बालकांड
षष्ठः सर्गः

तस्यां पुर्यां अयोध्यायां वेदवित् सर्वसंग्रहः ।
दीर्घदर्शी महातेजाः पौरजानपद प्रियः ॥
इक्ष्वाकूणां अतिरथो यज्वा धर्मपरो वशी ।
महर्षिकल्पो राजर्षिः त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतः ॥
बलवान् निहतामित्रो मित्रवान् विजितेंद्रियः ।
धनैश्च संग्रहैश्चान्यैः शक्र वैश्रवणोपमः ॥
यथा मनुर्महातेजा लोकस्य परिरक्षिता ।
तथा दशरथोराजा वसन् जगदापालयत् ॥

With Ayodhya as the capital King Dasaratha ruled over the kingdom of Kosala. The King Dasaratha is well versed in all Vedas , and is farsighted . He has great prowess and brings happiness to people of Ayodhya as well as the whole kingdom. He is a great Chariot warrior and performs Yagnyas as per the prescribed methods. He follows the path of virtue and also keeps all under control. He is equal to a great Rishi . Nay in fact he is a Raja Rishi. He is well known in all the three worlds. He can destroy the enemies . He has a firm control of all his faculties. He has great friends. In wealth he is equal to Indra or Kubera. Protecting his all subjects he ruled the kingdom like the Manus of Vaivasvata line in the olden days.

तेन सत्याभिसंधेन त्रिवर्गं अनुतिष्ठता ।
पालिता सा पुरी श्रेष्ठा इंद्रेणेव अमरावती ॥
तस्मिन् पुरवरे हृष्ठा धर्मात्मानो बहुश्रुताः ।
वरास्तुष्टा धनैः स्वैः स्वैः अलुब्धाः सत्यवादिनः ॥

Wedded to truth, following his duties and engaged in the threefold pursuit of religious merit , wealth and sense enjoyment, the king was ruling in Ayodhya much like Indra ruled in Amaravati. In that Ayodhya ,the best of cities, the people lived with happiness. They were virtuous people. They have learnt the sacred lore.They are happy with the wealth earned through hardwork . The people were also wedded to truth.

नाल्पसन्निचयः कश्चित् आसीत् तस्मिन् पुरोत्तमे ।
कुटुंबी यो ह्यसिद्धार्थोSगवाश्व धनधान्यवान् ॥
कामी वा न कदर्यो वा नृशंसः पुरुषः क्वचित् ।
द्रष्टुं शक्यं अयोध्यायां न अविद्वान् न च नास्तिकः ॥

In that great city there is no one who is not having wealth , or the wealth of cows or the riches of grains or money. They use the wealth properly following the virtuous path. There is no one in that city who is subdued by desires , or who is greedy , or who is cruel . There is no one in that city who is without education or who is a non-believer.

सर्वे नराश्च नार्यश्च धर्मशीलाः सुसंयताः ।
उदिताश्शीलवृत्तभ्यां महर्षयः इवामलाः ॥
नाकुंडलो नामकुटी नास्रग्वी नाल्पभोगवान् ।
नामृष्टो नानुलिप्तांगो नासुगंधश्च विद्यते ॥

The men and women in that city are adept at following the path of virtue. They have firm control of their sense organs. They have faultless character and have wealth of good principles. They have the disposition of great Rishis. There is none in that city who does not waer ear rigs or wear a headgear , or who does not enjoy the wealth of his position, or who has not taken ritual bath or who has not enjoyed the sandalpaste scents.

नामृष्टभोजी नादाता नाप्यनंगदनिष्कधृक् ।
नाहस्ताभरणो वापि दृश्यते नाप्यनात्मवान् ॥
नानाहिताग्निः नायज्वा नक्श् षुद्रो वा न तस्करः ।
कश्चिदासीत् अयोध्यायां न च निर्वृतसंकरः ॥

There is none in that city who is hungry , or who does not welcome guests and those who drop-in, or who does not give away easily. In that city there is no one not wearing the ornaments on the hands or the neck. There is also no one who does not have a clear conscience. There is none in that city who has not performed the rites of fire or who has not performed sacrifices, or who does not have enough wealth. There are no thieves or those who breaks the system of four orders in that city.

स्वकर्मनिरता नित्यं ब्राह्मणा विजितेंद्रियाः ।
दानाध्ययनशीलाश्च संयताश्च प्रतिग्रहे ॥
न नास्तिको नानृतको न कश्चिदबहुश्रुतः ।
न असूयको न च अशक्तो न अविद्वान् विद्यते तदा ॥
नाषडंगविदत्रासीत् नाव्रतो नासहस्रदः ।
न दीनः क्षिप्तचित्तो ना व्यधितो नापि कश्चन ॥

The Brahmnins in that city are adept in their assigned duties. They have conquered the sense organs and are used to giving . By nature they are into meditation and study of Vedas. They are not interested in receiving gifts. In that city there are no disbelievers, or people who speak untruth , or people who have not understood the Sastras or people imbued with jealousy , or people who are incapable, or uneducated. In that city there are none who donot know the branches of Vedas, or those who do not perform austerities, or those who have not given innumerable gifts or those with disturbed minds or an afflicted man or a miserable man.

