THE VALMIKI RAMAYANA

BALA KANDA

SARGA 6

x¿:  sgI: Canto 6
dSrTÞy   raÇyp¢rpalnm¯
The  reign   of   king   Dasaratha
tÞya|   p¤yaImyaEÒyaya|   svI¢vÏsvIs|g#h:   .
d£GIdS£   mhatEja:   paWrjanpd¢p#y:   ¡1¡

tÞya|

in that

p¤yaI|

city

AyaEÒyaya|

named Ayodhya

svI¢vt¯

very learned

svIs|g#h:

capable of attracting everyone

d£GIdS£

far-sighted

mhatEja:

resplendent

paWrjanpd¢p#y:

liked by the city and the rural people alike

ißvak\Nam¢trTaE yÇva DmIrtaE vS£ .
mh¢xIkÚpaE raj¢xI¢ÞæOx¤ laEkEx¤ ¢v½¤t: ¡2¡

ißvak\Na|

born of Ikshvaku lineage

A¢trT:

great warrior

yÇva

one who has performed sacrifices

DmIrt:

rooted in Dharma

vS£

having contol over senses (bringing everyone under his control)

mh¢xIkÚp:

equal to the great sages

raj¢xI:

royal sage

¢æOx¤

in the three

laEkEx¤

worlds

¢v½¤t:

well-known

blva¢°hta¢mæOaE ¢mæOvan¯ ¢v¢jtE¢Ód#y: .
DnWà s·yWàaÓyW: S@vW½vNaEpm: ¡3¡

blvan¯

strong (possessing all the four limbs of the army)

¢nhta¢mæO:

one who has decimated his enemies

¢mæOvan¯

having friends

¢v¢jtE¢Ód#y:

one who has his senses under control

DnW:

in wealth

and

s·yW:

abundance

and

AÓyW:

and other aspects of material prosperity

Indra

vW½vN

Kubera (lord of wealth)

upm:

comparable to

yTa mn¤mIhatEja laEkÞy p¢rr¢Xta .
tTa dSrTaE raja vs¸gdpalyt¯ ¡4¡

yTa

just as

mn¤:

emperor Manu

mhatEja:

of great radiance

laEkÞy

of the world

p¢rr¢Xta

was protector

tTa

likewise

dSrT:

Dasaratha

raja

king

vsn¯

reigning

jgt¯

world

Apalyt¯

protected

In   that   capital   city   of   Ayodhya, the monarch Dasaratha who was   all-knowing, capable   of   winning   over   everyone   to   his   side,   far-sighted   (one   who can anticipate developments), of great radiance,   darling   of   the   urban   and   the rural   population,   the   best   among   Ikshvaku   dynasty,   performer   of   sacrifices, attached   to   the righteous   path   of   life,   attracting   all   towards   him,   approximating   to the sages   and   the   seers   in   stature,   famed   in   the   three   worlds,strong through   military   power,   crusher   of   enemy   forces,   having   a   host   of well-wishers,   subduer   of   the   senses,   equal   to Indra and Kubera in   terms   of wealth   and   other   possessions,   resided   and   protected   the   territory,   in   the manner   in   which   the   greatly   resplendent   emperor   Manu   afforded   protection to   the   entire   world   (1-4).
tEn   sÏya¢BsÓDEn   ¢æOvgImn¤¢t¿ta   .
pa¢lta   sa   p¤r£   ½E¿a   S@ENEvamravt£   ¡5¡

tEn

by him

sÏya¢BsÓDEn

keen in following the path of truth

¢æOvgI|

the three (dharma, Artha and Kama)

An¤¢t¿ta

staunchly following

pa¢lta

protected

that

p¤r£

city

½E¿a

fine

S@EN

by Indra

Amravt£

Amaravathi (capital city of heaven)

