Chapter summary
अयोध्यामाहात्म्यम् Ayodhyā Māhātmyam
The Glory of Ayodhya
**The revered Sadguru said:**
I shall now recount the supreme and auspicious glory of Ayodhya, the very place where the Lord Himself, the master of Vaikuṇṭha, chose to descend. This sacred spot on earth, also known as Sāketa, is the supreme abode where Vaiṣṇavas, deeply devoted to the meditation of Śrī Rāma, find their joy. Among the seven cities renowned as givers of liberation—Ayodhya, Mathurā, Māyā [Haridwar], Kāśī [Varanasi], Kāñcī [Kanchipuram], Avantikā [Ujjain], and Dvāravatī [Dwarka]—Ayodhya stands as the foremost, a divine city that purifies the worlds, resplendent on the banks of the Sarayū. Indeed, the profound spiritual merit one accrues by residing in Kāśī for sixty thousand years is fully obtained by merely spending a moment in the city of Daśaratha’s son. For the Lord God Nārāyaṇa, the master of all worlds, never abandons Ayodhya, a city unconquered both here on earth and even in Vaikuṇṭha itself. (v.1-6)
Victorious beyond compare is Ayodhya, more splendid even than heaven. It was built by Vaivasvata Manu on the banks of the Sarayū, in the prosperous and joyous land of Kosala, a place perfectly suited for happy dwelling. This city of Ayodhya is supremely victorious, for within its bounds resided the illustrious ornaments of the solar dynasty: Ikṣvāku, Śaibya, Mucukunda, Nṛga, Ambarīṣa, Māndhātṛ, Alarka, Raghu, Gādhi, Bhagīratha, and many other revered kings. In ancient times, King Daśaratha, venerated even by the king of the gods, dwelt here with his three wives and ministers. He protected the world and was honored by sages, and even today, his sacred fame shines brightly across the earth. It was to him that Hari Himself, Lord Viṣṇu, the master of all sacrifices, came as a son in four forms, having been worshipped by the king in a duly performed sacrifice and prayed to by the hosts of gods for the welfare of all worlds. (v.7-10)
Blessed indeed in this world is the river Sarayū, whose rich sands bear the indelible marks of Śrī Rāma’s lotus feet. Upon its banks, the best of the Raghus, accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa and his friends, constantly sported. After slaying the hordes of Rākṣasas led by Subāhu in battle at Siddhāśrama, the Lord journeyed to the city of Videha, broke the mighty bow, and wedded the daughter of King Janaka. Thereafter, He returned to Sāketa with His kinsmen. Blessed are the mothers, led by Kausalyā! Blessed is the father, the emperor of the three worlds! Blessed are those brothers and friends! And blessed is the daughter of Videha, and truly blessed is the city itself! What person on earth, having glimpsed this truth, would not take refuge in this city of truth, abandoning even the ultimate state of bliss, nectar, and the supreme abode? For it was here, in the royal palace, that the divine couple, charming to all worlds, lovingly sported every day. (v.11-14)
Yet, devoted to His father’s word, the great-souled Rāma gave that holy and unconquered city to His brother. Accompanied by the daughter of Videha and Lakṣmaṇa, He departed for the forest and resided on the peak of Citrakūṭa. When King Daśaratha, alas, ascended to heaven, overcome by grief for his son, what accomplished soul in the world today would not worship Nandigrāma? For it was there that Bharata, residing in profound devotion, worshipped the sandals of the Lord of the Raghus. (v.15-16)
While wandering in the forests, Rāma slew the formidable Khara and Dūṣaṇa. Distressed by separation from the daughter of Videha, and aided by Sugrīva, the son of Vāyu (Hanumān), and Jāmbavān, He built a bridge across the ocean and journeyed to Laṅkā. Having vanquished the night-wanderers led by the ten-headed Rāvaṇa, and bestowing the city of the Rākṣasas upon Vibhīṣaṇa, He recovered the daughter of Videha. Then, seated in the Puṣpaka chariot with His brothers, He returned to His own capital. This city is indeed the capital of the Lord of the Raghus, where the revered Vasiṣṭha, seating Him on a golden, jewel-studded throne, performed the coronation of Him who is served by all the immortals. What person on earth would not take refuge in that city of the Lord of the Raghus, where the best of the Raghus, residing with the daughter of Videha and His brothers, ruled the world as its sole friend and performed countless sacrifices? (v.17-20)
After ruling the kingdom for ten thousand years, the Lord, along with all the birds, animals, creatures, and people, descended into the Sarayū with His kinsmen and lovingly disappeared. This very spot is known as Gopratāra. His two sons, Lava and Kuśa, distressed by separation from the Lord, approached Vasiṣṭha. Following his instruction, they built a temple for the image of their father and swiftly performed its consecration in that excellent city. Even today, the son of Raghu, along with the daughter of Videha and His brothers, maintains His divine presence here. Here too are His devotees, led by Hanumān, and thus, the capital of Rāghava continues to shine on earth. (v.21-23)
Blessed is he on earth who, having once obtained a human birth in the holy land of Bhārata—a birth desired even by the gods—journeys to the city of Rāma, bathes in the sacred waters of the Sarayū, and worships the best of the Raghus there. Truly, the most blessed of the blessed is he who, detached from worldly concerns, resides in the divine city of Sāketa, devoted to the contemplation of Śrī Rāma in the company of holy men, sustaining his bodily journey solely on alms-food, and living thus every day. For him who makes his abode in a pavilion on the bank of the Sarayū in this capital, daily listening to and reading the supreme and sacred Rāmāyaṇa of the Lord of the Raghus, the vision of Śrī Rāma is indeed easily attained. And he who, a connoisseur of devotion, constantly chants the mantra of Śrī Rāma with supreme faith while living here with the servants of Rāma, attains the highest bliss and never desires even the world of Viṣṇu. (v.24-27)
By merely hearing this wonderful, supreme, and sacred glory of the eternal city named Sāketa, this divine land protected by the Lord of the Raghus, one would surely obtain the grace of Rāghava’s glance. There is no place in all the worlds like Ayodhya, where people unceasingly chant "Śrī Rāma, Rāma." At Gopratāra, in the Sarayū, merely by offering sesame and water, all ancestors are instantly satisfied, nourished by Viṣṇu’s grace. Sāketa, this auspicious place and supreme Vaiṣṇava abode, is where a good deed, even if performed by chance, becomes a hundred million times more fruitful. For one who resides in Ayodhya even for a moment, by chance, his birth is rendered fruitful, and he is indeed the most fortunate one on earth. A human birth is difficult to obtain, visiting holy places is difficult to obtain, but for mortals, the sight of Ayodhya is exceedingly rare and difficult to attain. The pilgrimage to the city of Ayodhya, which bestows all auspiciousness, is indeed obtained by humans only through the boundless grace of Rāma. (v.28-34)
Thus concludes the fifteenth chapter, named "The Glory of Ayodhya," in the first part of the "Divya Deśa Vaibhavam" composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
