कवाटतोरणवतीं सुविभक्तान्तरापणाम्।
सर्वयन्त्रायुधवतीमुपेतां सर्वशिल्पिभिः॥
सूतमागधसम्बाधां श्रीमतीमतुलप्रभाम्।
उच्चाट्टालध्वजवतीं शतघ्नीशतसङ्कुलाम्॥
वधूनाटकसङ्घैश्च संयुक्तां सर्वतः पुरीम्।
उद्यानाम्रवणोपेतां महतीं सालमेखलाम्॥
दुर्गगम्भीरपरिघां दुर्गामन्यैर्दुरासदाम्।
वाजिवारणसम्पूर्णां गोभिरुष्ट्रैः खरैस्तथा॥
सामन्तराजसङ्घैश्च बलिकर्मभिरावृताम्।
नानादेशनिवासैश्च वणिग्भिरुपशोभिताम्॥
प्रासादै रत्नविकृतैः पर्वतैरुपशोभिताम्।
कूटागारैश्च सम्पूर्णामिन्द्रस्येवामरावतीम्॥
चित्रामष्टपदाकारां वरनारीगणैर्युताम्।
सर्वरत्नसमाकीर्णां विमानगृहशोभिताम्॥
गृहगाढामविच्छिद्रां समभूमौ निवेशिताम्।
शालितण्डुलसम्पूर्णामिक्षुकाण्डरसोदकाम्॥
दुन्दुभीभिर्मृदङ्गैश्च वीणाभिः पणवैस्तथा।
नादितां भृशमत्यर्थं पृथिव्यां तामनुत्तमाम्॥
विमानमिव सिद्धानां तपसाधिगतं दिवि।
सुनिवेशितवेश्मान्तां नरोत्तमसमावृताम्॥
kavāṭa-toraṇavatīṁ suvibhaktāntarāpaṇām
sarva-yantrāyudhavatīm upetāṁ sarva-śilpibhiḥ
sūta-māgadha-sambādhāṁ śrīmatīm atula-prabhām
uccāṭṭāla-dhvajavatīṁ śataghnī-śata-saṅkulām
vadhū-nāṭaka-saṅghaiś ca saṁyuktāṁ sarvataḥ purīm
udyānāmra-vaṇopetāṁ mahatīṁ sāla-mekhalām
durga-gambhīra-parighāṁ durgām anyair durāsadām
vāji-vāraṇa-sampūrṇāṁ gobhir uṣṭraiḥ kharais tathā
sāmanta-rāja-saṅghaiś ca bali-karmabhir āvṛtām
nānā-deśa-nivāsaiś ca vaṇigbhir upaśobhitām
prāsādai ratna-vikṛtaiḥ parvatair upaśobhitām
kūṭāgāraiś ca sampūrṇām indrasyevāmarāvatīm
citrām aṣṭa-padākārāṁ vara-nārī-gaṇair yutām
sarva-ratna-samākīrṇāṁ vimāna-gṛha-śobhitām
gṛha-gāḍhām avicchidrāṁ sama-bhūmau niveśitām
śāli-taṇḍula-sampūrṇām ikṣu-kāṇḍa-rasodakām
dundubhībhir mṛdaṅgaiś ca vīṇābhiḥ paṇavais tathā
nāditāṁ bhṛśam atyarthaṁ pṛthivyāṁ tām anuttamām
vimānam iva siddhānāṁ tapasādhigataṁ divi
suniveśita-veśmāntāṁ narottama-samāvṛtām
kavāṭa-toraṇavatīm = fine gates with upper wooden decorations; suvibhakta antara-āpaṇām = separated market places; sarva-yantra āyudhavatīm = all kinds of weapons that were machinated or otherwise; upetām = the city had; sarva-śilpibhiḥ = and all kinds of artists; sūta-māgadha-sambādhām = it was.crowded with sūtas and māgadhas; śrīmatīm = prosperous; atula-prabhām = with incomparable splendor; ucca-aṭṭāla-dhvajavatīm = with flags on tall multi-storey buildings; śataghnī-śata-saṅkulām = and innumerable śataghnī devices; vadhū-nāṭaka-saṅghātaiḥ ca = young girls dancing in dramas; saṁyuktām = there were; sarvataḥ = all over; purīm = the city; udyāna āmra-vaṇa upetām = with mango forest orchards; mahatīm = the great city; sāla-mekhalām = was girdled by a boundary wall; durga-gambhīra-parighām = with a wide and deep moat; durgām = it was difficult to reach; anyaiḥ = by enemies; durāsadām = unassailable; vāji-vāraṇa-sampūrṇām = the city was filled with horses, elephants; gobhiḥ = cows; tathā = as well as; uṣṭraiḥ = camels; kharaiḥ = and donkeys; tathā = and; sāmanta-rāja-saṅghaiḥ ca = by vassals; ca = and; bali-karmabhih = paying due taxes; āvṛtām = surrounded; nānā-deśa-nivāsaiḥ ca = with people from various lands vaṇigbhiḥ = and merchantswho had come to sell and buy goods; upaśobhitām = it was beautiful; prāsādaiḥ = by palaces; ratna-vikṛtaiḥ = that were especially made with jewels; parvataiḥ = as well as sporting hills; upaśobhitām = it was adorned by; kūṭa-āgāraiḥ ca = with sloping rooftop; iva = it was like; sampūrṇām = filled; indrasya = Indra’s; iva = like; amarāvatīm = Amarāvatī; citrām = it had several; aṣṭa-pada-ākārām= royal houses with eight zones in; vara-nārī-gaṇaiḥ yutām = each as well as beautiful women; sarva-ratna-samākīrṇām = it was filled with all kinds of jewels; vimāna-gṛha-śobhitām = it was splendid with vimāna houses; gṛha-gāḍhām avicchidrām = spotless houses for families closely networked; sama-bhūmau = in lands neither low nor high; niveśitām = were constructed; śāli-taṇḍula-sampūrṇām = it abounded with white paddy and grains; ikṣu-kāṇḍa-rasa udakām = with water as sweet as sugarcane juice; dundubhībhih = with drums; mṛdaṅgaiḥ ca = mṛdaṅgas; vīṇābhiḥ = vīnās; paṇavaiḥ tathā = kettledrums; nāditām bhṛśam = resounding; atyartham = greatly; pṛthivyām = on earth; tām = it was the; anuttamām = very best place; vimānam = an airplane; iva = like; siddhānām = by people perfected; tapasā = through austerity; adhigatam = obtained; divi = on heaven; suniveśita-veśma antām = it had houses whose interiors were beautifully constructed; nara uttama-samāvṛtām = and it was filled with the best of men.
