ये च बाणैर्न विध्यन्ति विविक्तमपरापरम्।
शब्दवेध्यं च विततं लघुहस्ता विशारदाः॥
सिंहव्याघ्रवराहाणां मत्तानां नर्दतां वने।
हन्तारो निशितैः शस्त्रैर्बलाद्बाहुबलैरपि॥
तादृशानां सहस्रैस्तामभिपूर्णां महारथैः।
पुरीमावासयामास राजा दशरथस्तदा॥
तामग्निमद्भिर्गुणवद्भिरावृतां द्विजोत्तमैर्वेदषडङ्गपारगैः।
सहस्रदैःसत्यरतैर्महात्मभिर्महर्षिकल्पैरृषिभिश्च केवलैः॥
ye ca bāṇair na vidhyanti viviktam aparāparam
śabda-vedhyaṁ ca vitataṁ laghu-hastā viśāradāḥ
siṁha-vyāghra-varāhāṇāṁ mattānāṁ nardatāṁ vane
hantāro niśitaiḥ śastrair balād bāhu-balair api
tādṛśānāṁ sahasrais tām abhipūrṇāṁ mahā-rathaiḥ
purīm āvāsayām āsa rājā daśarathas tadā
tām agnimadbhir guṇavadbhir āvṛtāṁ
dvijottamair veda-ṣaḍ-aṅga-pāragaiḥ
sahasradaiḥ satya-ratair mahātmabhir
maha-rṣi-kalpair ṛṣibhiś ca kevalaiḥ
ye ca = they were; bāṇaiḥ = even with arrows; na = did not vidhyanti = attack; viviktam = a person who had been deserted with no assistance; apara-aparam = who had no one in his family above or below him; śabda-vedhyam = who was in hiding; ca = or; vitatam = who was on the run; laghu-hastāḥ = learned in weaponry; viśāradāḥ = capable; siṁha-vyāghra-varāhāṇām = lions, tigers and wild boars; mattānām= mad; nardatām = roared in pride; vane = forest; hantāraḥ = they would kill; niśitaiḥ = using sharp; śastraih = weapons; balāt = with the force of their minds; bāhu-balaiḥ api = and with the strength their arms, their assistants; tādṛśānām sahasraiḥ = with thousands of; tām = it; abhipūrṇām = was saturated; mahā-rathaiḥ = Mahārathas; purīm = made such a famous city; āvāsayām āsa = his place of residence; rājā = king; daśarathaḥ tadā = then Daśaratha; tām = the city; agnimadbhiḥ = they lit their sacrificial fires; guṇavadbhiḥ = possessed brahminical qualities such as control of mind and senses; āvṛtām = abounded; dvija-uttamaiḥ = the best of the twiceborn; veda-ṣaḍ-aṅga-pāragaiḥ = had crossed the ocean of study of the Vedas and six Vedāṅgas; sahasradaiḥ = and gave abundant charity; satya-rataiḥ = they were fixed in speaking truthful words; mahātmabhiḥ = possessing great intelligence; mahā-ṛṣi-kalpaiḥ = they were like Vasiṣṭha and other maharṣis; ṛṣibhiḥ ca = sages; kevalaiḥ = though mere.
It was saturated with thousands of Mahārathas. They were learned in weaponry, capable and did not attack, even with arrows, a person who had been deserted with no assistance, who had no one in his family above or below him, who was in hiding or who was on the run. They would kill mad lions, tigers and wild boars that roared in pride in their forest with the force of their minds and with the strength of their arms, their assistants, using sharp weapons. King Daśaratha made such a famous city his place of residence. The city abounded with the best of the twiceborn, possessing great intelligence. They lit their sacrificial fires, possessed brahminical qualities such as control of mind and senses, had crossed the ocean of study of the Vedas and six Vedāṅgas and gave abundant charity. They were fixed in speaking truthful words. Though mere sages, they were like Vasiṣṭha and other maharṣis.
[11] laghu-hastaḥ suhastaś ca kṛtāstraḥ kṛta-puṅkhakaḥ (Vaijayantī).
[12] ātmānaṁ sārathiṁ cāśvān rakṣan yuddhyeta yo naraḥ; sa mahā-ratha-saṁjñaḥ syāt.
[13] tam etaṁ vedānuvacanena brāhmaṇā vividiṣanti yajñena dānena tapasānāśakena (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.22).
[14] aṣṭavarṣaṁ brāhmaṇam upanayīta.
[15] śama-damādy-upetaḥ syāt and śānto dānta uparatis titikṣuḥ samāhito bhūtvā.
[16] tasmād brāhmaṇaḥ pāṇḍityaṁ nirvidya bālyena tiṣṭhāset.
[17] bālyaṁ ca pāṇḍityaṁ ca nirvidyātha muniḥ.
Laghu-hastāḥ refers to those learned in weaponry [11]. “Capable” indicates that they knew how to get things done. Still, they didn’t kill certain persons such as a person who had no genealogical antecedent like a father or consequent like a son, that is, a person who is the sole heir of his family lineage. Śabda-vedhyam indicates that they were capable of killing persons simply by hearing their sound, but they wouldn’t use this ability to kill persons who were in hiding. They wouldn’t attacking them such persons even with arrows, what to speak of attacking them with machinated weapons. These were Mahārathas capable of protecting themselves, their charioteers and horses while in war [12].
The ācāryas explain the final verse as follows: This elucidates the Śruti text that states that qualified brāhmaṇas desire to realize the Supreme Being through sacrifice, charity, austerity and fasting [13]. Dvijottamaiḥ indicates that the city abounded with the best of the twiceborn who had taken initiation into Vedic studies at the age of eight [14]. They had studied the Vedas including the Upaniṣads as well as the Vedāṅgas. They carried out fire sacrifices. They gave items in charity to qualified brāhmaṇas to the best of their ability. Mahātmabhiḥ indicates that they greatly endeavored to execute austerities. They possessed qualities such as śama, control of mind, as referred to in the scriptures [15].
Satya-rataiḥ indicates that their spiritual realization had matured into devotional service unto the Supreme Brahman who is described as “the truth of the truth”: satyasya satyam. Kevalaiḥ indicates that they did not boastfully reveal their exalted spiritual nature [16]. Ṛṣibhiḥ indicates that they were thoughtful of the spiritual truths taught in the Vedic literature [17]. Maha-rṣi-kalpaiḥ indicates that they were like the Lord’s associates in Vaikuṇṭha, the sūris. The city abounded with such brāhmaṇas because they had assembled here knowing that the Supreme Personality of Godhead would incarnate here. Daśaratha made this city his place of residence.
NOTE. The symptoms of genuine brāhmaṇas are noted in Bhagavad-gītā 18.42:
śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca
jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam
“Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness—these are the natural qualities by which the brāhmaṇas work.”
Daśaratha’s city abounded with such genuine brāhmaṇas.