Shloka 55

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चिद्‌ दारान्मनुष्याणां तवार्थ मृत्युमीयुषाम्‌ । व्यसन चाभ्युपेतानां बिभर्षि भरतर्षभ

Transliteration

kaccid dārān manuṣyāṇāṃ tavārtha mṛtyum īyuṣām | vyasanaṃ cābhyupetānāṃ bibharṣi bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

નારદ બોલ્યા—હે ભરતશ્રેષ્ઠ! જે લોકો તમારા હિત માટે મૃત્યુ પામ્યા છે અથવા ભારે આપત્તિમાં પડ્યા છે, તેમની પત્નીઓ અને પરિવારનું પાલન-રક્ષણ તમે કરો છો કે નહીં?

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: whether? (interrogative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित्

• दारान्: wives; households (dependents)
• दारान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मनुष्याणाम्: of men
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• तव: of you; your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• अर्थम्: for the sake (of); purpose
• अर्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ईयुषाम्: of those who have gone/attained (death)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: कृत् (क्त्वसु/क्वसु-प्रत्ययान्त, perfect active participle), Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• व्यसनम्: calamity; distress
• व्यसनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यसन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अभ्युपेतानाम्: of those who have fallen into/encountered (distress)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-उप-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• बिभर्षि: you support; you maintain/protect
• Type: Verb
• Root: भृ (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत-ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Bharatarṣabha (address to Yudhiṣṭhira / Bharata-line king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s dharma includes caring for dependents—especially the wives and children of those who died or suffered calamity in the ruler’s service—so that loyalty and sacrifice are met with protection, not abandonment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada, in a sequence of probing questions on royal conduct, asks the Bharata king whether he upholds his duty by maintaining and safeguarding the families of men who have died for him or have been overwhelmed by misfortune.