Editing Ayodhya (section)

== Etymology and names ==
The word "Ayodhya" is a regularly formed derivation of the [[Sanskrit]] verb ''yudh'', "to fight, or wage war".<ref>{{Cite web |title=yudh – KST (Online Sanskrit Dictionary) |url=https://kosha.sanskrit.today/word/en/yudh?q=yudh |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405025128/https://kosha.sanskrit.today/word/en/yudh?q=yudh |archive-date=5 April 2023 |access-date=11 June 2022 |website=kosha.sanskrit.today}}</ref> ''Yodhya'' is the future passive participle, meaning "to be fought"; the initial ''a'' is the negative prefix; the whole, therefore, means "not to be fought" or, more idiomatically in English, "invincible".{{sfn|Kunal, Ayodhya Revisited|2016|p=2}} This meaning is attested by the ''[[Atharvaveda]]'', which uses it to refer to the unconquerable city of gods.{{sfn|Bakker, The rise of Ayodhya as a place of pilgrimage|1982|p=103}} The ninth century [[Jain]] poem ''[[Adi Purana]]'' also states that Ayodhya "does not exist by name alone but by the merit" of being unconquerable by enemies. ''Satyopakhyana'' interprets the word differently, stating that it means "that which cannot be conquered by sins" (instead of enemies).{{sfn|Kunal, Ayodhya Revisited|2016|p=4}}

"Saketa" is the older name for the city, attested in Sanskrit, Jain, Buddhist, Greek and Chinese sources.{{sfn|Lutgendorf, Imagining Ayodhya|1997|p=22}} According to [[Vaman Shivram Apte]], the word "Saketa" is derived from the Sanskrit words ''Saha'' (with) and ''Aketen'' (houses or buildings). The ''Adi Purana'' states that Ayodhya is called Saketa "because of its magnificent buildings which had significant banners as their arms".{{sfn|Kunal, Ayodhya Revisited|2016|p=5}} According to [[Hans T. Bakker]], the word may be derived from the roots ''sa'' and ''ketu'' ("with banner"); the variant name ''saketu'' is attested in the ''[[Vishnu Purana]]''.{{sfn|Bakker, Ayodhya, Part 1|1984|p=12}}

The older name in English was "Oudh" or "Oude", and the princely state it was the capital of until 1856 is still known as [[Oudh State]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

Ayodhya was stated to be the capital of the ancient [[Kosala Kingdom|Kosala kingdom]] in the ''[[Ramayana]]''. Hence it was also referred to as "Kosala". The ''Adi Purana'' states that Ayodhya is famous as ''su-kośala'' "because of its prosperity and good skill".{{sfn|Kunal, Ayodhya Revisited|2016|p=5}}

The cities of [[Ayutthaya (city)|Ayutthaya]] (Thailand), and [[Yogyakarta]] (Indonesia), are named after Ayodhya.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Subrahmanyam |first=K |date=5 December 2018 |title=Ayodhya & Ayutthaya |language=en |work=[[The Economic Times]] |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/the-speaking-tree/ayodhya-ayutthaya/ |url-status=live |access-date=31 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831071339/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/the-speaking-tree/ayodhya-ayutthaya/ |archive-date=31 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Noorduyn |first=Jacobus |date=1986 |title=The Etymology of the Name of Yogyakarta |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/arch_0044-8613_1986_num_31_1_2272 |url-status=live |journal=Archipel |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=87–96 |doi=10.3406/arch.1986.2272 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831065837/https://www.persee.fr/doc/arch_0044-8613_1986_num_31_1_2272 |archive-date=31 August 2021 |access-date=31 August 2021}}</ref>