Valmiki Ramayana 1.5.23: Bala Kanda, Sarga 5, Shloka 23
अयोध्यानगरवर्णनम्
Description of Ayodhya and the Ikshvaku Royal Setting
तामग्निमद्भिर्गुणवद्भिरावृतांद्विजोत्तमैर्वेदषडङ्गपारगैः ।
सहस्रदैस्सत्यरतैर्महात्मभिर्महर्षिकल्पै ऋषिभिश्च केवलैः ॥
tām agnimadbhir guṇavadbhir āvṛtāṃ dvijottamair vedaṣaḍaṅgapāragaiḥ |
sahasradaiḥ satyaratair mahātmabhir maharṣikalpaiḥ ṛṣibhiś ca kevalaiḥ ||
उस शहर में बड़े पंडित और धरम के रक्षक रहते थे। यह लोग वेदों के पूरा ज्ञान रखते थे, हमेशा दान देते थे, और सच बोलिया थे। इनके विचार इतने साफ थे जैसे बड़े रिशि होकर थे।
That city (of Ayodhya) was filled with excellent dwijas (brahmana, kshatriya and vaisyas) performing rituals of sacrificial fire, virtuous and well-versed in the Vedas and Vedangas. They were generous, truthful and dignified. They were almost equal to rishis and maharshis.ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē bālakāṇḍē pañcamassarga:৷৷Thus ends the fifth sarga of Balakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.
FAQs
A dharmic society rests on satya (truth), yajña-culture (sacred responsibility), learning, and dāna (generosity); these are presented as civic virtues that uphold the kingdom.
The narrator describes Ayodhyā as populated by learned, fire-keeping, truthful, and charitable elites—idealizing the city’s moral-spiritual ecology.
Collective virtue: truthfulness and disciplined learning among citizens as the foundation for righteous governance.
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