Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 110: Vasiṣṭha Requests Rāma to Accept the Throne
Text 2.110.7
यस्येयं प्रथमं दत्ता समृद्धा मनुना मही।
तमिक्ष्वाकुमयोध्यायां राजानं विद्धि पूर्वकम्॥
yasyeyaṁ prathamaṁ dattā samṛddhā manunā mahī
tam ikṣvākum ayodhyāyāṁ rājānaṁ viddhi pūrvakam
yasya = him; iyam = this; prathamam = first; dattā = gave; samṛddhā = prosperous; manunā = Manu; mahī = earth; tam = King; ikṣvākum = Ikṣvāku; ayodhyāyām = of Ayodhyā; rājānam = king; viddhi = know; pūrvakam = to be the first.
“Know King Ikṣvāku to be the first king of Ayodhyā. Manu gave him this prosperous earth first.
Manu constructed Ayodhyā as stated in Rāmāyaṇa 1.5.6:
ayodhyā nāma nagarī tatrāsīl loka-viśrutā
manunā mānavendreṇa yā purī nirmitā svayam
“There was a city in Kosala famous throughout the worlds named Ayodhyā that was personally constructed by Manu, the Lord of mankind.”