Shloka 67

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चिदशभ्यवहार्याणि गात्रसंस्पर्शनानि च | प्रेयाणि च महाराज रक्षन्त्यनुमतास्तव

Transliteration

kaccid aśabhyavahāryāṇi gātrasaṃsparśanāni ca | preyāṇi ca mahārāja rakṣanty anumātās tava ||

Translation

નારદ બોલ્યા—હે મહારાજ, તમારા ભોજન-પાન, શરીરને સ્પર્શતા વસ્ત્રાદિ અને પ્રિય સુગંધદ્રવ્યો—આ બધાની રક્ષા શું તમારા અનુમોદિત વિશ્વસ્ત પુરુષો જ કરે છે?

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: whether?, I hope
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित्

• अशभ्यव्यवहार्याणि: things not to be handled by the unrefined / not to be dealt with improperly
• अशभ्यव्यवहार्याणि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशभ्य-व्यवहार्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• गात्रसंस्पर्शनानि: things for contact with the body (e.g., garments, unguents)
• गात्रसंस्पर्शनानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र-संस्पर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

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

• प्रेयाणि: dear, pleasant (things)
• प्रेयाणि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

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

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• रक्षन्ति: protect, guard
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• अनुमताः: approved, authorized (persons)
• अनुमताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुमत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Mahārāja (the king addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler must ensure strict, trustworthy control over intimate and consumable items—food, clothing, and personal luxuries—because negligence here invites harm, corruption, and loss of sovereignty; prudent kingship includes vigilance over one’s immediate environment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is conducting a probing inquiry into the king’s administration and personal safeguards, asking whether the king’s private-use items are protected by reliable, authorized attendants—an indirect test of the king’s alertness and quality of governance.