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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.6.8

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 6: Daśaratha and Ayodhyā’s inhabitants. Daśaratha rules a prosperous and disciplined population, supported by trained warriors, fine horses and powerful elephants

In the sequence: the city is portrayed as an ideal community: its people are content, truthful, prosperous, generous, well-dressed, and attentive to religious duties

1.6.8

kāmī vā na kadaryo vā nṛśaṃsaḥ puruṣaḥ kva cit
draṣṭuṃ śakyam ayodhyāyāṃ nāvidvān na ca nāstikaḥ

Nowhere was there a lustful man, a miser, or a cruel person; nor could an ignorant man or an unbeliever be seen in Ayodhyā.

Words: kāmī — a lustful man; vā — or; na — not; kadaryo — a miser; vā — or; nṛśaṃsaḥ — a cruel man; puruṣaḥ — person; kva cit — anywhere; draṣṭuṃ — to see, to be seen; śakyam — possible; ayodhyāyāṃ — in Ayodhyā; nāvidvān — nor an ignorant one; na ca — nor; nāstikaḥ — an unbeliever, atheist

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.