The gods, troubled and fearful, gathered before the great Lord Brahmā. With reverence, they spoke: “O Lord, by your grace, a Rākṣasa named Rāvaṇa has gained immense strength and now oppresses us all. We are powerless to restrain him. Out of affection, you once granted him a boon, and we always honor him because of it—enduring all his transgressions. But this wicked-minded one now agitates the three worlds, despises their order, and even dares to threaten Indra, king of the gods. Emboldened by your boon, he commits offenses against sages, Yakṣas, Gandharvas, Brāhmaṇas, and Asuras, growing ever more arrogant. The sun does not burn him, the wind does not dare blow near him, and even the ocean, upon seeing him, stills its waves.” “Because of this terrifying Rākṣasa, O Lord, great fear has fallen upon us. We beg you to devise a means for his destruction.” Hearing their plea, Brahmā pondered deeply. At length, he replied, “The means for the destruction of that evil one is now clear. When Rāvaṇa sought his boon, he declared himself invulnerable to Gandharvas, Yakṣas, gods, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas, and I affirmed it. But out of disdain, he did not mention humans. Therefore, he is vulnerable to death at the hands of a human—by no other means can he be slain.” At that very moment, the glorious Viṣṇu appeared before them, resplendent in yellow garments, bearing his conch, discus, and mace, and shining with the radiance of the sun atop Garuḍa. He was adorned with blazing golden armlets and praised by the best of the gods. Brahmā himself arrived and stood with focused mind, as all the gods bowed and extolled Viṣṇu with reverence. “O Viṣṇu,” they implored, “for the welfare of the worlds, we appoint you as our champion. You must become the son of King Daśaratha, lord of Ayodhyā—a righteous and generous king, equal in brilliance to the great sages. Among his three wives, who are as Modesty, Fortune, and Fame personified, be born as his son, dividing yourself into four forms. In human birth, you alone can destroy Rāvaṇa, the scourge of the worlds, who cannot be killed by gods. He torments the gods, Gandharvas, Siddhas, and the best of sages; he oppresses the Gandharvas, Apsaras, and even strikes down those playing innocently in the Nandana grove. For his destruction, we have all come here together with the sages.” “Therefore, the Siddhas, Gandharvas, and Yakṣas have sought refuge in you. You are the supreme refuge for us all, O subduer of foes. Turn your mind, O god, to the destruction of the enemies of the gods and of men in this world.” Thus praised and entreated by all the worlds, with Brahmā at their head, Viṣṇu spoke to the assembled gods: “Abandon fear and let good be yours. For your welfare, I will slay Rāvaṇa in battle—along with his sons, grandsons, ministers, counselors, kin, and allies. Having destroyed this cruel terror of gods and sages, I shall dwell among humans on earth for ten thousand and one thousand years, protecting the world during that time.” With these words, the self-possessed Viṣṇu granted a boon to the gods. Then, contemplating his place of birth among humans, the lotus-eyed Lord divided himself into four forms. At that moment, he chose King Daśaratha as his father. The gods, sages, Gandharvas, Rudras, and hosts of Apsaras praised Madhusūdana with hymns of divine form, petitioning him to remove the terror of the arrogant and roaring Rāvaṇa, who was a thorn to ascetics and a hater of the lords of the gods. They prayed, “Having slain that fierce Rāvaṇa and his forces, come to the heavenly world, freed from all distress, guarded by Indra, and cleansed of all fault and sin.” Meanwhile, King Daśaratha, childless and desiring an heir, performed a great sacrifice for offspring. As the rite reached its climax, from the sacrificial fire appeared a wondrous being of incomparable brilliance, immense strength, and valor, holding a divine vessel filled with celestial porridge. He held it close, as tenderly as a beloved wife, grasping it with his broad arms as if it were a creation of illusion. Before this, Nārāyaṇa Viṣṇu, appointed by the foremost of the gods, though already knowing all, had spoken gentle words to the gods: “O gods, what is the means for the destruction of that lord of the Rākṣasas? By what means might I slay the tormentor of sages?” The gods replied, “Assume a human form and slay Rāvaṇa in battle. He performed intense austerities for a long time, pleasing Brahmā, the ancient creator. Satisfied, the Lord granted him a boon: that he would have no fear from any being of various kinds, except from humans. In his arrogance, he disregarded humans, and so his death is destined to come from them.” Hearing this, Viṣṇu, self-possessed, chose King Daśaratha as his father. The king, desiring a son, performed the sacrifice for offspring, and as all the gods and great sages honored Viṣṇu, he vanished from sight. From the sacrificial fire of the king, the great being appeared, signifying that the divine plan was set in motion. Thus, at the plea of the gods and through the will of Brahmā and Viṣṇu, the path was prepared for the divine to be born among men, to end the tyranny of Rāvaṇa and restore peace to the worlds.