Shloka 103

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चिदेषा च ते बुद्धिर्वत्तिरेषा च तेडनघ । आयुष्या च यशस्या च धर्मकामार्थदर्शिनी

Transliteration

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

Translation

Nārada said: “O sinless one, is your understanding truly such, and is your conduct also in accord with it? For an intellect and way of life aligned with dharma are life-giving and fame-bearing, and they rightly discern and fulfill the aims of dharma, wealth, and desire.”

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: whether? (I hope/indeed?)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित्

• एषा: this
• एषा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ते: of you/your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• बुद्धिः: intellect, judgment
• बुद्धिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वृत्तिः: conduct, behavior
• वृत्तिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• एषा: this
• एषा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ते: of you/your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• अनघ: O sinless one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनघ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• आयुष्या: promoting long life
• आयुष्या: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयुष्य
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• यशस्या: bringing fame
• यशस्या: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यशस्य
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• धर्मकामार्थदर्शिनी: showing (the way to) dharma, kāma and artha
• धर्मकामार्थदर्शिनी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मकामार्थदर्शिनी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• पापरहित: O sinless (free from sin)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापरहित
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Yudhiṣṭhira

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.