King Daśaratha, yearning for sons, entered the inner chambers and approached his noble wife Kausalyā. With reverence, he said to her, “Receive this sacred pāyasa, for the sake of obtaining a son.” He then carefully divided the divine offering: half he gave to Kausalyā, and from that portion, he took another half and gave it to Sumitrā. Desiring sons, he bestowed the remaining half upon Kaikeyī, and once again, the last portion—sweet as nectar—he gave to Sumitrā. Thoughtfully, the wise king ensured that Sumitrā received an extra share, thus distributing the pāyasa separately among his wives. Having received the pāyasa in this manner, all the king’s noble wives felt deeply honored; their hearts overflowed with joy. Each partook of the excellent pāyasa separately, and soon, its power manifested: the king’s wives conceived, their brilliance radiant like fire and the sun. Witnessing this, King Daśaratha’s mind found peace, and he rejoiced as Indra does in heaven, honored by the hosts of gods, perfected beings, and sages. Now, listen to the seventeenth sarga of the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa. When Viṣṇu had entered the state of being a son to the great-souled king Daśaratha, the self-born Lord addressed all the gods. He said, “For the truthful and heroic king who seeks the welfare of all, create powerful helpers for Viṣṇu, able to assume any form. Let them be masters of illusion, valiant, swift as the wind, skilled in policy, endowed with intelligence, and equal to Viṣṇu in valor. Endowed with irresistible strength, unknown means of defeat, and divine forms, they shall possess all the qualities of celestial weapons, as if they had partaken of ambrosia.” Thus, among the foremost Apsarases, in the bodies of Gandharva women, the daughters of Yakshas and Nagas, among Riksha and Vidyadhari women, and in the bodies of Kinnari women as well as Vanara females, the gods were to create sons in the form of monkeys, equal in might. The Lord revealed, “Already before, I created Jambavan, the foremost of bears, who was suddenly born from my own yawn.” Having received the Lord’s command, the gods promised to obey and began to beget sons in the forms of monkeys. Great sages, Siddhas, Vidyadharas, Nagas, and Charanas also produced heroic sons—dwellers of the forest. Indra begot Vali, lord of the monkeys, equal to Mahendra himself; the Sun, best among the shining ones, begot Sugriva. Brihaspati begot Tara, the wisest and most excellent among the chief monkeys. Gandhamadana, illustrious son of Kubera, was born, and Vishvakarma begot Nala, the great monkey. Nila, son of Agni, shone with radiance like fire, surpassing all others in energy, fame, and valor. The Ashvins, renowned for beauty and wealth, begot Mainda and Dvivida, both esteemed for their appearance. Varuna begot Sushena, and Parjanya, mighty as thunder, begot Sharabha. Hanuman, the illustrious son of Vayu, was born with a body firm as a thunderbolt, and in speed he equaled Garuda. These heroes, of immeasurable strength and valor, able to assume forms at will, were as mighty as elephants and mountains, possessing great power and splendid bodies. Bears, monkeys, and those with cow-like tails were quickly born, each according to the form, appearance, and valor of their respective deity. Each one resembled his divine progenitor, and among the Golangulas, some were born with even greater prowess. Similarly, monkeys were born among the Riksha and Kinnari women; the gods, great sages, Gandharvas, Garuda, and renowned Yakshas, Nagas, Kimpurushas, Siddhas, Vidyadharas, and Uragas—all joyfully begot thousands of sons. Celestial singers produced heroic sons who roamed the forests—monkeys of immense size, all dwellers of the woods. From the foremost Apsarases, Vidyādharīs, Nāga maidens, and Gandharvīs, were born those endowed with the power to assume forms and strength at will, moving about as they pleased. All these beings were like lions and tigers in pride and strength, wielding rocks as weapons, and at home among trees and mountains. Their claws and fangs served as weapons; skilled in every art of battle, they could shake the king of mountains and shatter even the sturdiest trees. With their speed, they could agitate the ocean, rend the earth with their feet, and leap across vast seas. They could enter the sky, seize clouds, and capture wild, intoxicated elephants roaming the forest. Their roaring cries could bring down birds in flight; such were the forms of the monkeys born with the power to change shape at will. Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of mighty leaders of monkey troops were born, chiefs among the monkeys. They became the foremost of troop leaders and also produced heroic monkeys; others, in thousands, accompanied the bear-like ones on their journeys. Others took to various mountains and forests; they served Sugrīva, son of the Sun, and Vālin, son of Indra. All the monkey chiefs gathered around these two brothers, as well as Nala, Nīla, Hanumān, and other leaders of the monkey troops. Thus, the world was blessed with the birth of noble sons to King Daśaratha and with the emergence of countless heroic monkeys, destined to play their part in the divine unfolding of the Rāmāyaṇa.