Shloka 19
Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ
Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics
कच्चिदर्थेन वा धर्म धर्मेणार्थमथापि वा । उभौ वा प्रीतिसारेण न कामेन प्रबाधसे
kaccid arthena vā dharmaṁ dharmeṇārtham athāpi vā | ubhau vā prītisāreṇa na kāmena prabādhase ||
Nārada said: “Do you, out of attachment to wealth, ever injure dharma for the sake of gain—or, clinging only to dharma, neglect the rightful pursuit of artha? Or again, driven by desire whose strength is mere infatuation, do you harm both dharma and artha through indulgence in pleasures?”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse tests ethical balance: one should not sacrifice dharma for wealth, nor neglect legitimate artha in the name of dharma, and must especially guard against kāma-driven indulgence that destroys both moral duty and practical welfare.
Nārada, in a probing advisory tone, questions the ruler’s conduct—asking whether his governance and personal life are free from the common pitfalls of greed, one-sided ascetic rigidity, or pleasure-seeking that undermines both righteousness and prosperity.