Sarga 5: City of Ayodhya
Ayodhya Nagari
The ideal city — dharmic civilization, layout, prosperity.
Jump to a shloka · 22 in this sarga
सूतमागधसम्बाधां श्रीमतीमतुलप्रभाम् । उच्चाट्टालध्वजवतीं शतघ्नीशतसङ्कुलाम् ।।1.5.11।।
Meaning
Thronged with bards and genealogists and gleaming with matchless splendor, it was crowned with flagged towers and stocked with hundreds of siege weapons.
वधूनाटकसङ्घैश्च संयुक्तां सर्वत: पुरीम् । उद्यानाम्रवणोपेतां महतीं सालमेखलाम् ।।1.5.12।।
Meaning
Filled with troupes of female dancers and actors, the wide city was ringed with gardens and mango groves like a girdle of sal trees.
दुर्गगम्भीरपरिघां दुर्गामन्यैर्दुरासदाम् । वाजिवारणसम्पूर्णां गोभिरुष्ट्रै: खरैस्तथा ।।1.5.13।।
Meaning
Guarded by strong walls and a deep moat, unassailable to any enemy, it teemed with horses, elephants, cattle, camels and mules.
सामन्तराजसङ्घैश्च बलिकर्मभिरावृताम् । नानादेशनिवासैश्च वणिग्भिरुपशोभिताम् ।।1.5.14।।
Meaning
It was thronged with tributary kings from neighboring lands and adorned with merchants who had settled there from many countries.
प्रासादै रत्नविकृतै: पर्वतैरुपशोभिताम् । कूटागारैश्च सम्पूर्णामिन्द्रस्येवामरावतीम् ।।1.5.15।।
Meaning
With palaces set with precious gems, resplendent as mountains and filled with towering mansions, it resembled Indra's own city Amaravati.
चित्रामष्टापदाकारां नरनारीगणैर्युताम् । सर्वरत्नसमाकीर्णां विमानगृहशोभिताम् ।।1.5.16।।
Meaning
Laid out like the squares of an ashtapada board and filled with people, it was rich in every kind of gem and graced with seven-storied mansions.
गृहगाढामविच्छिद्रां समभूमौ निवेशिताम् । शालितण्डुलसम्पूर्णामिक्षुकाण्डरसोदकाम् ।।1.5.17।।
Meaning
Densely built on level ground with no space left unused, it was abundantly stocked with fine rice and water as sweet as sugarcane juice.
दुन्दुभीभिर्मृदङ्गैश्च वीणाभि: पणवैस्तथा । नादितां भृशमत्यर्थं पृथिव्यां तामनुत्तमाम् ।।1.5.18।।
Meaning
The city echoed constantly with the sound of drums, mridangas, vinas and panavas — there was no city on earth to surpass it.
विमानमिव सिद्धानां तपसाधिगतं दिवि । सुनिवेशितवेश्मान्तां नरोत्तमसमावृताम् ।।1.5.19।।
Meaning
Like an aerial palace won by siddhas through austerity in heaven, its perfectly arranged homes were inhabited by the noblest of men.
ये च बाणैर्न विध्यन्ति विविक्तमपरापरम् । शब्दवेध्यं च विततं लघुहस्ता विशारदा: ।।1.5.20।। सिंहव्याघ्रवराहाणां मत्तानां नर्दतां वने । हन्तारो निशितैश्शस्त्रैर्बलाद्बाहुबलैरपि ।।1.5.21।।
Meaning
Its warriors, sharp-handed and skilled, would never loose an arrow at a lone or defenseless man, or one fleeing, or one tracked merely by sound — yet with sharp weapons or bare strength of arm they could slay roaring, maddened lions, tigers and boars in the forest.