Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 13: Daśaratha Goes to the Sacrificial Arena
Text 1.13.40
तथा वसिष्ठवचनादृश्यशृङ्गस्य चोभयोः।
शुभे दिवसनक्षत्रे निर्यातो जगतीपतिः॥
tathā vasiṣṭha-vacanād ṛśyaśṛṅgasya cobhayoḥ
śubhe divasa-nakṣatre niryāto jagatī-patiḥ
tathā = and; vasiṣṭha-vacanāt = by the request of Vasiṣṭha; ṛśyaśṛṅgasya ca = Ṛśyaśṛṅga; ubhayoḥ = and; śubhe = on an auspicious; divasa-nakṣatre = day and under the influence of an auspicious nakṣatra; niryātaḥ = departed; jagatī-patiḥ = the emperor.
And by the request of Vasiṣṭha and Ṛśyaśṛṅga, the emperor departed on an auspicious day and under the influence of an auspicious nakṣatra.
[4] śaṅkha-dundubhi-mṛdaṅga-vādanair maṅgalaiḥ paṭaha-kāhalādibhiḥ / svasti-vāda-mukharair makha-kṣitiṁ brāhmaṇaiś ca saha samprapadyate.
King Daśaratha was requested by both Vasiṣṭha and Ṛśyaśṛṅga. Ṛśyaśṛṅga’s request was required, for he had already been ceremonially accepted as the Brahmā priest for the sacrifice. Mondays and Wednesdays are auspicious days, while Rohiṇī is an auspicious nakṣatra. The king left his home and went to the sacrificial arena accompanied by the brāhmaṇas and the auspicious sounds of conches, drums and auspicious recitations [4].