Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 16: Daśaratha Benedicted
Text 1.16.4

स हि तेपे तपस्तीव्रं दीर्घकालमरिन्दम।
येन तुष्टोऽभवद्ब्रह्मा लोककृत्लोकपुर्वजः॥

sa hi tepe tapas tīvraṁ dīrgha-kālam arindama
yena
tuṣṭo ’bhavad brahmā lokakṛt loka-purvajaḥ

saḥ = Rāvaṇa; hi = indeed; tepe = has performed; tapaḥ = austerities; tīvram = terrible; dīrgha-kālam = for a long period of time; arindama = O killer of the enemies; yena = with Rāvaṇa’s austerities; tuṣṭaḥ = satisfied; abhavat = was; brahmā = Brahmā; lokakṛt = and hence the creator of the worlds; loka-purvajaḥ = who was born prior to the devas and other persons.

O killer of the enemies, Rāvaṇa has indeed performed terrible austerities for a long period of time. Brahmā who was born prior to the devas and other persons, and hence the creator of the worlds, was satisfied with Rāvaṇa’s austerities.

Why should the Lord accept a humanlike body? This verse answers that.