In spring, Daśaratha conducted the Sāṅgrahaṇī Iṣṭi on Caitra Pūrṇimā. On the second day, he performed the Brahmaudana ceremony wherein he distributed boiled rice to the chief priest of the sacrifice, tied up the sacrificial horse, had it bathed, sprinkled with sanctified water and released in accordance with the scriptural injunctions. Then, he had the Sāvitra and other homa sacrifices conducted every day in accordance with the scriptural rules [1]. When one year was over, he left for the sacrificial arena. The sage Vālmīki describes this in Chapter 13.

“It was one full year,” that is, it was the dark moon night (Amāvāsyā). To generate sons during the upcoming Pūrṇimā, King Daśaratha went to the sacrificial arena on the northern bank of the Sarayū in order to perform the Aśvamedha sacrifice. It is enjoined that on the Amāvāsyā at the end of the first year, one should perform sacrificial rites such as constructing the fire altar and being initiated into the Traidhātavīya ritual in the sacrificial arena only [2].