Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 174
Nityā-paṭala-prakaraṇa
The Exposition of the Nityā-paṭala
अरातेश्चतुरंगं तु बलं रोगार्द्दितं भवेत् । तेनास्य विजयो भूयान्निधनेनापि वा पुनः ॥ १७४ ॥
arāteścaturaṃgaṃ tu balaṃ rogārdditaṃ bhavet | tenāsya vijayo bhūyānnidhanenāpi vā punaḥ || 174 ||
Mais si l’armée quadripartite de l’ennemi est accablée par la maladie, alors la victoire devient très probable—soit par cet affaiblissement même, soit encore, fût-ce par la mort de l’ennemi.
Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: vira (heroic)
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka (fear)
FAQs
It frames victory and defeat as outcomes influenced by observable conditions (like disease), urging a dharmic ruler to read circumstances carefully and avoid reckless violence.
Bhakti is not stated directly here; the verse belongs to technical guidance. Indirectly, it supports a devotee-king’s humility—success is not only personal prowess but also depends on larger forces that one should approach with restraint and reliance on dharma.
It reflects applied prognostics aligned with Jyotiṣa/Śakuna-style reasoning: the enemy army’s illness is treated as a concrete sign indicating a high probability of victory (or the enemy’s collapse).