Dasharatha and his All-time Role Model Capital Ayodhya ..... SIMPLIFIED AND FAITHFUL RENDERING OF THE ADI KAVYA-6 : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 Dasharatha and his All-time 

Role Model Capital Ayodhya

SIMPLIFIED AND FAITHFUL

RENDERING OF THE ADI KAVYA-6

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Ayodhya, the Capital City of Emperor Dasharatha, with all its pomp and glory, along with its grandeur town planning and disciplined residents in every aspect, was depicted magnificently by Valmiki in the Bala Kanda of the Sanskrit Ramayana. During the era of King Sagara, who was highly revered and reputed, and who deepened the oceans, belonging to the illustrious Ikshvaku dynasty, the Ramayana was presumed to have originated. Being such a legend, the Ramayana, endowed with values of probity, prosperity, and pleasure, deserves to be fully seen as a mirror of ethical statecraft. Ayodhya thus stands not merely as a city of the past but as a ‘Timeless Model’ reminding us that righteous administration and refined civic life are inseparable pillars of enduring civilization.

Kosala, the great kingdom, blissful, massive, and well-flourishing with wealth and grain, was situated snugly on the banks of the sacred Sarayu. Within it stood a world-renowned city built by Manu, the first ruler of mankind, under his personal supervision. That glorious city, Ayodhya, stretched twelve Yojanas in length and three in breadth, shining with royal highways always sprinkled with water and strewn with flowers. It was the city of order, abundance, and aesthetic beauty. The very roads that were perfumed and kept spotless symbolized civic pride and collective responsibility, an ethic modern cities can still learn from.

Dasharatha made Ayodhya his capital and abode. It was surrounded by gateways and archways, shaded by gardens and mango groves, and fortified with majestic walls resembling jeweled waistbands. Front yards were neat, homes grand, and workshops filled with machinery, weapons, and artisans of every kind. Multi-storied buildings studded with precious gems stood like Indra’s Amaravati. This was a city where security met splendor, and governance was inseparable from grace. The grandeur of Ayodhya reminds us that true prosperity is not in marble or gold but in the harmony between beauty, discipline, and purpose.

Though heavily populated, Ayodhya remained splendid with bastions, flags, and batteries of defense. Its cultural heartbeat came from dancers, artists, and theatre groups who lived alongside soldiers and scholars. Impenetrable to invaders and rich in animals of burden and luxury alike, its design was likened to Ashtapada, the ancient forerunner of chess. Every square of the city was thoughtfully conceived, reflecting balance and foresight. In every civilization, the true measure of progress lies in how art and defense, joy and vigilance, coexist with mutual respect.

Groups of graceful women moved elegantly through streets lined with ornate buildings, their presence adding charm to Ayodhya’s vigor. The city was dense yet orderly, built on level land where every space was put to good use. Rice was abundant, water sweet as sugarcane juice, and music of drums, veena and mridangam filled the air. The city seemed like a celestial station earned by sages through penance. The message resonates today, that disciplined planning, aesthetic sensibility, and the rhythm of culture together sustain a city’s soul far beyond its architecture.

Ayodhya was encircled by Vedic scholars constantly engaged in sacred fire rituals. Learned Brahmins, well-versed in the Vedas and their six limbs, lived without want or wrongdoing. None were immoral, none deceitful; atheism and falsehood found no shelter there. The Vedic teachers educated their students selflessly, accepting gifts with principle and restraint. In that Ayodhya there was no jealousy, no ignorance, and no idleness. Such a spiritual foundation shows that moral literacy is the truest education, a society guided by conscience never loses its direction.

All in Ayodhya were exuberant yet virtuous, learned yet humble, wealthy yet content. They valued truth, generosity, and justice above all. Every household possessed enough to live with dignity; greed and cruelty were unknown. People were self-controlled and self-satisfied, their conduct flawless. None starved, none withheld charity. This portrait of civic equality underlines that the worth of a kingdom lies not in its riches but in the fairness with which they are shared.

