At the appointed time, King Daśaratha, following all the proper rites, inhaled the sacred smoke from the horse sacrifice, its aroma infused with the essence of the fat, thereby purifying himself from sin. The sixteen officiating priests, well-versed in the rituals, then carefully consigned all the limbs of the sacrificial horse into the fire, each act performed exactly as the scriptures prescribe. Unlike other sacrifices, where offerings are placed on branches of the plakṣa tree, the great Aśvamedha requires that the oblations be made in vessels woven from reeds. This grand rite, as taught by the Brahmins in the Kalpasūtras, is to be conducted over three days. The first day is arranged according to the Catuṣṭoma ritual, followed by the Ukthya on the second day, then the detailed Atirātra and many subsequent ceremonies, all performed in strict accordance with the sacred texts. Among the many rites completed were the Jyotiṣṭoma, Āyuṣī, Atirātra, Abhijit, Viśvajit, Āptoryāma, and the great sacrifice itself. At the culmination of these ceremonies, the noble king, Daśaratha, ever intent on enhancing his lineage, made generous gifts to the officiating priests: he granted the eastern direction to the Hotṛ, the western to the Adhvaryu, the southern to the Brahman, and the northern to the Udgātṛ. These donations, established long ago by Svayambhū, were the traditional offerings at the horse sacrifice. Having completed the sacrifice in perfect order, Daśaratha, foremost among men and scion of the Ikṣvāku line, bestowed the land upon the officiating priests. Joy filled his heart as he gave, but the priests, now purified and pleased, addressed their king: “O protector of the earth, only you are fit to govern this land. We have no need for it, nor are we suited to rule. Our devotion lies in the study and recitation of the Vedas. Please, instead, grant us some other form of compensation.” They requested, “Give us a jewel, a precious gem, gold, or cows—whatever you deem appropriate, O best of men, but not the land.” Hearing the request of these Vedic scholars, the king responded with great generosity. He gave them one million cows, ten crores of gold, and four times that amount in silver. The priests, delighted, divided the wealth among themselves, and the most eminent among them, Ṛṣyaśṛṅga and Vasiṣṭha, received their proper share. All the priests rejoiced, their hearts filled with contentment. To those who had assisted in the ceremonies, Daśaratha gave gold with special care. He distributed gold from the famed Jāmbūnada in the count of crores to the Brahmins and presented the finest hand ornaments to a poor Brahmin who had made a request. In this way, the descendant of Raghu gave generously to all who asked, ensuring that every Brahmin was satisfied. With his senses overwhelmed by joy, Daśaratha bowed reverently to the assembled Brahmins, who in turn showered him with blessings. Having relinquished the earth through his gifts, the generous and heroic king attained the supreme merit that comes from such a difficult, sin-destroying, and heaven-leading rite—one rarely accomplished by kings. Then, King Daśaratha, his mind delighted and his sins washed away, turned to the sage Ṛṣyaśṛṅga. He addressed him, “O noble one, you must now perform that which will ensure the growth of my lineage.” Ṛṣyaśṛṅga, the foremost among the twice-born, replied with words that filled the king’s heart with hope: “O King, you will be blessed with four sons who will bring glory to your family.” Hearing these sweet and auspicious words, the great-souled Daśaratha bowed deeply to the sage, his joy overflowing, and again addressed Ṛṣyaśṛṅga with reverence. At this point, we enter the fifteenth chapter of the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa. After a moment of thoughtful silence, Ṛṣyaśṛṅga, regaining his composure, spoke to the king, who was himself learned in the Vedas: “I will perform for you a sacrificial rite for the sake of sons, using the mantras prescribed in the Atharvaśirsa, and I will conduct it with all the proper procedures.” Thus, the radiant sage began the putrakāmeṣṭi sacrifice, offering oblations into the sacred fire with the prescribed mantras, all for the purpose of granting Daśaratha sons. As the ritual progressed, the gods, Gandharvas, Siddhas, and eminent sages assembled in accordance with the sacred rites, each awaiting their share of the offerings. Gathered together, the deities addressed Brahmā, the creator of the worlds: “O Lord, by your grace, the Rākṣasa Rāvaṇa now oppresses us all with his great strength. We are powerless before him. Out of affection, you granted him a boon, and thus we honor him, enduring all that he inflicts upon us. This wicked-minded one agitates the three worlds, scorns them, and even seeks to violate Indra, king of the gods. Emboldened by your boon, he transgresses against sages, Yakṣas, Gandharvas, Brāhmaṇas, and Asuras alike. The sun does not burn him, nor does the wind approach him; even the ocean stills its waves in his presence. Therefore, O Lord, we are filled with fear of this terrible Rākṣasa. You must devise a means for his destruction.” Hearing the plea of the gods, Brahmā pondered the matter and replied, “I know now the means of his destruction. When Rāvaṇa asked for his boon, he declared himself invulnerable to Gandharvas, Yakṣas, gods, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas, and I granted it. But out of disdain, he did not mention humans. Therefore, he is vulnerable to death at the hands of a human, and by no other means can he be slain.” At that very moment, Viṣṇu Himself appeared before the assembly, radiant with splendor, holding conch, discus, and mace, clad in yellow garments—He who is the Lord of the universe.