तस्यां पुर्यां अयोध्यायां वेदवित्सर्वसङ्ग्रहः।
दीर्घदर्शी महातेजाः पौरजानपदप्रियः॥
इक्ष्वाकूणामतिरथो यज्वा धर्मरतो वशी।
महर्षिकल्पो राजर्षिस्त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतः॥
बलवान्निहितामित्रो मित्रवान्विजितेन्द्रियः।
धनैश्च सङ्ग्रहैश्चान्यैः शक्रवैश्रवणोपमः॥
यथा मनुर्महातेजा लोकस्य परिरक्षिता
तथा दशरथो राजा वसञ्जगदपालयत्
tasyāṁ puryāṁ ayodhyāyāṁ vedavit sarva-saṅgrahaḥ
dīrgha-darśī mahā-tejāḥ paura-jānapada-priyaḥ
ikṣvākūṇām atiratho yajvā dharma-rato vaśī
maha-rṣi-kalpo rāja-rṣis triṣu lokeṣu viśrutaḥ
balavān nihitāmitro mitravān vijitendriyaḥ
dhanaiś ca saṅgrahaiś cānyaiḥ śakra-vaiśravaṇopamaḥ
yathā manur mahā-tejā lokasya parirakṣitā
tathā daśaratho rājā vasañ jagad apālayat
tasyām = in that; puryām = city; ayodhyāyām = Ayodhyā; vedavit = he knew the purport of the Vedas; sarva-saṅgrahaḥ = accepted all heroes and enlightened souls [in his kingdom]; dīrgha-darśī = he was farsighted; mahā-tejāḥ = of great prowess; paura-jānapada-priyaḥ = dear to the residents of the city and the outlying districts; ikṣvākūṇām = among the descendants of Ikṣvāku; atirathaḥ = an Atiratha; yajvā = he was a regulated worshipper; dharma-rataḥ = and absorbed in his dhārmika duties; vaśī = everyone was subordinate to him; mahā-ṛṣi-kalpaḥ = an equal to a maharṣi; rāja-rṣiḥ = he was a sage in the form of a king; triṣu = in the three; lokeṣu = worlds; viśrutaḥ = he was famous; balavān = he had military strength; nihita-amitraḥ = he had subdued his enemies; mitravān = he had good friends; vijita-indriyaḥ = he had his senses under control; dhanaiḥ ca = with his wealth; anyaiḥ = and other; saṅgrahaiḥ ca = accumulations; śakra-vaiśravaṇa-upamaḥ = he was comparable to Indra and Kuvera; yathā = just as; manuḥ = Vaivasvata Manu; mahā-tejāḥ = the greatly powerful; lokasya = the world; parirakṣitā = protected; tathā daśarathaḥ = Daśaratha; rājā = king; vasan = while residing; jagat = the earth; apālayat = the protected.
While residing in that city Ayodhyā, Daśaratha protected the earth just as the greatly powerful Vaivasvata Manu protected the world. He knew the purport of the Vedas, accepted all heroes and enlightened souls [in his kingdom]. He was farsighted, of great prowess, dear to the residents of the city and the outlying districts. An Atiratha among the descendants of Ikṣvāku, he was a regulated worshipper and absorbed in his dhārmika duties. Everyone was subordinate to him. An equal to a maharṣi, he was a sage in the form of a king. He was famous in the three worlds. He had military strength; therefore, he had subdued his enemies. He had good friends. He had his senses under control. He was comparable to Indra and Kuvera with his wealth and other accumulations.
In the previous chapter, the place fit for the descent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead has been shown. Now, in this chapter, the author describes the person who was fit to associate with Him.
King Daśaratha was farsighted, that is, he could look into the distant future of things. Mahā-tejāḥ indicates that he was greatly powerful [1]. An Atiratha is one who can go on war singlehandedly with many Mahārathas. Dharma-rataḥ (“absorbed in his duties of Vedic dharma”) indicates that he was absorbed in activities like digging lakes and constructing gardens (for the public). Vaśī indicates that everyone became subordinate to him [2]. The three worlds are Bhūr, Bhuvaḥ and Svar. Balavān indicates that he possessed military strength of four kinds: elephants, chariots, cavalry and infantry. “He had his senses under control” means that he didn’t allow his senses to approach sense objects through forbidden activities. King Daśaratha was like Indra with his possession of wealth such as gold, jewels, divine garments and ornaments. He was like Kuvera with his possessions of other accumulations, that is, treasures. Jagat here means “Bhūloka” or the earth. In other words, Daśaratha was the king of earth.
NOTE. Daśaratha was fit to associate with and serve the Supreme Lord Rāmacandra as His father because he had the necessary transcendental qualifications. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes in Bhagavad-gītā 14.26 purport: “If one is not situated in the same transcen-dental position with the Lord, one cannot serve the Supreme Lord. To be a personal assistant to a king, one must acquire the qualifications.”