Longevity was common among the people. The warrior class, the Kshatriyas, looked up to the Brahmins for intellectual and spiritual guidance; the Vaishyas sustained trade and economy; and the Shudras worked diligently in their vocations helping all classes. Each performed their duty without resentment or rivalry. This interdependence reflected a social harmony rooted in responsibility rather than privilege. For any modern society, the enduring lesson is that when every role is honored and balanced, class or caste ceases to divide and begins to unite.

Emperor Dasharatha, scion of the Ikshvaku dynasty, was learned in the Vedas, devoted to rituals, and a collector of scholars and warriors. Esteemed alike by city dwellers and villagers, he was a fearless charioteer, saintly in conduct, mighty in valor, and a protector like Manu himself. His governance rested on truth, justice, and compassion. Dasharatha’s example teaches that a ruler’s greatness is not in conquest but in conscience, ruling by moral authority rather than mere might.

Ayodhya’s defense was unmatched. Warriors trained in archery, chariotry, and swordsmanship, with horses from Kambhoja, Bahlika, and Vanaayu, stood ready under Dasharatha’s command. Mighty elephants, strong as mountains, came from the Vindhyas and Himalayas. The city’s security was thus both material and moral. It reminds us that a state’s real strength lies not just in its army but in the discipline and unity that bind its defenders to their land.

Dasharatha’s ministers were models of wisdom, tact, and devotion to duty. Eight of them, Dhrishti, Jayantha, Vijaya, Suraashtra, Raashtravardhana, Akopa, Dharmapala, and Sumantra, served with integrity and diligence. The spiritual counsel of sages like Vashishta, Vamadeva, Suyajna, Jabali, Kashyapa, Gautama, Markandeya, Deerghaayu, and Katyayana further sanctified the court. Their combined guidance made governance a sacred trust, not a political privilege. It tells us that a ruler’s vision is only as pure as the wisdom of those who advise him.

The ministers were disciplined, scripturally learned, and steadfast in moral conduct. They neither spoke falsehood nor acted rashly. They were courageous yet calm, truthful yet tactful, and fully informed about their own realm and others. Their knowledge was both practical and philosophical. Such administrators remind us that real statesmanship demands a marriage of intellect and integrity, and one without the other, breeds decay.

The council of ministers excelled in administration, diligence, and discretion. Their fame spread beyond borders for their reasoning, moral clarity, and restraint. They were arbiters of war and peace, masters of diplomacy, and guardians of confidentiality. Every decision reflected collective wisdom and foresight. The essence for today’s governance is clear, that, transparency must coexist with prudence, and consultation with confidentiality, to preserve both efficiency and trust.

Dasharatha ruled through a network of vigilance and justice. Guided by spies yet governed by righteousness, he ensured fairness and truth in every decision. He was unrivalled among kings, a friend to many, conqueror of his foes, and protector of his subjects. Surrounded by loyal, efficient ministers, he shone in glory as the embodiment of dharma in action. The final message of Ayodhya and its king is timeless: when leadership blends morality with management, and faith with foresight, the state becomes not a power structure but a moral institution, a sanctuary of good governance for all time.

Ayodhya stands not as a relic of mythology but as a living metaphor for balanced civilization, where governance aligns with ethics, prosperity with compassion, and strength with restraint. Its story is not frozen in scripture but flows into every age that seeks order without oppression, culture without corruption, and power without pride. From Dasharatha’s Ayodhya to our own cities, the message endures that, a kingdom thrives not by the wealth but by the values it upholds.  Thus, Ayodhya remains eternally unconquered. Valmiki’s Poetic Acumen in describing Ayodhya’s perfection remains unmatched as a masterpiece from which even the best of modern town planners must learn.

‘Maharshi’ Valmiki to ‘Rajarshi’ Narendra Modi

Preserving the Rich Heritage of Ayodhya

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Guest at the Historical ‘Consecration Ceremony’ or ‘Pran Pratishtha’ in the newly built Ram Temple, in Ayodhya (India’s Uttar Pradesh) to be held on January 22, 2024 at the Auspicious Muhurta 12.20 PM, appealed to ‘public at large’ to light the ‘Ram Jyoti’ at home and celebrate the occasion, as Diwali but not crowd the City.