The city had fine gates with upper wooden decorations, separated market places, all kinds of weapons that were machinated or otherwise, and all kinds of artists. It was crowded with sūtas and māgadhas, prosperous with incomparable splendor, with flags on tall multi-storey buildings and innumerable śataghnī devices. There were young girls dancing in dramas all over the city. With mango forest orchards, the great city was girdled by a boundary wall. With a wide and deep moat it was difficult to reach and unassailable by enemies. The city was filled with horses, elephants as well as cows, camels and donkeys. Surrounded by vassals paying due taxes, it was beautiful with people from various lands and merchants who had come to sell and buy goods. It was adorned by palaces that were especially made with jewels, as well as sporting hills. Filled with sloping rooftops, it was like Indra’s Amarāvatī. It had several royal houses with eight zones in each as well as beautiful women. It was filled with all kinds of jewels. It was splendid with vimāna houses. Spotless houses for families closely networked were constructed in lands neither low nor high. It abounded with white paddy and grains, with water as sweet as sugarcane juice. It was the very best place on earth, greatly resounding with drums, mṛdaṅgas, vīnās and kettledrums. Like an airplane obtained by people perfected through austerity on heaven, it had houses whose interiors were beautifully constructed and it was filled with the best of men.
[1] sūto nātakṣṇi-sārathau kṣatrād viprā-sute vyāsa-śiṣya-pārada-vandinoḥ [Bhāskara].
[2] māgadhaḥ syād vāgmī rāja-prabodhakaḥ (Yādava).
[3] śataghnī tu catustālāloha-kaṇṭaka-sañcitā (Yādava)
[4] śataṁ sahasram ayutaṁ sarvam ānantya-vācakam.
[5] prākāro varaṇaḥ sālaḥ (Amara).
[6] kūṭāgāraṁ tu valabhiḥ (Amara).
[7] gārutmataṁ marakatam aśmagarbho harinmaṇiḥ / śoṇaratnaṁ rohitakaṁ padmarāgo ’ruṇopalaḥ; vidrumo nāpravālo ’strī vajro ’strī hīrakaḥ pumān / indranīlaṁ mahānīlaṁ vaidūryaṁ vālavāyajam; kuruvindāstu kalmāṣā ratnabhedās tu mauktikam / māṇikyaṁ pauṣpakaṁ śaṅkhaḥ.
[8] vimāno ’strī devayāne sārvabhaumika-sadmani (Bhāskara).
[9] chidraṁ randhre dūṣaṇe ’pi (Bhāskara).
[10] śālayaḥ śveta-taṇḍulāḥ (Vaijayantī).
While pointing out how King Daśaratha was distinct from the previous kings, the author describes Ayodhyā.
Suvibhaktāntarāpaṇām indicates that the marketplaces were noncongested. There were machinated weapons in the city to throw stones and so on. There were other weapons such as bows and arrows. All those used in the world were found in Ayodhyā. There were artists such as painters. Sūtas are professional reciters [1]. Māgadhas are those who wake up the king [2].
The city was prosperous with wealth and grains. Aṭṭa and aṭṭāla (“an upper storey”) are synonymous. Śataghnī-śata-saṅkulām indicates that Śataghnī military devices were kept in the walls of the city [3]. And they were innumerable in number [4]. Sāla is the same as prākāra (“boundary wall”) [5]. Kūṭāgāraiḥ refers to sloping hills [6]. Each of the eight zoned royal houses had a royal house in the center surrounded by four pathways in the four directions and space between the pathways. The jewels that filled up Ayodhyā are those that have been enlisted in the Nighaṇṭu [7].
Vimāna [in this context] refers to a house fit for emperors [8]. Avicchidrām means “spotless” [9]. Śāli refers to white paddy [10]. Ayodhyā was filled with the best of men, that is, the learned.