Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 16: Daśaratha Benedicted
Text 1.16.8
इत्येतद्वचनं श्रुत्वा सुराणां विष्णुरात्मवान्।
पितरं रोचयामास तदा दशरथं नृपम्॥
ity etad vacanaṁ śrutvā surāṇāṁ viṣṇur ātmavān
pitaraṁ rocayām āsa tadā daśarathaṁ nṛpam
iti etat = these; vacanam = words; śrutvā = hearing; surāṇām = of the demigods; viṣṇuḥ = Lord Viṣṇu; ātmavān = the proprietor and master of all souls; pitaram = His father; rocayām āsa = chose as [in order to incarnate in a human form]; tadā = then; daśaratham = Daśaratha; nṛpam = King.
Hearing these words of the demigods, Lord Viṣṇu, the proprietor and master of all souls, then chose King Daśaratha as His father in order to incarnate in a human form.