Shloka 73

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चिच्चायव्यये युक्ता: सर्वे गणकलेखका: । अनुतिष्ठ न्ति पूर्वाह्नि नित्यमायं व्ययं तव,तुम्हारी आमदनी और खर्चको लिखने और जोड़नेके काममें लगाये हुए सभी लेखक और गणक प्रतिदिन पूर्वाह्निकालमें तुम्हारे सामने अपना हिसाब पेश करते हैं न?

Transliteration

kaccic cāyavyaye yuktāḥ sarve gaṇaka-lekhakāḥ | anutiṣṭhanti pūrvāhṇe nityam āyaṃ vyayaṃ tava ||

Translation

Nārada dit : «Tous tes scribes et comptables—ceux qui sont chargés d’inscrire recettes et dépenses—sont-ils dûment à l’œuvre ? Te présentent-ils chaque jour, dans la matinée, les comptes réguliers de tes revenus et de tes débours ?»

Word by Word

कच्चित्whether? surely? (interrogative particle)

चand

आयव्ययेin income and expenditure

युक्ताःengaged, appointed

सर्वेall

गणकलेखकाःaccountants and scribes

अनुतिष्ठन्तिthey carry out / they attend (to their duty)

पूर्वाह्निin the forenoon

नित्यम्daily, always

आयम्income

व्ययम्expenditure

तवof you / your

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

gaṇakāḥ (accountants)

lekhakāḥ (scribes/clerks)

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?

A ruler’s dharma includes transparent, regular oversight of revenue and expenditure through competent officials; disciplined accounting is presented as an ethical pillar of good governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada, in a sequence of welfare-questions to a king, asks whether the appointed scribes and accountants diligently present daily forenoon reports of income and expenses—testing the king’s administrative vigilance.