अन्वयः

तत: then, सुरसत्तमै: by best of devatas, नियुक्त: having been employed, नारायण:देव: lord Narayana, जानन्नपि although cognizant of, सुरान् addressing devatas, एवम् in this manner, श्लक्ष्णम् softly, वचनम् words, अब्रवीत् spoke.

M N Dutt

Thus besought by the foremost of the celestials, that searcher of hearts, Visnu, although cognizant of the means whereby Rāvana was to be destroyed, asked the gods these amiable words,-What, you gods, is the means of compassing which I could slay that thorn of the ascetics? Nara means a multitude, and Ayana, dwellingplace. He whose dwelling-place is a multitude, is Nārāyana. Metaphorically, the word means evidently the Scorcher of hearts, worlds, and dreadful to ascetics!

Summary

Although Omniscient lord Narayana knew the means to be employed, when he was requested by the best of devatas he spoke to them softly:

पदच्छेदः

ततो	ततस् (अव्ययः)
नारायणो	नारायण (१.१)
विष्णुर्	विष्णु (१.१)
नियुक्तः	नियुक्त (√नि-युज् + क्त, १.१)
सुरसत्तमैः	सुर–सत्तम (३.३)
जानन्न्	जानत् (√ज्ञा + शतृ, १.१)
अपि	अपि (अव्ययः)
सुरान्	सुर (२.३)
एवं	एवम् (अव्ययः)
श्लक्ष्णं	श्लक्ष्ण (२.१)
वचनम्	वचन (२.१)
अब्रवीत्	अब्रवीत् (√ब्रू लङ् प्र.पु. एक.)

छन्दः

अनुष्टुप् [८]

छन्दोविश्लेषणम्

१	२	३	४	५	६	७	८
त	तो	ना	रा	य	णो	वि	ष्णु
र्नि	यु	क्तः	सु	र	स	त्त	मैः
जा	न	न्न	पि	सु	रा	ने	वं
श्ल	क्ष्णं	व	च	न	म	ब्र	वीत्