--- title: "Bala Kanda, Sarga 6" canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/bala-kanda/sarga-6" lang: "en" --- # Bala Kanda, Sarga 6 > तस्यां पुर्यामयोध्यायां वेदवित् सर्वसंग्रहः। > दीर्घदर्शी महातेजाः पौरजानपदप्रियः॥ १॥ While living in the city of Ayodhyā, King Daśaratha protected his subjects. He was well-versed in the Vedas and collected all useful things. He was farsighted and highly glorious and was loved by the people inhabiting the city as well as the countryside. (1) > इक्ष्वाकूणामतिरथो यज्वा धर्मपरो वशी। > महर्षिकल्पो राजर्षिस्त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतः॥ २॥ He was a superlative car-hero (Atiratha)* of Ikṣwāku’s race. He was fond of performing sacrifices, devoted to virtue and given to the control of his senses. He was a royal sage almost as good as a Maharṣi. He enjoyed a good reputation in all the three worlds. (2) > बलवान् निहतामित्रो मित्रवान् विजितेन्द्रियः। > धनैश्च संचयैश्चान्यैः शक्रवैश्रवणोपमः॥ ३॥ He was strong and devoid of foes. He had a number of allies and was the conqueror of his senses. In point of amassing wealth and other things, he was a compeer of Indra and Kubera. (3) > यथा मनुर्महातेजा लोकस्य परिरक्षिता। > तथा दशरथो राजा लोकस्य परिरक्षिता॥ ४॥ Just as the highly glorious Manu protected the whole world, so did King Daśaratha. (4) > तेन सत्याभिसंधेन त्रिवर्गमनुतिष्ठता। > पालिता सा पुरी श्रेष्ठा इन्द्रेणेवामरावती॥ ५॥ That king, who was true to his word and who was engaged in the pursuit of wealth, religious merit and sense-enjoyment protected the foremost city of Ayodhyā, in the same way as Indra protected Amarāvatī. (5) > तस्मिन् पुरवरे हृष्टा धर्मात्मानो बहुश्रुताः। > नरास्तुष्टा धनैः स्वैः स्वैरलुब्धाः सत्यवादिनः॥ ६॥ The people of that city were happy, virtuous, learned in sacred lore, free from greed, truthful and contented with their own fortune. (6) > नाल्पसंनिचयः कश्चिदासीत् तस्मिन् पुरोत्तमे। > कुटुम्बी यो ह्यसिद्धार्थोऽगवाश्वधनधान्यवान्॥ ७॥ There was no householder in that great city who had not stored valuable things in abundance and had not attained the objects of human pursuit and who was in want of oxen, cows, horses and other wealth and foodgrains. (7) > कामी वा न कदर्यो वा नृशंसः पुरुषः क्वचित्। > द्रष्टुं शक्यमयोध्यायां नाविद्वान् न च नास्तिकः॥ ८॥ There was no man to be seen in Ayodhyā who was sensuous, miserly, cruel, ignorant and unbelieving. (8) > सर्वे नराश्च नार्यश्च धर्मशीलाः सुसंयताः। > मुदिताः शीलवृत्ताभ्यां महर्षय इवामलाः॥ ९॥ All the men and women of that city were by nature virtuous, well-regulated in life, always cheerful and faultless in character and disposition like Maharṣis. (9) > नाकुण्डली नामुकुटी नास्रग्वी नाल्पभोगवान्। > नामृष्टो न नलिप्ताङ्गो नासुगन्धश्च विद्यते॥ १०॥ There was no one in Ayodhyā who was devoid of gold ear-rings, diadem and flower-wreaths. Nobody lacks in objects of enjoyment. There was none who did not put on a smart appearance after taking bath. No one was there who did not smear his body with sandal-paste and did not use scents. (10) > नामृष्टभोजी नादाता नाप्यनङ्गदनिष्कधृक्। > नाहस्ताभरणो वापि दृश्यते नाप्यनात्मवान्॥ ११॥ Nobody was seen in Ayodhyā taking unholy food, not giving alms and not exercising control over his mind. No one was found there who had no gold bangles, a gold ornament for the neck and armlets on his person. (11) > नानाहिताग्निर्नायज्वा न क्षुद्रो वा न तस्करः। > कश्चिदासीदयोध्यायां न चावृत्तो न संकरः॥ १२॥ There was none in Ayodhyā who did not maintain and worship the sacred fire and did not perform sacrifices; no one among them was petty-minded, given to thieving, immoral and impure of origin. (12) > स्वकर्मनिरता नित्यं ब्राह्मणा विजितेन्द्रियाः। > दानाध्ययनशीलाश्च संयताश्च प्रतिग्रहे॥ १३॥ The Brāhmaṇas inhabiting Ayodhyā were ever devoted to their duties and exercised effective control over their senses. They gave away alms, pursued their studies and were disinclined to accept gifts. (13) > नास्तिको नानृती वापि न कश्चिदबहुश्रुतः। > नासूयको न चाशक्तो नाविद्वान् विद्यते क्वचित्॥ १४॥ There was no member of the twice-born classes who was unbelieving, untruthful, lacking in knowledge of scriptures, busy finding fault with others, resourceless and bereft of learning. (14) > नाषडङ्गविदन्नास्ति नाव्रतो नासहस्रदः। > न दीनः क्षिप्तचित्तो वा व्यथितो वापि कश्चन॥ १५॥ There was no one in that city who had not mastered the six branches of knowledge, auxiliary to a study of the Vedas, and did not observe pious vows. There was no donor of scanty gifts and no miserable man. There was none who was either distracted in mind or afflicted. (15) > कश्चिन्नरो वा नारी वा नाश्रीमान् नाप्यरूपवान्। > द्रष्टुं शक्यमयोध्यायां नापि राजन्यभक्तिमान्॥ १६॥ There was no man or woman in Ayodhyā who was devoid of splendour, not good-looking and not loyal to the king. (16) > वर्णेष्वग्र्यचतुर्थेषु देवतातिथिपूजकाः। > कृतज्ञाश्च वदान्याश्च शूरा विक्रमसंयुताः॥ १७॥ People belonging to all the four grades of society, with the Brāhmaṇa as the foremost, were fond of worshipping the gods and unexpected visitors. They were grateful, generous, heroic and powerful. (17) > दीर्घायुषो नराः सर्वे धर्मं सत्यं च संश्रिताः। > सहिताः पुत्रपौत्रैश्च नित्यं स्त्रीभिः पुरोत्तमे॥ १८॥ All the residents of that great city enjoyed a long lease of life and were devoted to virtue and truth, and as such were never deprived of their wives, sons, and grandsons. (18) > क्षत्रं ब्रह्ममुखं चासीद् वैश्याः क्षत्रमनुव्रताः। > शूद्राः स्वकर्मनिरतास्त्रीन् वर्णानुपचारिणः॥ १९॥ The Kṣatriyas followed the lead of the Brāhmaṇas, the Vaiśyas were devoted to the Kṣatriyas and the Śūdras took delight in their own work while serving the other three Varṇas. (19) > सा तेनेक्ष्वाकुनाथेन पुरी सुपरिरक्षिता। > यथा पुरस्तान्मनुना मानवेन्द्रेण धीमता॥ २०॥ King Daśaratha, the lord of the Ikṣwākus, fully protected Ayodhyā on all sides in the same way as the all-wise Manu, the ruler of mankind, did in former times. (20) > योधानामग्निकल्पानां पेशलानाममर्षिणाम्। > सम्पूर्णा कृतविद्यानां गुहा केसरिणामिव॥ २१॥ Like a cave full of lions, the city was thronged with warriors who had mastered the science of archery and were refulgent like fire, devoid of crookedness and were unable to pocket insults. (21) > काम्बोजविषये जातैर्बाह्लीकैश्च हयोत्तमैः। > वनायुजैर्नदीजैश्च पूर्णा हरिहयोत्तमैः॥ २२॥ It was crowded with horses of excellent breed born in the territories of Kamboja, Bāhlīka (Balkh) as well as in Vanāyu, river-horses (born in the Indus valley), horses that vied with the horse of god, Indra, known by the name of Uccaiḥśravā. (22) > विन्ध्यपर्वतजैर्मत्तैः पूर्णा हैमवतैरपि। > मदान्वितैरतिबलैर्मातङ्गैः पर्वतोपमैः॥ २३॥ It was full of elephants in heat and mighty as mountains, born in the Vindhya and the Himālayan regions. (23) > ऐरावतकुलीनैश्च महापद्मकुलैस्तथा। > अञ्जनादपि निष्क्रान्तैर्वामनादपि च द्विपैः॥ २४॥ > भद्रैर्मद्रैर्मृगैश्चैव भद्रमन्द्रमृगैस्तथा। > भद्रमन्द्रैर्भद्रमृगैर्मृगमन्द्रैश्च सा पुरी॥ २५॥ > नित्यमत्तैः सदा पूर्णा नागैरचलसंनिभैः। > सा योजने द्वे च भूयः सत्यनामा प्रकाशते। > यस्यां दशरथो राजा वसञ्जगदपालयत्॥ २६॥ The city was also ever crowded with elephants belonging to the races of Airāvata, Mahāpadma, Añjana and Vāmana and those of the Bhadra, Mandra and Mṛga species (born on the Himālayas and Sahya range respectively), as well as with those of cross-breeds known by the names of Bhadra-Mandra-Mṛgas, Bhadra-Mandras, Bhadra-Mṛgas and Mṛga-Mandras, ever in rut and huge as mountains. Ayodhyā (lit., unassailable) bears a really significant name, particularly to a width of two Yojanas or sixteen miles out of its total width of three Yojanas, twenty-four miles. While residing in this part of the city, King Daśaratha protected the Kingdom. (24—26) > तां पुरीं स महातेजा राजा दशरथो महान्। > शशास शमितामित्रो नक्षत्राणीव चन्द्रमाः॥ २७॥ Just as the moon holds sway over the starry regions, similarly the said King Daśaratha, who was possessed of great glory and had destroyed all his enemies, ruled over the aforesaid city. (27) > तां सत्यनामां दृढतोरणार्गलां > गृहैर्विचित्रैरुपशोभितां शिवाम्। > पुरीमयोध्यां नृसहस्रसंकुलां शशास वै शक्रसमो महीपतिः॥ २८॥ In this way the king, who vied with Indra, ruled over this blessed city of Ayodhyā, which bore a significant name, was protected with strong gates and bars and was graced with houses of various designs and teemed with thousands of men. (28) Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana --- Source: Gita Press, Gorakhpur editions. 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