The great janapada of Kosala was prosperous and happy. It possessed a lot of wealth and grain and was located on the banks of the Sarayu, with a capital in Ayodhya. Manu himself constructed that city. It was 12 yojanas (8-9 miles) long and three yojanas wide. It was beautiful and spread out, divided by highways. The large royal roads were laid out properly. They were always sprinkled with water and flowers were strewn on them. The king was Dasharatha. There were gates and arches. There were machines and implements of war everywhere, constructed by artisans. There were bards and minstrels everywhere. There were tall walls with standards, surmounted by hundreds of shataghnis. (A shataghni is a weapon that can kill one hundred at one stroke.) Everywhere, the city was also full of large numbers of dancers and actors. There were mango groves and a giant wall formed a girdle around the city. There were moats that were difficult to cross. Thus, the fortification was impossible for others to breach. (The word puri suggests a fortified city.) It was populated by horses, elephants, cattle, camels and donkeys. Large numbers of vassal kings came from the frontiers to offer tribute. Merchants and residents of many countries came there. The palaces were embedded with jewels and were as beautiful as mountains. The city was full of large number of beautiful women and was wonderfully laid out, like an ashtapada board. (Ashtapada was a game, probably a precursor to chess.) It was encrusted with gems everywhere and the mansions were like celestial vehicles. The houses were densely constructed on level ground and there was no space between them. There were stores of shali rice and the water was like the juice of sugarcane. There were drums, percussion instruments, veenas and cymbals. These were sounded loudly, signifying that this was the best city on earth. The archers there were skilled and dexterous of hand. There were the best among Brahmanas, accomplished in the Vedas and the Vedangas.

sacred city

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Re-Imaginning Benares