dawn, after honoring all the eminent sages, the atmosphere was filled with joy as they began the morning Soma-pressing rites, performing each step exactly as prescribed in the scriptures. The offering to Indra was made with due reverence, and the sinless King Daśaratha was consecrated. As the rituals unfolded, the midday Soma-pressing commenced in its proper order, followed by the third pressing, each carried out for the great-souled king by the foremost Brahmins, just as the sacred texts instruct. R̥śyaśr̥ṅga and the other learned priests, masters of mantras and their precise pronunciation, invoked the best of the gods, beginning with Indra. With sweet, gentle chants, the Hotṛ priests called the gods and offered their shares of oblations to the dwellers of heaven. Not a single offering was omitted or misplaced; every detail was flawlessly executed, as if Brahmā himself presided, ensuring complete security and order. During these auspicious days, none was seen weary or hungry. No Brahmin was ignorant, and every attendant was proper and attentive. The Brahmins ate, those with patrons ate, ascetics ate, and mendicants ate as well. The elderly, the sick, women, and children all partook of the food. Despite constant eating, no one felt full—such was the abundance and grace of the occasion. Each day, heaps of food as vast as mountains appeared, all properly prepared for the time. Men and groups of women who had come from distant regions were well provided with food and drink at this great sacrifice. The foremost of the twice-born praised the food, declaring it delicious and well-prepared. Rāghava heard their joyful exclamations: "Ah, we are satisfied—may you be blessed!" Well-adorned men served the Brahmins, while others, with polished jeweled earrings, attended upon them. Between rituals, the wise and eloquent Brahmins engaged in lively debates on reasoning, each striving to surpass the other. Day after day, the skilled twice-born performed all the rites at the sacrificial ground, always in accordance with the scriptures. Among the king’s officiants, none was ignorant of the six Vedāṅgas, none undisciplined or unlearned, and every Brahmin was skilled in debate. When the sacrificial posts were raised, six were made of Bilva wood, and likewise of Khadira; the same number were made with Bilva wood and others with leafy branches. One was crafted from śleṣmātaka wood, another from devadāru, both established with arms outstretched for grasping. All these posts were constructed by those skilled in scripture and sacrificial rites, adorned with gold to enhance the sacrifice’s splendor. 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 placed according to rule, eight-sided and smooth in form. Covered with garments, worshipped with flowers and fragrances, they shone like the radiant Seven Sages in the sky. Bricks were made according to precise measure and rule, and the altar fire was laid by Brahmins skilled in the art of constructing altars. The altar for the lion among kings was built by learned Brahmins in the form of Garuḍa, with golden wings, triple-layered, and composed of eighteen parts. Animals were assigned for each deity as prescribed; serpents and birds were designated according to the scriptures. A horse and aquatic creatures were also assigned by the sages, all in accordance with the sacred texts. Three hundred animals were fixed at the sacrificial posts, and the finest jewel among horses was set aside for King Daśaratha. Kausalyā attended to the horse in every way, and with great joy, released it with three knives. With a steady mind and desiring righteousness, she spent a whole night there together with the bird. The Hotṛ, Adhvaryu, and Udgātṛ joined the queen’s wives by hand and led another around as well. The officiating priest, self-controlled and accomplished, took the fat of the bird and poured it into the fire according to the scriptures. The king inhaled the smoke-scent of the fat at the proper time and in the proper way, dispelling sin from himself. All the priests, sixteen in number, cast the limbs of the horse into the fire according to rule. For other sacrifices, oblations are made on branches of the plakṣa tree, but for the Aśvamedha, a vessel of reeds is prescribed. The Aśvamedha lasts three days, as declared by the Brahmins in the Kalpasūtra: the first day arranged as the Catuṣṭoma rite, the second as Ukthya, with the enumerated Atirātra and subsequent rites, all performed as prescribed by scripture. Jyotiṣṭoma, Āyuṣī, and Atirātra were conducted, as well as Abhijit, Viśvajit, Āptoryāma, and the great sacrifice. King Daśaratha, enhancer of his lineage, gave the eastern direction to the Hotṛ, the western to the Adhvaryu, and the southern to the Brahman. To the Udgātṛ, he gave the northern direction. This prescribed donation at the great horse sacrifice was established long ago by Svayambhū. Having properly completed the sacrifice, the foremost among men, King Daśaratha, the enhancer of his lineage, gave that land to the officiating priests, fulfilling the rites in every way and ensuring the blessings of the gods upon his kingdom.