--- title: "Bala Kanda, Sarga 5" canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/bala-kanda/sarga-5" lang: "en" --- # Bala Kanda, Sarga 5 > सर्वा पूर्वमियं येषामासीत् कृत्स्ना वसुंधरा। > प्रजापतिमुपादाय नृपाणां जयशालिनाम्॥ १॥ This entire globe has been the exclusive property of victorious kings, commencing from Vaivaswata Manu, a lord of created beings. (1) > येषां स सगरो नाम सागरो येन खानितः। > षष्टिपुत्रसहस्राणि यं यान्तं पर्यवारयन्॥ २॥ In their line appeared the celebrated king, Sagara by name, by whom was hollowed out the ocean and whom, even as he went out on an expedition to chastise his enemies, his sixty thousand sons followed. (2) > इक्ष्वाकूणामिदं तेषां राज्ञां वंशे महात्मनाम्। > महदुत्पन्नमाख्यानं रामायणमिति श्रुतम्॥ ३॥ This great story, known by the name of “Rāmāyaṇa”, has its seeds in the line of the same high-souled kings tracing their descent from Ikṣwāku, the eldest son of Vaivaswata: so it is heard. (3) > तदिदं वर्तयिष्यावः सर्वं निखिलमादितः। > धर्मकामार्थसहितं श्रोतव्यमनसूयता॥ ४॥ “We two, Kuśa and Lava, shall presently sing from the very beginning in all its details the whole of this story, which is conducive to piety, worldly prosperity and sense-enjoyment alongwith Liberation. It should be heard by one who is free from a carping spirit. (4) > कोसलो नाम मुदितः स्फीतो जनपदो महान्। > निविष्ट सरयूतीरे प्रभूतधनधान्यवान्॥ ५॥ There is a great principality, known by the name of Kosala, extending along the bank of the Sarayū. It is happy and prosperous, nay, full of abundant riches and plenty of food-grains. (5) > अयोध्या नाम नगरी तत्रासील्लोकविश्रुता। > मनुना मानवेन्द्रेण या पुरी निर्मिता स्वयम्॥ ६॥ In it stands comprised the world-renowned city, Ayodhyā by name, a city which was built by dint of his own volition by Vaivaswata Manu, the ruler of mankind. (6) > आयता दश च द्वे च योजनानि महापुरी। > श्रीमती त्रीणि विस्तीर्णा सुविभक्तमहापथा॥ ७ ॥ That great and glorious city with its well-aligned roads is twelve Yojanas (ninety-six miles) long and three Yojanas (twenty-four miles) wide. (7) > राजमार्गेण महता सुविभक्तेन शोभिता। > मुक्तपुष्पावकीर्णेन जलसिक्तेन नित्यशः॥ ८॥ It is graced with a beautifully ramified extensive highway, which is daily sprinkled all along with water and strewn with flowers dropped from the heavens by celestial damsels, who hover over the city to have a look at it and pay their homage to it. (8) > तां तु राजा दशरथो महाराष्ट्रविवर्धनः। > पुरीमावासयामास दिवि देवपतिर्यथा॥ ९॥ King Daśaratha, who promoted his great kingdom to a pre-eminent degree by virtue of his righteous and benevolent rule, really made the city more populous even as Indra, the ruler of the gods, adds to the population of his own capital, Amarāvatī, in heaven. (9) > कपाटतोरणवतीं सुविभक्तान्तरापणाम्। > सर्वयन्त्रायुधवतीमुषितां सर्वशिल्पिभिः॥ १०॥ It has arched gateways with beautiful doors, is provided with well-laid out markets and equipped with all sorts of catapults and weapons and is peopled by all classes of craftsmen. (10) > सूतमागधसम्बाधां श्रीमतीमतुलप्रभाम्। > उच्चाट्टालध्वजवतीं शतघ्नीशतसंकुलाम्॥ ११॥ Crowded with panegyrists and bards, it is prosperous and possessed of matchless splendour, is marked with tall attics and flags and equipped with numberless Śataghnīs (interpreted by some as a kind of rocket and by others as iron pikes). (11) > वधूनाटकसंघैश्च संयुक्तां सर्वतः पुरीम्। > उद्यानाम्रवणोपेतां महतीं सालमेखलाम्॥ १२॥ The great city is enriched with troupes of female dancers on all sides and graced with orchards in the shape of mango groves and is enclosed by a defensive wall. (12) > दुर्गगम्भीरपरिखां दुर्गामन्यैर्दुरासदाम्। > वाजिवारणसम्पूर्णां गोभिरुष्ट्रैः खरैस्तथा॥ १३॥ Encircled by a deep moat which cannot be easily entered or crossed, the city is difficult of access and cannot be easily approached by enemies. It abounds in horses and elephants, cows, camels and donkeys. (13) > सामन्तराजसंघैश्च बलिकर्मभिरावृताम्। > नानादेशनिवासैश्च वणिग्भिरुपशोभिताम्॥ १४॥ It is ever thronged with crowds of feudatory princes that flock from all sides on the mission of paying their annual tribute, and is graced with the presence of traders inhabiting different countries. (14) > प्रासादै रत्नविकृतैः पर्वतैरिव शोभिताम्। > कूटागारैश्च सम्पूर्णामिन्द्रस्येवामरावतीम्॥ १५॥ Adorned with mountain-like mansions built of precious stones, and thickly set with attics, it looks like Indra’s Amarāvatī. (15) > चित्रामष्टापदाकारां वरनारीगणायुताम्। > सर्वरत्नसमाकीर्णां विमानगृहशोभिताम्॥ १६॥ Presenting a colourful appearance, it is laid out after the design of a dice-board, is thronged with bevies of lovely women and full of all varieties of precious stones, and is embellished with seven-storied buildings. (16) > गृहगाढामविच्छिद्रां समभूमौ निवेशिताम्। > शालितण्डुलसम्पूर्णामिक्षुकाण्डरसोदकाम् ॥ १७॥ Thick with houses, it is faultless of design and has been built on a level ground, abounds in rice and contains water sweet as the juice of a sugar-cane. (17) > दुन्दुभीभिर्मृदङ्गैश्च वीणाभिः पणवैस्तथा। > नादितां भृशमत्यर्थं पृथिव्यां तामनुत्तमाम्॥ १८॥ Made deeply resonant with the sound of kettledrums, clay tomtoms, lutes and drums, it is altogether unexcelled on the earth. (18) > विमानमिव सिद्धानां तपसाधिगतं दिवि। > सुनिवेशितवेश्मान्तां नरोत्तमसमावृताम्॥ १९॥ With its well-arranged houses it looks like a row of aerial cars in heaven belonging to Siddhas (a class of semi-divine beings naturally endowed with mystic powers) and attained through askesis, and is inhabited by jewels among men. (19) > ये च बाणैर्न विध्यन्ति विविक्तमपरापरम्। > शब्दवेध्यं च विततं लघुहस्ता विशारदाः॥ २०॥ > सिंहव्याघ्रवराहाणां मत्तानां नदतां वने। > हन्तारो निशितैः शस्त्रैर्बलाद् बाहुबलैरपि॥ २१॥ It is crowded on all sides with thousands of great car-warriors1 who never strike with arrows an isolated warrior, one who has no father or son, one who, being out of sight, could only be struck with the help of his voice or who has fled from an encounter—warriors who are not only skilled archers but also well-versed in the use of all kinds of arms, nay, who kill with violence by means of sharp-edged missiles and even with the might of arms (unaided by weapons) lions, tigers and boars furiously roaring in the woods. (20-21) > तादृशानां सहस्रैस्तामभिपूर्णां महारथैः। > पुरीमावासयामास राजा दशरथस्तदा॥ २२॥ > तामग्निमद्भिर्गुणवद्भिरावृतां द्विजोत्तमैर्वेदषडङ्गपारगैः। > सहस्रदैः सत्यरतैर्महात्मभिर्महर्षिकल्पैर्ऋषिभिश्च केवलैः॥ २३॥ It is such a city that King Daśaratha re-populated in those days—a city which is peopled by the foremost of Brāhmaṇas, who maintain and worship the sacred fire, are adorned with good qualities, have mastered the Vedas as well as the six branches2 of knowledge auxiliary to the study of the Vedas by high-souled men, who give away in abundance and are devoted to truth, as well as by eminent seers who are almost as good as Maharṣis. (22-23) > .............. Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana --- Source: Gita Press, Gorakhpur editions. Buy the book: https://gitapress.org/product/sri-ramcharitmanas-special-edition Ramayana.com, a free, ad-free project of Ved Vyas Foundation.