Shloka 20

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चिदर्थ च धर्म च काम च जयतां वर । विभज्य काले कालज्ञ: सदा वरद सेवसे

Transliteration

kaccid arthaṃ ca dharmaṃ ca kāmaṃ ca jayatāṃ vara | vibhajya kāle kālajñaḥ sadā varada sevase ||

Translation

ナーラダは言った。「勝者のうち最上なる者、恩恵を授ける王よ。時を知る者として、常に時刻を正しく配し、しかるべき季節と時に、人生の三目的—法（ダルマ dharma）、利（アルタ artha）、欲（カーマ kāma）—を、一つが他を侵さぬように修めているか。」

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: whether? (I hope)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित्

• अर्थम्: wealth/policy (artha)
• अर्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• धर्मम्: duty/righteousness (dharma)
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• कामम्: desire/pleasure (kāma)
• कामम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• जयताम्: may (they) prevail / be victorious
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: Lot (Imperative/benedictive sense), Parasmaipada, 3rd, Plural

• वर: O excellent one
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विभज्य: having divided/allocated
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-भज्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Active

• काले: in (proper) time
• काले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कालज्ञः: knower of time/season
• कालज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कालज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• वरद: O boon-giver
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरद
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सेवसे: you practice/you resort to/you cultivate
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव्
• Form: Lat (Present), Atmanepada, 2nd, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should pursue dharma, artha, and kāma in a balanced way, guided by proper timing and proportion, so that governance and personal life remain disciplined and ethically ordered.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada addresses the king with a respectful ‘kaccit’ inquiry, testing whether he governs and lives wisely—specifically, whether he knows how to allocate time so the three human aims are pursued appropriately.