Shloka 6
Adhyāya 223: Nāradasya Guṇa-kathana
Catalogue of Nārada’s Virtues
स एव हाुस्तमयते स सम विद्योतते दिश:
sa eva hāstamayate sa samaṁ vidyotate diśaḥ | sa eva yathāsamayaṁ ālasyaṁ chittvā samantād diśaḥ prakāśayati, sa evāstam eti sa eva varṣati | brahman! taṁ baliṁ ahaṁ mṛgayamāṇo ’pi na paśyāmi | tvaṁ me rājānaṁ balikaṁ ācakṣva ||
قال بيشما: «هو وحده يأفل، وهو وحده يسطع على السواء مُنيرًا الجهات. وفي أوانه، إذ يطرح الكسل كلَّه، يضيء كل ناحية؛ وهو أيضًا يأفل، وهو أيضًا يُنزل المطر. يا براهمن، مع أني أبحث عن ذلك بَلي فلا أجده. فقل لي—دلّني على الملك بَلي.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames righteous kingship as harmonizing with cosmic order: timely action, removal of laziness, and beneficent governance that ‘illumines the quarters’ and brings seasonal prosperity (symbolized by rain). It implies that a true ruler’s dharma is energetic, timely, and life-sustaining.
Bhishma describes an exemplary figure associated with regular, sun-like and rain-giving functions—suggesting an ideal sovereign whose conduct sustains the world. He then tells a Brahman that despite searching he cannot find that Bali, and asks the Brahman to identify or point out King Balika.