Shloka 31

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चिदर्थान्‌ विनिश्चित्य लघुमूलान्‌ महोदयान्‌ । क्षिप्रमारभसे कर्तु न विघ्नयसि तादृशान्‌,धनकी वृद्धिके ऐसे उपायोंका निश्चय करके, जिनमें मूलधन तो कम लगाना पड़ता हो, किंतु वृद्धि अधिक होती हो, उनका शीघ्रतापूर्वक आरम्भ कर देते हो न? वैसे कार्योंमें अथवा वैसा कार्य करनेवाले लोगोंके मार्गमें तुम विघ्न तो नहीं डालते?

Transliteration

kaccid arthān viniścitya laghu-mūlān mahodayān | kṣipram ārabhase kartuṁ na vighnayasi tādṛśān ||

Translation

Nārada said: “After carefully determining which undertakings require only a small initial outlay yet yield great returns, do you set about executing them promptly? And do you refrain from placing obstacles in the way of such enterprises—or of those who carry them out?”

Word by Word

• {'kaccit': 'whether

• I ask if (interrogative particle used in royal counsel)', 'arthān': 'matters of wealth

• profitable objectives', 'viniścitya': 'having ascertained

• having decided after examination', 'laghu-mūlān': 'having a small capital/base

• low-cost in origin', 'mahodayān': 'bringing great rise/profit

• yielding large gains', 'kṣipram': 'quickly

• without delay', 'ārabhase': 'you undertake

• you commence', 'kartuṁ': 'to do

• to accomplish', 'na vighnayasi': 'you do not obstruct

• you do not hinder', 'tādṛśān': 'such (undertakings/people of that kind)'}

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should practice prudent economic judgment: identify ventures with low initial cost and high benefit, act promptly to realize them, and avoid obstructing beneficial initiatives or capable agents. The ethical emphasis is on efficiency joined with non-interference in rightful, welfare-producing activity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada, in a sequence of probing questions on statecraft, tests the king’s administrative competence—specifically whether he evaluates profitable policies, implements them swiftly, and does not create needless impediments to such work or to those who undertake it.