The World of Valmiki-02
1. Society and Culture
2. Knowledge base
3. Statecraft
4. Philosophy, Religion and Code of Conduct
5. Nature
6. Allusions
7. Geography
[Note: At some places I have added short notes (in italics). I generally refer to two commentators Sri. Govindaraja and Sri. Maheswarateertha(Teertha). At the end of a passage the number given refers to Kanda/ sarga/ Sloka.]
1. Society and Culture
1.1.1 Cities and citizen
Ayodhya
अयोध्या नाम नगरी तत्रासील्लोकविश्रुता।
मनुना मानवेन्द्रेण या पुरी निर्मिता स्वयम्॥
आयता दश च द्वे च यॊजनानि महापुरी ।
श्रीमती त्रीणि विस्तीर्णा सुविभक्तमहापथा ॥
राजमार्गेण महता सुविभक्तेन शोभिता ।
मुक्तपुष्पावकीर्णेन जलसिक्तॆन नित्यशः ॥
तां तु राजा दशरथो महाराष्ट्रविवर्धनः ।
पुरीमावासयामास दिवं देवपतिर्यथा ॥
कवाटतोरणवतीं सुविभ्क्तान्तरापणाम् ।
सर्वयन्त्रायुधवतीमुपेतां सर्वशिल्पिभिः ।
सूतमागधसम्बाधां श्रीमतीमतुलप्रभाम् ।
उच्चाट्टालध्वजवतीं शतघ्नीशतसंकुलाम् ।
वधूनाटकसंघैश्च संयुक्तां सर्वतः पुरीम् ।
उद्यानाम्रवणोपेतां महतीं सालमेखलाम् ।
दुर्गगम्भीरपरिघां दुर्गामन्यैर्दुरासदाम् ।
वाजिवारणसम्पूर्णाम् गोभिरुष्ट्रैः खरैस्तथा ।
सामन्तराजसंघईश्च बलिकर्मभिरावृताम् ।
नानादेशनिवासैश्च वणिग्भिरुपशोभिताम् ।
प्रासादै रत्नविकृतैः पर्वतैरुपशोभिताम् ।
कूटागारैश्च संपूर्णामिन्द्रस्येवामरावतीम् ।
चित्रामष्टापदाकारां वरनारीगणैर्युताम् ।
सर्वरत्नसमाकीर्णां विमानगृहशोभिताम् ।
गृहगाढामविच्छिद्रां समभूमौ निवेशिताम् ।
शालितण्डुलसंपूर्णामिक्षुकाण्डरसोदकाम् ।
दुन्दुभीभिर्मृदंगैश्च वीणाभिः पणवैस्तथा ।
नादितां भृशमत्यर्थं पृथिव्यां तामनुत्तमाम् ।
विमानमिव सिद्धानां तपसाधिगतं दिवि ।
सुनिवेशितवेश्मान्तां नरोत्तमसमावृताम् ।
ये च बाणैर्नविध्यन्ति विविक्तमपरापरम् ।
शब्दवेध्यं च विततं लघुहस्ता विशारदाः ।
सिंहव्याघ्रवराहाणां मत्तानां नर्दतां वने ।
हन्तारो निशितैः शस्त्रैः बलाद्बाहुबलैरपि ।
तादृशानां सहस्रैस्तामभिपूर्णाम् महारथैः ।
पुरीमावासयामास राजा दसरथस्तदा ॥ १/५/६-२१॥
There stood a city by name Ayodhya, built by Manu himself, the foremost among humankind. Its breadth was twelve yojanas, its length three.The great city which had well formed main roads was adorned by a well formed Royal Avenue, which was constantly sprinkled with water mixed with pearl-like flowers. King Dasaratha, the Great developer of a nation, ruled that city like Indra ruled the city of devas.The city had an entrance door with an arched door-way.The market areas were well formed. The city had all types of mechanical weapons. It was full of sculptors,charioteers and bards. It had festoons on tall mansions. It had hundreds of missiles*. There were drama troupes. All-round it was girdled by a fort full of gardens and mango-groves. It had a surrounding moat, which was deep and difficult to cross. There were in the city horses, elephants, cows, camels and donkeys. There were societies of vassal kings in the city. All around the city were spread the remains of religious offerings. The city was graced by merchants hailing from different countries. Adorned by mountain-like palaces inlaid with gems and full of secret chambers, the city looked like Amaravati of Indra. Thronged by groups of noble women, the richly hued city had the lay-out of a dice-board. Replete with all types of precious stones, the city was made beautiful by multi-storeyed buildings. The city built on a level ground was dense with houses built cheek by jowl. Endowed with plenty of rice and water, sweet like sugar cane, that city, non pareil, reverberated with the sounds of dundubhi, mRudanga and panava drums and the sound of veena. The city which had neatly arranged buildings and was inhabited by the best of people looked as if it was a vimana of Siddhas in the heavens obtained through penance. In that city there were thousands of great warriors (maharatha) who could kill the roaring wild lions, tigers and boars with sharp weapons and even with bare hands. They, who were experts in archery, never shot an arrow at an isolated soldier, a person who could not be seen (but only heard) or a person who neither had parents nor children. King Dasaratha ruled such a city. (1/5/6-22)
* It is also described as a sort of stone weapon studded with iron spikes.
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