Shloka 103

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चिदेषा च ते बुद्धिर्वत्तिरेषा च तेडनघ । आयुष्या च यशस्या च धर्मकामार्थदर्शिनी,पापरहित युधिष्ठिर![ अबतक जैसा बतलाया गया है, उसके अनुसार ही तुम्हारी बुद्धि और वृत्ति (विचार और आचार) हैं न? ऐसी धर्मानुकूल बुद्धि और वृत्ति आयु तथा यशको बढ़ानेवाली एवं धर्म, अर्थ तथा कामको पूर्ण करनेवाली है

Transliteration

kaccideṣā ca te buddhir vṛttir eṣā ca te 'nagha | āyuṣyā ca yaśasyā ca dharmakāmārthadarśinī ||

Translation

নারদ বললেন—হে পাপহীন! তোমার বুদ্ধি কি এমনই, আর তোমার আচরণও কি তদনুরূপ? কারণ ধর্মানুগ বুদ্ধি ও জীবনাচার আয়ু ও যশ বৃদ্ধি করে এবং ধর্ম, অর্থ ও কাম—এই পুরুষার্থগুলির যথার্থ বোধ এনে তাদের সিদ্ধি সাধন করে।

Word by Word

कच्चित्whether? (I hope/indeed?)

एषाthis

चand

तेof you/your

बुद्धिःintellect, judgment

वृत्तिःconduct, behavior

एषाthis

चand

तेof you/your

अनघO sinless one

आयुष्याpromoting long life

चand

यशस्याbringing fame

चand

धर्मकामार्थदर्शिनीshowing (the way to) dharma, kāma and artha

पापरहितO sinless (free from sin)

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Yudhiṣṭhira

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Nārada stresses integrity between thought and action: a dharma-aligned intellect (buddhi) must be matched by dharma-aligned conduct (vṛtti). Such alignment supports a flourishing life—longevity and good fame—and guides the proper pursuit of the human aims (dharma, artha, kāma).

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada addresses Yudhiṣṭhira with a probing, respectful question, checking whether the king’s inner judgment and outward behavior truly conform to the dharmic standards previously described, and reminding him of the benefits and completeness that follow from such conformity.