कश्चिन्नरो वा नारी वा ना श्रीमान् नाप्य रूपवान् ।
द्रष्टुं शक्यं अयोध्यायां नापि राजन्य भक्तिमान् ॥
वर्णे ष्वग्रचतुर्थेषु देवता अतिथि पूजकाः ।
कृतज्ञाश्च वदान्याश्च शूरा विक्रमसंयुताः ॥
दीर्घायुषो नरास्सर्वे धर्मं सत्यं च संश्रिताः ।
सहिताः पुत्रपौत्रैश्च नित्यं स्त्रीभिः पुरोत्तमे ॥
क्षत्रं ब्रह्म मुखंचासीत् वैश्याः क्षत्र मनुव्रताः ।
शूद्राः स्वधर्म निरताः त्रीन् वर्णानुपचारिणः ॥

Among all men and women there is no one who is devoid of splendor, or devoid of looks or not having the loyalty for the king. All the people of the four orders worship the gods and guests . They are grateful , generous heroic and powerful. All the persons follow truth and virtuous activity and hence have long life living with wives sons and grand children. The warriors respect Brahmanas. The Vaishyas follow the warriors. The Sudras performing their own duty serving all the three communities.

सा तेन इक्ष्वाकुनाथेन पुरी सुपरिरक्षिता ।
यथा पुरस्तान्मनुना मानवेंद्रेण धीमता ॥

The king Dasaratha of the Ikswaku lineage thus ruled that city , almost like the Manu the ruler of mankind ruled in the earlier times.

योधानां अग्निकल्पानां पेशलानाम् अमर्षिणाम् ।
संपूर्णा कृतविद्यानां गुहा केसरिणां इव ॥
कांभोजविषये जातैः बाह्लीकैश्च हयोत्तमैः ।
वनायुजैः नदीजैश्च पूर्णा हरिहयोत्तमैः ॥
विंध्यपर्वतजै र्मत्तैः पूर्णा हैमवतैरपि ।
मदान्वितैरतिबलैः मातंगैः पर्व तोपमैः ॥
इरावत कुलीनैश्च महापद्म कुलैस्तथा ।
अंजनादपि निष्पन्नैः वामनादपि च द्विपैः ॥

The warriors of Ayodhya are like fire in their prowess. They do not have crookedness. They cannot take insults and they are experts in all kinds of warfare. Filled with such warriors the city of Ayodhya was like the cave guarded by a lions. The city is full of horses from the land of Kambhojas , Baahlika , the land of Vanaayu, the land of rivers etc. The city is also filled with elephants from the mountain ranges of Vindhyas, and Himalayas. The city was full of elephants which are strong , and mighty as mountains. There are elephants belonging to races of Iravata, Mahapadma, Anjana, and Vamana.

भद्रै र्मंद्रै: मृगैश्चैव भद्रमंद्रमृगैस्तथा ।
भद्रमंद्रैः भद्रमृगैः मृगमंद्रैश्च सा पुरी ॥
नित्यमत्तैः सदा पूर्णा नागैः अचलसन्निभैः ॥।

The city was full of elephants belonging to Bhadra, Mandra and Mriga species and knows as Bhadra , Mandra and Mriga as well as the cross breeds Bhadra mandra. Bhadra mriga and Mandra mriga . They are also full of cross breeds of all there Bhadra mandra and mriga.

सा योजने च द्वे भूयः सत्यनामा प्रकाशते ।
यस्यां दशरथो राजा वसन् जगदपालयत् ॥
ताम् पुरीं स महातेजा राजा दशरथो महान् ।
शशास शमितामित्रो नक्षत्राणीव चंद्रमाः ॥

The city ruled by the king is extended two Yojanas beyond the city limits. The city whose name is appropriate because it cannot be defeated , is ruled by the King Dasaratha. Dasaratha , the best of Kings, having the most splendor rules the world making enemies powerless much like moon makes the stars look dimmed by his own brilliance.

तां सत्यनामां दृढतोरणार्गळां
गृहैः विचित्रैः उपशोभितां शिवाम् ।
पुरीं अयोध्यां नृसहस्रसंकुलां
शशास वै शक्रसमो महीपतिः ॥

The city has doors that are strong and appropriate to the name of the city. The city which has houses of various designs was thus shining brilliantly . That city full with thousands of people was ruled by Dasaratha much like Indra ruling over Amaravati

इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे
वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये
बालकांडे षष्ठः सर्गः ॥
॥ समाप्तं ॥

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