Canto 1: Bāla-kāṇḍa (Boyhood)Chapter 8: Daśaratha Decides to Perform the Aśvamedha SacrificeText 1.8.9
Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 8: Daśaratha Decides to Perform the Aśvamedha Sacrifice
Text 1.8.9
तदहं यष्टुमिच्छामि शास्त्रदृष्टेन कर्मणा।
कथं प्राप्स्याम्यहं कामं बुद्धिरत्र विचार्यताम्॥
tad ahaṁ yaṣṭum icchāmi śāstra-dṛṣṭena karmaṇā
kathaṁ prāpsyāmy ahaṁ kāmaṁ buddhir atra vicāryatām
tat = because of my desire for a son; aham = I; yaṣṭum = to be initiated; icchāmi = desire; śāstra-dṛṣṭena = into the scriptural; karmaṇā = procedures; katham = how; prāpsyāmi aham kāmam = can successfully conduct this sacrifice; buddhiḥ atra vicāryatām = please deliberate on.
Because of my desire for a son, I desire to be initiated into the scriptural procedures. Please deliberate on how I can successfully conduct this sacrifice.
Since there are several obstacles to properly performing such a sacrifice, he asked them this.