Pran Pratishtha, an important Temple Ritual, will invoke the life force in the 51-inch-tall idol of five-year-old Ram Lalla, the central figure in Ceremony, and designated by Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The seven-day Ceremony, commences on January 16 with rituals like ‘Atonement Ceremony, Dashvidh Bath, Vishnu Worship etc. Prior to this, the Trust Secretary Champat Rai launched the ‘Akshat Distribution Program’ on the New Years’ Day.

‘Rama Janma Bhoomi’ or Ayodhya’s innate Importance since Maharshi Valmiki’s time is immemorial. It was vividly described in Sanskrit Valmiki Ramayana, and the Legend was that, Ayodhya, then located on the banks of Sarayu River like now, with Ganga and Panchal Pradesh on one side and Mithila on the other side, was the Birth Place of Sri Rama.

The present Ayodhya is shrunk in size and Rivers too have changed their course. PM Modi, envisioned developing Ayodhya with world-class infrastructure, improved connectivity, revamped civic amenities, preserve, and protect its rich heritage. Towards this, on December 30, 2023, Modi inaugurated the renovated ‘Ayodhya Dham Railway Station’ building equipped with ultra-modern features, and the new ‘Maharishi Valmiki International Airport’.

            Lead roles and central characters in Valmiki Ramayana, Sitadevi, (Incarnation of Maha Laxmi) and Sri Ramachandramurthy, (Incarnation of Lord Vishnu) were born in Human Form in Tretha Yug, to establish righteousness. One fine morning, Valmiki was at River Tamasa for a Holy Bath and saw a couple of crane birds, near river's foreshore, flying in togetherness and chuckling delightfully.

He then noticed a hunter killing the male bird with his arrow which fell instantaneously on the ground reeling with blood covered wings. The female bird on seeing this, and out of state of compassion cuckooed with sorrow. In this scenario, Valmiki cursed the hunter and the sentences that he articulated surprisingly became a four-line stanza with each line equally postulated, with many meanings in it. That was the Genesis of Valmiki Ramayana.

Taking cue from there, Valmiki authored the legend Ramayana eulogizing Rama's prominence, with evenly worded verses, and words yielding great meanings which runs into 24,000 Sanskrit Shlokas. This literary poetic exposition acknowledged as the first ever one, in Sanskrit language was transcreated for the first-time verse by verse into Grammatical Telugu running into 24,000 stanzas, by great Telugu poet Vavilikolanu Subba Rau, adored as ‘Andhra Valmiki’ by the contemporary Sanskrit and Telugu Literary Scholars. These nine volumes literal metrical translation of Sanskrit Ramayana, Sri Madandhra Valmiki Ramayana Mandaram, penned hundred years ago, is widely known for its ‘Spiritual and General Encyclopedic’ nature.

Valmiki taught 24,000 shlokas composed by him to Lava and Kusha, the twin sons of Rama and Sita, born while Sita was in forests. They both sang the ballad among the groups of sages and saints in Ayodhya, and won laurels. Rama on hearing their performance, brought them to his palace, to listen to the ballad along with his brothers. That is how the 'Legend of Sita and Raghu Rama’ came to prominence first. The story begins with ‘Ayodhya’ a spiritually and righteously rich city from the times of ‘Maharshi’ Valmiki to ‘Rajarshi’ Narendra Modi.

The Sanskrit ‘Valmiki Version’ of Ramayana and its near word-to-word Telugu metrical translation of ‘Andhra Valmiki,’ narrated the earliest Ayodhya. In the Kosala country adjoining River Sarayu where all the people lived happily, there was a glorious city with well-devised royal highways called Ayodhya, surrounded with gateways and archways.

This greater Ayodhya with its natural beauty in all aspects, can only be compared with Heavenly Capital Amaravati. As Lord Maha Vishnu manifested in the form a human being there, the city came to be known as ‘Ayodhya,’ and, in His (Vishnu or Sri Rama) Service, there was Nirvana, a place of perfect peace and happiness, like heaven. ‘Ayodhya’ visioned by ‘Maharshi Valmiki’ and envisioned by ‘Rajarshi Modi’ is the city, what we see today!!!

