Shloka 62

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चित्‌ ते यास्यतः शत्रून पूर्व यान्ति स्वनुछिता: । साम दानं च भेदश्न दण्डश्व॒ विधिवद्‌ गुणा:,शत्रुओंपर तुम्हारे आक्रमण करनेसे पहले अच्छी तरह प्रयोगमें लाये हुए तुम्हारे साम, दान, भेद और दण्ड--ये चार गुण विधिपूर्वक उन शत्रुओंतक पहुँच जाते हैं न? (क्योंकि शत्रुओंको वशमें करनेके लिये इनका प्रयोग आवश्यक है।)

Transliteration

kaccit te yāsyataḥ śatrūn pūrvaṃ yānti svanuṣṭhitāḥ | sāma dānaṃ ca bhedaś ca daṇḍaś ca vidhivad guṇāḥ ||

Translation

ナーラダは言った。「敵に向けて軍を進める前に、汝がよく用いる方策は、正しい順序で先に彼らへ届いているか。すなわち、和睦（sāma）、贈与・懐柔（dāna）、離間（bheda）、そして刑罰・武力（daṇḍa）の四つである。これら四策は、法にかなって用いられるとき、敵を制するために欠かせぬ手段となる。」

Word by Word

• {'kaccit': 'whether indeed? (a probing, welfare-check question)', 'te': 'your', 'yāsyataḥ': 'when you are going / as you are about to march', 'śatrūn': 'enemies', 'pūrvam': 'beforehand, in advance', 'yānti': 'go, reach, are applied/extended', 'sv-anuṣṭhitāḥ': 'well-performed, properly carried out', 'sāma': 'conciliation, gentle persuasion, diplomacy', 'dānam': 'gift, concession, inducement', 'bhedaḥ': 'creating division, sowing dissension, strategic splitting of alliances', 'daṇḍaḥ': 'punishment, coercion, force, military action', 'vidhivat': 'according to proper method/rule', 'guṇāḥ': 'effective means/qualities (here: the four upāyas of statecraft)'}

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• enemies (śatravaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should not rush into open conflict; he should first employ the four classical upāyas—conciliation, inducement, division, and only then force—each in a disciplined, rule-governed manner. Ethical governance includes using the least harmful effective means before resorting to violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is questioning the king’s preparedness and prudence in dealing with adversaries. He asks whether the king’s diplomatic and coercive instruments are being properly deployed in advance, indicating a counsel on responsible kingship and strategic restraint.