Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 22: The Departure of Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa with Viśvāmitra
Text 1.22.2-3

कृतस्वस्त्ययनं मात्रा पित्रा दशरथेन च।
पुरोधसा वसिष्ठेन मङ्गलैरभिमन्त्रितम्॥

स पुत्रं मूर्ध्न्युपाघ्राय राजा दशरथः प्रियम्।
ददौ कुशिकपुत्राय सुप्रीतेनान्तरात्मना॥

kṛta-svasty-ayanaṁ mātrā pitrā daśarathena ca
purodhasā
vasiṣṭhena maṅgalair abhimantritam

sa putraṁ mūrdhny.upāghrāya rājā daśarathaḥ priyam
dadau
kuśika-putrāya suprītenāntarātmanā

kṛta-svasti-ayanam = conducted a ceremony invoking auspiciousness; mātrā = Rāma’s mother Kausalyā; pitrā = father; daśarathena = Daśaratha; ca = and; purodhasā = and the priest; vasiṣṭhena = Vasiṣṭha; maṅgalaiḥ = auspicious Vedic mantras; abhimantritam = recited; saḥ = then; putram = son’s; mūrdhni = head; upāghrāya = smelt and; rājā = King; daśarathaḥ = Daśaratha; priyam = his beloved; dadau = gave Him; kuśika-putrāya = to Viśvāmitra, the son of Kuśika; suprītena antaḥ-ātmanā = with great inner happiness.

Rāma’s mother Kausalyā and father Daśaratha conducted a ceremony invoking auspiciousness and the priest Vasiṣṭha recited auspicious Vedic mantras. Then King Daśaratha smelt his beloved son’s head and with great inner happiness gave Him to Viśvāmitra, the son of Kuśika.

The auspicious Vedic mantras recited by Vasiṣṭha are those that begin svasti no mimītām (Ṛg Veda 5.51).