Shloka 104
Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ
Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics
एतया वर्तमानस्य बुद्धया राष्ट्र न सीदति । विजित्य च महीं राजा सो>त्यन्तसुखमेधते
etayā vartamānasya buddhyā rāṣṭra na sīdati | vijitya ca mahīṁ rājā so ’tyantasukham edhate ||
Nārada said: “When a ruler conducts himself in accordance with this kind of discerning counsel, his kingdom does not fall into distress. Having conquered the earth, that king prospers day by day, flourishing in the highest happiness—because his governance is guided by sound judgment rather than impulse.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
A kingdom’s stability and a ruler’s flourishing depend on acting with sound buddhi (discernment). Wise, principled decision-making prevents the state from ‘sinking’ into crisis and leads to sustained prosperity and well-being.
Nārada is instructing about effective kingship: he summarizes the outcome of following the counsel just described—such conduct safeguards the realm from calamity and enables the king to expand and prosper.