Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 14: The Aśvamedha Sacrifice
Text 1.14.37
धूमगन्धं वपायास्तु जिघ्रति स्म नराधिपः।
यथाकालं यथान्यायं निणुदन्पापमात्मनः॥
dhūma-gandhaṁ vapāyās tu jighrati sma narādhipaḥ
yathā-kālaṁ yathā-nyāyaṁ niṇudan pāpam ātmanaḥ
dhūma-gandham = the fragrance of smoke; vapāyāḥ tu = of the vapā; jighrati sma = smelt; nara-adhipaḥ = King Daśaratha; yathā-kālam = at the right time; yathā-nyāyam = and according to scripture; niṇudan = thus removing; pāpam = sinful reactions; ātmanaḥ = his.
King Daśaratha smelt the fragrance of smoke of the vapā at the right time and according to scripture, thus removing his sinful reactions.
This refers to the vapā-homa of the sacrifice. “At the right time” means “while the homa procedure was going on.”