That   top-notch   capital   city   was   well   administered,   like   the   (celestial metropolis)   Amaravati   by   Indra,   by   him,   who   was   given   to perseverence in truth   and   observance   of   the   three-fold   aim   of   life   (righteousness,acquisition   of   wealth   and   enjoyment   of   desires)   (5).
t¢Þmn¯   p¤rvrE   ¶¾a   DmaIÏmanaE   bh^½¤ta:   .
nraÞt¤¾a   DnW:   ÞvW:   ÞvWrl¤ÖDa:   sÏyva¢dn:   ¡6¡

t¢Þmn¯

in that

p¤rvrE

best of cities

¶¾a:

happy

DmaIÏman:

righteous people

bh^½¤ta:

well learned in the shastras

nra:

the people

t¤¾a:

contented

DnW:

with wealth

ÞvW: ÞvW:

one's own

Al¤ÖDa:

not greedy

sÏyva¢dn:

always speaking the truth

In   that   city   were   people   always   happy,   attached   to righteous life,
well-read,   content   with   whatever   they   had,   devoid   of   greed   and   given   to truthful   conduct   (6).
naÚps¢°cy:   k¢àdas£äO¢Þmn¯   p¤raEäOmE   .
kz¤Øb£   yaE   /a¢sÑGaTaI{gvaáDnDaÓyvan¯   ¡7¡

not

AÚps¢°cy:

of meagre means

k¢àt¯

one

Aas£t¯

there

t¢Þmn¯

that

p¤raEäOmE

in the great city

kz¤Øb£

householder

whoever

¢h

verily

A¢sÑGaTI:

living in vain

AgvaáDnDaÓyvan¯

without cows, horses, wealth or foodgrains

In   that   gem   of   a   place,   there   was   no   householder   who had little   riches,who possessed   no   cow,   horse,   wealth   or   foodgrains, and   who   was   unsuccessful   in his   goal   or   pursuit   (7).

kam£   va   n   kdyaI   va   n¦S|s:   p¤âx:   ¢ct¯   .
d#¾¤|   SÀymyaEÒyaya|   na¢v¹a°   c   na¢Þtk:   ¡8¡

kam£

greedy

kdyI:

petty or mean

n¦S|s:

cruel

p¤âx:

man

¢ct¯

nowhere

d#¾¤|

to see

SÀy|

able

AyaEÒyaya|

in Ayodhya

not

A¢v¹an¯

ignorant

not

and

na¢Þtk:

atheist

There   was   also   not   to   be   seen   there   a   man   who   was   a   philanderer,   who   was mean,   compassionless,   unlearnt   or   a
disbeliever   in   God   (8).
svI   nraà   nayIà   DmIS£la:   s¤s|v¦ta:   .
u¢dta:   S£lv¦äOa×ya|   mhxIy   ivamla:   ¡9¡

nra:

men

and

nayI:

women

and

DmIS£la:

by habit righteous

s|v¦ta:

full of humility

u¢dta:

possessed of

S£lv¦äOa×ya|

good habits and conduct

mhxIy:

great sages

Amla:

pure

All   men   and   women   (there)   were   habitually   righteous   in   outlook;   respectful to   others,   of   impeccable   conduct   and   character   and   comparable   to   the spotlessly   pure   great   sages   (9).
nakÎfl£   namkz£   na*Âv£   naÚpBaEgvan¯   .
nam¦¾aE   nan¤¢lçOaÄñaE   nas¤gÓDà   ¢vïtE   ¡10¡

not

AkÎfl£

without earrings

not

Amkz£

sans headgear

not

A*Âv£

without garland

not

AÚpBaEgvan¯

with meagre pleasures

not

Am¦¾:

impure

not

An¤¢lçOaÄñ:

not having unguents smeared over the limbs

not

As¤gÓD:

not applying perfume

and

¢vïtE

was there

There was (again) none who did not wear ear-rings, head-gear, garland, of little enjoyment, none who was impure, who was without unguents smeared over the body or without application of perfumes (10).

PROCEED TO NEXT SLOKAS RETURN TO PREVIOUS SLOKAS RETURN TO INDEX OF BALA KANDA