"One only way I find
To slay this fiend of evil mind.
He prayed me once his life to guard
From demon, god, and heavenly bard,
And spirits of the earth and air;
And I, consenting, heard his prayer.
But the proud giant, in his scorn,
Reeked not of man of woman born.
None else may take his life away,
But only man the fiend may slay." [*+]

Upon this Vishnu appears, is gladly welcomed by the assembled gods, and asks what request they have to make:

"King Dasaratha, thus cried they,
Fervent in penance many a day,
The sacrificial steed has slain,
Longing for sons, but all in vain.
Now, at the cry of us forlorn,
Incarnate as his seed be born.
Three queens has he; each lovely dame
Like Beauty, Modesty, or Fame.
Divide thyself in four, and be
His offspring by these noble three;
Man's nature take, and slay in fight
Ravan, who laughs at heavenly might:
This common scourge, this rankling thorn,
Whom the three worlds too long have borne." [*++]

Vishnu asks why it is necessary for him to effect their deliverance. Being told of Brahma's promise to Ravan, he at length consents to be born as man, in order to slay the giant and his family.

Not long after this, a messenger comes from Vishnu, laden with a golden vase of nectar, which, as he gives it to the king, instructs him to hand it to his queens, assuring them that

"They the princely sons shall bear,
Long sought by sacrifice and prayer." [**]

To Queen Kausalya the king gave half the nectar, who through it became the mother of Rama; the other half he gave to his other wives, who in consequence became mothers too--Kaikeya bore Bharat, and Sumitra gave birth to Lakshman and Satrughna.

Before leaving heaven, Vishnu besought the gods, for whose benefit he was about to undertake the work, to assist him, and they did so in various ways, chiefly by begetting powerful sons to enter his army.

"Each god, each sage became a sire,
Each minstrel of the heavenly quire,
Each faun, of children strong and good." [*+]

The names of some of the leaders who assisted Rama in answer to this prayer run as follows:--

"Bali, the woodland hosts who led,
High as Mahendra's lofty head,
Was Indra's child. That noblest fire,
The Sun, was great Sugriva's sire.
Tara, the mighty monkey, he
Was offspring of Vrihaspati:
Tara, the matchless chieftain, boast
For wisdom of the Vanar host.
Of Gandhamadan, brave and bold,
The father was the Lord of gold.
Nala the mighty, dear to fame,
Of skilful Visvakarma came.
From Agni, Nila bright as flame,