Vishwamitra Wants To Take Young Sriram Ji With Him

The 19th Sarga of the Balakanda of Valmiki Ramayana is about why Vishwamitra came to Ayodhya during the young days of Sri Ramji.
He had come with a purpose.
It was an emergency.
He was in the middle of conducting a yaga.
He had left it in between and come to the court of Dasharatha.
Only 10 days were left till the completion of the yaga.
But two Rakshasas, Maaricha and Subahu were throwing blood and flesh onto the yaga vedi and polluiting it.
They wanted to destroy the yaga.
Why?
That is in the very nature of Rakshasas.
Not necessarily with a pupose.
They come to know that a yaga is taking place, they will go and destroy it.
They see someone doing tapas, they will try to kill him.
They even call it their duty.
That's what they are born for.

Now a question comes up; Vshwamitra is such a powerful Rishi, why can't he turn them to into ashes just with a curse?
Vishwamitra himself gives the reason -
न च मे क्रोध्मुत्स्रष्टुं बुद्धिर्भवति पार्थिव ।
तथाभूता हि सा चर्या न शापस्तत्र मुच्यते ॥
The rules of the yaga are such that I am neither supposed to get angry nor curse someone.
That's why he has come to Ayodhya.
He wants young Sri Ramji to accompany him back to the venue of the yaga and destroy those Rakshasas.
But how can a young boy destroy such monsters?
Because he will be under my protection, says Vishwamitra.
And I will give him the necessary power.
शक्तो ह्येष मया गुप्तो दिव्येन स्वेन तेजसा ।

'He will be under my protection, I will give him the necessary power.'
He is asking only for the eldest sons.
काकपक्षधरं शूरं ज्येष्ठं मे दातुमर्हसि -
Kakapaksha means the kind of shikha that young boys keep.
Vishwamitra knows that Sri Ramji is still a young boy.
I am going to make him famous on three counts -
1. As the protector of Vishwamitra's yaga.
2. As the one who relieved Ahalya fro her curse.
3. As the one who broke Shiva's bow.
He will be famous in all the 3 worlds.
Those Rakshasas have become so arrogant.
None other than Rama can kill him.
Don't worry, those two Rakshasas are already caught in the noose of Yamaraja.
They can't stand before Rama.
They are as good as they are already dead.

Now don't get carried away by your fatherly affection for him.
Vishwamitra says -
Not just for the above reasons.
अहं वेद्मि महात्मानं रामं सत्यपराक्रमं
I know Rama to be of endless greatness -
Same is there in Purusha Suktam also -
वेदहमेतं पुरुषं महान्तं
I know that Purusha to be of immense greatness.
अहं वेद्मि महात्मानं रामं - वेदहमेतं पुरुषं महान्तं
Vishwamitra is indicating that Rama is none other than the great Parama Purusha.
सत्यपराक्रमं - I know his never-changing valor.
Because he is Lord Vishnu himself.
The peak of valor, parakra.
The epitome of valor, parakrama.
Satyam means it never changes, it is eternal.
Not just me, Vasishta also knows this.
So take permission from Vasishta and with the consent of your ministers, send Rama with me for 10 days.
This act of yours will confer greatness even upon you, as his father.
When he heard this, Dasharatha fainted and fell down from his seat.