Ayodhya ruled by Ikshvaka dynasty or Surya Vamsha kings, was encompassed with Vedic Scholars who always worshiped the Ritual Fire. Brahmins of Ayodhya were known for charity donating their wealth. Reciting Vedas, the sacred theology was their ceaseless activity. Kshatriyas evinced interest in the teachings of Brahmins, for intellectual and religious support. Trading class Vaisyas were supportive of king and helped in refining state’s economy. The working class, while performing their own duties, pursued their hereditary professions. All advocated truthfulness and were satisfied with their own riches without greed.

            Ayodhya City was well protected by king Dasharatha during his rule, ably assisted by his intelligent, capable, religious, virtuous, valorous, noble, courageous, effectual, good-natured ministers. Governance was made meaningful with their virtuous, skillful, and efficient administration. Without any distinction, everyone who lived in Ayodhya were virtuous, exuberant, scholarly, and learned in every aspect. Dasharatha having no children, while performing Vedic Ritual ‘Putra Kameshti’ to beget children, a heavenly being ‘Prajapatya Purusha’ emerged from the fire of Altar, with a gold vessel containing divine dessert and gave it to Dasharatha.

As advised by Prajapatya Dasharatha distributed the dessert to his three wives. In the twelfth month after Putra Kameshti, in the first month of Lunar new year, on the ninth day, in the constellation of Punarvasu, and when Sun, Mars, Jupitar, Venus as well as Saturn were in exaltation in their respective houses and when Aries, Capricornus, Cancer, Pisces, Libra, Jupitar and Moon were in conjunction, Dasharatha’s wife Kousalya gave birth to the incarnation of Universe, Lord Maha Vishnu, the ‘Sri Rama’ in Ayodhya. Ayodhya thus became the Birth Place of Sri Rama or Rama Janma Bhoomi.   

Modern history recorded a dispute that was started in 1528, when the land on which Babri Masjid Mosque stood, considered by Hindus to be the Birthplace of Rama. To put an end to this longstanding ‘Ayodhya Dispute,’ on November 9, 2019 the Five-Judge bench of Supreme Court, unanimously directed the Government of India to create a Trust to build the Ram Mandir Temple and form a Board of Trustees. SC also directed that the possession of the disputed 2.77 Acre land to be given to the Personification of the Hindu God, the ‘Ram Lalla Virajman,’ whom it identified as a ‘Juristic Person.’

The Apex Court reversed the 2010 Allahabad High Court Judgment and awarded the title to the deity, Shri Ram Virajman. On February 5, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of 15-member Trust to oversee construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The estimated cost of Rs 18,000 crores, is being funded through donations from public. First donation of one rupee was made by Union Government.

On August 5, 2020, PM Modi conducted Bhumi Puja and laid foundation stone. With change of design, the Ram Mandir will be almost double the size of what was originally planned. In the 70 Acres of Land Allocated to the Trust various temples are being built, featuring the Main Temple Complex of 2.7 Acres in which Shri Ram Idol will be placed as the central figure and worshipping will be done by the Devotees. It also features an octangular shaped Sanctum and a circular structure perimeter. The temple is enclosed by a four-cornered wall, ‘Prakara’ with a running length of nearly 750 meters. The uniqueness of the 14-feet wide wall lies in its double-storied structure, allowing devotees to perform Parikrama on the upper floor.

Undeniably, it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who richly deserves to be ‘Abundantly and Exceptionally’ credited with construction of Ram Mandir, and the entire Hindu Community is obliged to him for this. Former PM Late PV Narasimha Rao whose heart was set on constructing Ram Temple but in vain, Senior Advocate K Parasaran who successfully fought Ayodhya Dispute Case, and former ICS officer late KK Nair as Faizabad District Magistrate, who in 1949 restored Hindus Right to worship at the Rama Janma Bhumi, by defying Nehru orders, too, ‘Remotely Deserve Heart of Heart Greetings’ from every Indian. (Photographs courtesy Rama Bhakta JOGESH)