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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.6.9

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

1.6.9

sarve narāś ca nāryaś ca dharmaśīlāḥ susaṃyatāḥ
muditāḥ śīlavṛttābhyāṃ maharṣaya ivāmalāḥ

All, both men and women, were of righteous character, well-controlled and cheerful, spotless in conduct and behaviour like great sages.

Words: sarve — all; narāś ca — and the men; nāryaś ca — and the women; dharmaśīlāḥ — of righteous character; susaṃyatāḥ — well restrained; muditāḥ — joyful, cheerful; śīlavṛttābhyāṃ — in character and conduct; maharṣaya — great sages; ivāmalāḥ — spotless, like

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. 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.