Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 14: The Aśvamedha Sacrifice
Text 1.14.59
ततोऽब्रवीदृश्यशृङ्गं राजा दशरथस्तदा।
कुलस्य वर्धनं त्वं तु कर्तुमर्हसि सुव्रत॥
tato ’bravīd ṛśyaśṛṅgaṁ rājā daśarathas tadā
kulasya vardhanaṁ tvaṁ tu kartum arhasi suvrata
tataḥ abravīt = told; ṛśyaśṛṅgam = Ṛśyaśṛṅga; rājā = king; daśarathaḥ = Daśaratha; tadā = then; kulasya vardhanam = that sacrifice by which I will have sons and my dynasty will thus expand; tvam tu kartum arhasi = please perform; suvrata = O one of auspicious vows.
Then King Daśaratha told Ṛśyaśṛṅga: O one of auspicious vows, please perform that sacrifice by which I will have sons and my dynasty will thus expand.
1 The Aśvamedha sacrifice is over after the dakṣiṇā is given.
Thus, the Aśvamedha sacrifice was concluded. It was capable of removing all sins that obstructed Daśaratha from having sons. It constituted indirect worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead through His parts and parcels—the demigods headed by Lord Brahmā. After this, remembering the sacrifice mentioned by Sumantra earlier that would bring about sons through direct worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the king beseeched Ṛśyaśṛṅga to perform it now, at the end.1