Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 3: Daśaratha Informs Rāma About his Decision
Text 2.3.38
स तं सस्मितमाभाष्य पुत्रं पुत्रवतां वरः।
उवाचेदं वचो राजा देवेन्द्रमिव कश्यपः॥
sa taṁ sasmitam ābhāṣya putraṁ putravatāṁ varaḥ
uvācedaṁ vaco rājā devendram iva kaśyapaḥ
saḥ = Daśaratha; tam = Rāma; sasmitam = smilingly; ābhāṣya = called for and; putram = his son; putravatām = of those who have sons; varaḥ = the best; uvāca = spoke; idam = the following; vacaḥ = words; rājā = King; deva-indram = [calling for] the king of the devas; iva = like; kaśyapaḥ = Kaśyapa.
Like Kaśyapa calling for the king of the devas, King Daśaratha, the best of those who have sons, smilingly called for his son Rāma and spoke the following.
Daśaratha called for Rāma by addressing Him by name. And, as indicated next, he pointed out that Rāma alone is fit to be coronated as the crown prince.