Valmiki Ramayana 1.5.20-22: Bala Kanda, Sarga 5, Shlokas 20-22
अयोध्यानगरवर्णनम्
Description of Ayodhya and the Ikshvaku Royal Setting
ये च बाणैर्न विध्यन्ति विविक्तमपरापरम् ।
शब्दवेध्यं च विततं लघुहस्ता विशारदाः ॥२०॥
सिंहव्याघ्रवराहाणां मत्तानां नर्दतां वने ।
हन्तारो निशितैश्शस्त्रैर्बलाद्बाहुबलैरपि ॥२१॥
तादृशानां सहस्रैस्तामभिपूर्णां महारथैः ।
पुरीमावासयामास राजा दशरथस्तदा ॥२२॥
ye ca bāṇair na vidhyanti viviktam aparāparam |
śabdavedhyaṃ ca vitataṃ laghuhastā viśāradāḥ ||20||
siṃhavyāghravarāhāṇāṃ mattānāṃ nardatāṃ vane |
hantāro niśitaiḥ śastrair balād bāhubalair api ||21||
tādṛśānāṃ sahasrais tām abhipūrṇāṃ mahārathaiḥ |
purīm āvāsayāmāsa rājā daśarathas tadā ||22||
यह शहर उन महारथियों से भरा था जो अकेली चीज़ को नहीं मारते थे। वो आवाज़ सुन के ही तीर चला देते थे, हाथ में तेज़ था। जंगल में शेर, बाघ और सुअर को मार देते थे, अपनी बाज़ू की ताकत से। राजा दशरथ इसी शहर में रहता था और राज करता था।
The city was inhabited by thousands of warriors known as maharathas. They were skilled archers and sharp-handed. They would not pierce with arrows, solitary persons, persons without defence, fleeing foes who could be tracked down through hints from sound. With sharp arrows or with the strength of their arms, they would killroaring and inebriated lions, tigers, boars etc. in the forest. It was in that city (of Ayodhya) that king Dasaratha lived.
FAQs
Yuddha-dharma: true warriors restrain violence—refusing to shoot the solitary and defenseless—while using their power to protect society from real threats.
The narrator describes Ayodhyā’s elite warriors and then situates King Daśaratha as the ruler dwelling in such a well-defended capital.
Disciplined valor: strength governed by ethical restraint and protective purpose.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.