The city of Ayodhyā stood as a marvel upon the earth, its deep and fortified moats making it nearly unapproachable to outsiders. Within its protective embrace, Ayodhyā was alive with the sounds and movements of countless horses, elephants, cattle, camels, and donkeys. Encircling the city, vassal kings gathered in tribute, and merchants from distant lands filled its avenues, adding to its splendor and prosperity. Ayodhyā’s skyline gleamed with palaces adorned with precious jewels, rising like mountains, and with lofty mansions that rivaled the celestial city of Amarāvatī, the abode of Indra. The city itself was laid out like a chessboard, orderly and beautiful, filled with noble women, every kind of jewel, and celestial mansions that added to its grandeur. Its foundations were deep and unbroken, established firmly on level ground. The city was abundant with stores of rice and barley, and its waters were sweetened by the juice of sugarcane. From within, the city resounded with the music of drums, mridangas, veenas, and panavas, echoing across the earth. Its dwellings were well-arranged, filled with noble men, and shone like the palaces attained by the Siddhas in heaven through their austerities. Here lived warriors of exceptional skill, who never missed their mark, whether striking distant or close targets, and who could aim by sound alone, their hands light and expert. These were men who, with sharp weapons and the strength of their arms, brought down roaring lions, tigers, and wild boars in the forest. King Daśaratha filled his city with thousands of such great chariot-warriors. Surrounding the city were virtuous and eminent twice-borns, masters of the six branches of the Vedas, thousands of truth-devoted souls, and sages who resembled the great rishis and pure ascetics. This, then, is the Ayodhyā spoken of in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, in the Bāla Kāṇḍa. In that city, there lived a king learned in the Vedas, possessing all knowledge, farsighted, and radiant like the sun—beloved by both the citizens and the country folk. Among the Ikṣvākus, King Daśaratha was a mighty charioteer, a sacrificer devoted to righteousness, self-controlled, and a royal sage renowned throughout the three worlds. He was strong, a destroyer of enemies, friendly, and a master of his senses. In wealth and treasures, he was the equal of Indra and Kubera. Just as Manu, of great brilliance, was once the protector of the world, so too was Daśaratha its guardian. By his truthfulness and his observance of the threefold aims of life, Daśaratha governed Ayodhyā as Indra rules Amarāvatī. In that foremost city, no one was poor; every householder was accomplished, possessing cows, horses, riches, and grain. There was no one desirous or miserly, nor cruel, nor ignorant, nor atheistic. Men and women alike were righteous in conduct, well-disciplined, joyful in character and behavior, and pure as great sages. No one was without earrings, or a crown, or a garland; none was deprived of enjoyment, unwashed, unadorned, or lacking in pleasant fragrance. No one ate unclean food, nor was there a non-giver, nor anyone without armlets, necklaces, or hand ornaments, nor anyone lacking self-control. In Ayodhyā, none neglected the sacred fire, none failed to perform sacrifices, and there was no miser, thief, person of bad conduct, or of mixed caste. The Brāhmaṇas were ever devoted to their duties, self-restrained, charitable, learned, and modest in accepting gifts. There was no atheist, no liar, no one lacking in learning, no envy, no incapacity, and no one unwise. All were learned in the six branches of knowledge, firm in their vows, generous, and free from poverty or affliction. Every man and woman was blessed with fortune and beauty, and all were devoted to their king. Among the higher three castes, all worshipped the gods and guests, were grateful, generous, heroic, and valiant. The people lived long, righteous lives, always together with their sons, grandsons, and wives in that foremost of cities. The kṣatriyas supported the brāhmaṇas, the vaiśyas served the kṣatriyas, and the śūdras performed their own duties, serving the three higher castes faithfully. The city was well protected by Daśaratha, the lord of the Ikṣvāku line, just as Manu had once guarded it in ancient times. Ayodhyā was filled with warriors as fierce as fire—skilled, gracious, unyielding, and accomplished in every art, like a cave full of lions. The best horses from Kāmboja and Bāhlīka, and from the forests and rivers, filled the city. There were intoxicated elephants from the Vindhya mountains and the Himalayas, mighty as mountains themselves. Elephants descended from the lineages of Airāvata and Mahāpadma, and those emerging from Añjana and Vāmana mountains, were found there, as well as the bhadra, mandra, mṛga, bhadramandra, bhadramṛga, and mṛgamandra breeds. Always filled with such intoxicated elephants, Ayodhyā—also known as Satyanāmā—stretched for more than two yojanas, where King Daśaratha dwelled and protected the world. That great and radiant king ruled his city, subduing his enemies, like the moon shining among the stars. Thus, Ayodhyā, named Satyanāmā, with strong gates and bars, adorned with splendid houses, auspicious and crowded with thousands of men, was ruled by a king equal to Indra himself. Thus ends the seventh sarga in the Bālakāṇḍa of the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa.