अयोध्या नाम नगरी तत्रासील्लोकविश्रुता।
मनुना मानवेन्द्रेण या पुरी निर्मिता स्वयम्॥
आयता दश च द्वे च योजनानि महापुरी।
श्रीमती त्रीणी विस्तीर्णा सुविभक्तमहापथा॥
राजमार्गेण महता सुविभक्तेन शोभिता।
मुक्तपुष्पावकीर्णेन जलसिक्तेन नित्यशः॥
ayodhyā nāma nagarī tatrāsīl loka-viśrutā
manunā mānavendreṇa yā purī nirmitā svayam
āyatā daśa ca dve ca yojanāni mahā-purī
śrīmatī trīṇī vistīrṇā suvibhakta-mahā-pathā
rāja-mārgeṇa mahatā suvibhaktena śobhitā
mukta-puṣpāvakīrṇena jala-siktena nityaśaḥ
ayodhyā = Ayodhyā; nāma = named; nagarī = there was a city; tatra = in Kosala; = asīt = is a; loka-viśrutā = famous throughout the worlds; manunā = by Manu; mānava-indreṇa = the Lord of mankind; yā purī = that; nirmitā = constructed; svayam = was personally; āyatā = long; daśa ca dve = was 12; ca = and; yojanāni = yojanas; mahā-purī = center of the city; śrīmatī = the splendorous; trīṇī = 3 yojanas; vistīrṇā = wide; suvibhakta-mahā-pathā = with properly divided highways extending to various regions; rāja-mārgeṇa = royal road [leading to the outer edge of the city]; mahatā = grand; suvibhaktena = with properly arranged; śobhitā = it was beautiful; mukta-puṣpa-avakīrṇena = this road was strewn with unwoven flowers fallen off the trees; jala-siktena = sprinkled with water; nityaśaḥ = throughout the year.
There was a city in Kosala famous throughout the worlds named Ayodhyā that was personally constructed by Manu, the Lord of mankind. The splendorous center of the city was 12 yojanas long and 3 yojanas wide with properly divided highways extending to various regions. It was beautiful with a properly arranged grand royal road leading to the outer edge of the city. This road was strewn with unwoven flowers fallen off the trees and sprinkled with water throughout the year.
1 The vāstu-maṇḍala of the city.
The author now describes the city fit to be descended upon by the Lord. Manu had personally constructed this city, that is, it was as if he had personally planned to construct this city. The measurements pertain to the maṇḍala of the city.1 Mahā-purī refers to the center of the city which measured 12 yojanas in length and 3 yojanas in width. Including other peripheral regions, Ayodhyā’s measurement would be larger. The highways were properly divided, that is, trees were planted on either side. The roads were sprinkled with water during the rainy season by the rains; otherwise, they were sprinkled with water by men. The city was beautiful with a rāja-mārga, a grand road that started from the king’s palace.