HomeRamayanaBala KandaSarga 5Shloka 14
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Shloka 14

अयोध्यानगरवर्णनम्

Description of Ayodhya and the Ikshvaku Royal Setting

सामन्तराजसङ्घैश्च बलिकर्मभिरावृताम् ।नानादेशनिवासैश्च वणिग्भिरुपशोभिताम् ।।।।

sāmantarājasaṅghaiś ca balikarmabhir āvṛtām | nānādēśanivāsaiś ca vaṇigbhir upaśobhitām ||

ਉਹ ਨਗਰੀ ਨੇੜਲੇ ਸਾਮੰਤ ਰਾਜਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਸਮੂਹਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਭਰੀ ਹੋਈ ਸੀ, ਜੋ ਬਲੀ-ਕਰਮ ਰੂਪ ਖਿਰਾਜ ਲਿਆਉਂਦੇ ਸਨ; ਅਤੇ ਅਨੇਕ ਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੱਸਦੇ ਵਣਜਾਰਿਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਉਹ ਹੋਰ ਵੀ ਸੁਸ਼ੋਭਿਤ ਸੀ।

sāmanta-rāja-saṅghaiḥwith hosts of feudatory kings
sāmanta-rāja-saṅghaiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण/Instrument—association)
TypeNoun
Rootsāmanta (प्रातिपदिक) + rāja (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅgha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (“groups of neighbouring/feudatory kings”)
caand
ca:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक
bali-karmabhiḥwith tribute-payments
bali-karmabhiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण/Instrument—means/association)
TypeNoun
Rootbali (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (कर्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (“tribute” + “acts/payments” = “tribute-payments/tribute duties”)
āvṛtāmsurrounded / thronged
āvṛtām:
Karma (कर्म/Object—qualifier of purīm)
TypeAdjective
Rootāvṛta (कृदन्त; ā-√vṛ/वृ “to cover, surround” + क्त)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (surrounded/thronged)
nānā-deśa-nivāsaiḥwith inhabitants from many lands
nānā-deśa-nivāsaiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण/Instrument—association)
TypeNoun
Rootnānā (अव्ययवत्) + deśa (प्रातिपदिक) + nivāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (“residents of various countries”)
caand
ca:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक
vaṇigbhiḥwith merchants
vaṇigbhiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण/Instrument—association)
TypeNoun
Rootvaṇij (वणिज् प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन
upa-śobhitāmadorned / embellished
upa-śobhitām:
Karma (कर्म/Object—qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootupa-√śubh (शुभ् धातु) + क्त (śobhita) with upa-
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (adorned/embellished)

It was embellished with a host of tributary kings who used to pay tributes and with merchants from different countries.

B
bali (tribute)

FAQs

Dharma appears as orderly polity and fair prosperity: tribute and trade indicate a structured political network and flourishing commerce under stable rule.

The narrator depicts the capital’s regional influence and cosmopolitan trade, showing it as a center of power and wealth.

Statesmanship: the implied virtue is the ability to sustain alliances, secure loyalty, and foster lawful economic exchange.