Having performed the great horse sacrifice, King Daśaratha, the illustrious descendant of Ikṣvāku, was filled with joy. Freed from sin by the sacred rite, he stood radiant as all the priests gathered around him and addressed him with reverence. “O King,” they said, “you alone are worthy to protect the entire earth. We have no use for the land, nor are we capable of its governance. Our lives are devoted to the practice of self-study and the recitation of sacred knowledge. Therefore, grant us some other suitable reward.” They continued, “Bestow upon us a jewel, a precious gem, gold, or cows—whatever you have at hand, O best of men. The land is not our desire.” Hearing the words of these Brahmins, masters of the Vedas, King Daśaratha responded with generosity befitting his noble line. He gifted them a hundred thousand cows, ten crores of gold, and four times that amount in silver. The priests, delighted, divided this wealth among themselves. To the sage Ṛṣyaśṛṅga and the wise Vasiṣṭha, the foremost among Brahmins, the gifts were apportioned with care and propriety. All present were gladdened in their hearts, and the king further honored those who had assisted in the sacrifice, giving them gold with great thoughtfulness. He bestowed gold from Jāmbūnada in the count of crores to the Brahmins, and to a poor Brahmin, he gave the finest ornaments for the hand. To each who asked, the descendant of Raghu gave freely, and when the Brahmins were fully satisfied, he, who cherished them, acted according to their wishes. With his senses overwhelmed with joy, King Daśaratha bowed humbly before the assembled Brahmins. In return, the Brahmins pronounced various blessings upon him, their voices filled with goodwill. Thus did the generous and heroic king, who had renounced the earth in the spirit of sacrifice, attain the supreme reward of that sin-removing, heaven-leading, and difficult-to-accomplish rite—a ritual renowned among kings. It was then that King Daśaratha, his heart delighted, addressed the sage Ṛṣyaśṛṅga. “O noble one of pure vows, perform that which will increase my lineage.” The sage, foremost among the twice-born, replied, “O King, you shall have four sons who will bring glory to your family.” Hearing these sweet and auspicious words, the great-souled king bowed reverently to the sage, his heart overflowing with supreme joy, and once more addressed Ṛṣyaśṛṅga. Now, listen to the next part of this sacred tale as recounted in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa. Ṛṣyaśṛṅga, the wise one, after a moment’s contemplation, regained his composure and spoke to the king, who was learned in the Vedas. “I shall perform for you a sacrificial rite for the sake of sons, using mantras prescribed in the Atharvaśirsa, and conducted according to proper procedure.” Thus resolved, the radiant sage began the sacrifice for the purpose of begetting sons, offering oblations into the sacred fire as prescribed by the mantras. As the ritual commenced, the gods, Gandharvas, Siddhas, and eminent sages assembled according to custom to receive their shares of the sacrifice. Gathered together as prescribed, the deities spoke to Brahmā, the creator of the worlds, voicing their deep concern: “O Lord, by your grace, a Rākṣasa named Rāvaṇa oppresses us all with his strength. We are unable to restrain him. You granted him a boon out of affection, and, honoring your word, we endure all manner of suffering at his hands.” They continued, “This wicked-minded one agitates the three worlds, despises them, and even seeks to violate Indra, king of the gods. Emboldened by your boon, he transgresses against sages, Yakṣas, Gandharvas, Brāhmaṇas, and Asuras. The sun does not burn him, nor does the wind dare to blow near him; even the ocean, upon seeing him, does not stir its waves. Therefore, O Lord, we are filled with fear of this terrifying Rākṣasa. You must devise a means for his destruction.” Hearing the plea of all the gods, Brahmā pondered the situation and revealed the means for Rāvaṇa’s destruction. “He declared, ‘I am invulnerable to Gandharvas, Yakṣas, gods, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas,’ and I affirmed it accordingly. 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.” Meanwhile, Viṣṇu, the lord of the universe, resplendent and radiant, arrived. He held the conch, discus, and mace, and was clad in yellow garments. Mounted upon Garuda, shining like the sun upon a raincloud, adorned with blazing golden armlets, he was praised by the best of the gods. Brahmā himself stood there, his mind focused, and all the gods, bowing and extolling Viṣṇu, addressed him, saying, “O Viṣṇu, desiring the welfare of the worlds, we beseech you: you must become the son of King Daśaratha, the lord of Ayodhya. He is righteous, generous, and equal in brilliance to the great sages. Among his three wives, who are like Modesty, Fortune, and Fame, you must become his son, dividing yourself into four forms. Taking human birth, you must destroy the great scourge of the worlds.” “O Viṣṇu,” they implored, “slay Rāvaṇa in battle, for he cannot be killed by the gods. He torments the gods, Gandharvas, Siddhas, and the best of sages. That foolish Rākṣasa Rāvaṇa, intoxicated by his power, oppresses the sages, Gandharvas, and Apsaras. While playing in the Nandana grove, they were struck down by his cruelty. For the purpose of his destruction, we have come together with the sages. Therefore, the Siddhas, Gandharvas, and Yakṣas have sought refuge in you, O Viṣṇu. You are the supreme refuge for all of us, O subduer of foes.” Thus, the stage was set for the descent of the Lord as the sons of Daśaratha, and the hope of the worlds was kindled anew.