Shloka 97
Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ
Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics
कच्चित् ते सर्वविद्यासु गुणतोअ्डर्चा प्रवर्तते । ब्राह्मणानां च साधूनां तव नैःश्रेयसी शुभा । दक्षिणास्त्वं ददास्येषां नित्यं स्वर्गापवर्गदा:,क्या तुम्हारे मनमें सभी विद्याओंके प्रति गुणके अनुसार आदरका भाव है? क्या तुम ब्राह्मणों तथा साधु-संतोंकी सेवा-पूजा करते हो? जो तुम्हारे लिये शुभ एवं कल्याणकारिणी है। इन ब्राह्मणोंको तुम सदा दक्षिणा तो देते रहते हो न? क्योंकि वह स्वर्ग और मोक्षकी प्राप्ति करानेवाली है
kaccit te sarvavidyāsu guṇato 'rcā pravartate | brāhmaṇānāṃ ca sādhūnāṃ tava naiḥśreyasī śubhā | dakṣiṇās tvaṃ dadāsy eṣāṃ nityaṃ svargāpavargadāḥ ||
ナーラダは問うた。「汝の心には、あらゆる学芸に対するふさわしい敬意があり、その真の功徳に応じてこれを尊んでいるか。婆羅門と、清らかで徳ある聖者たちに仕え、礼拝しているか――それは吉祥にして、汝の至上の利益へと導く行いである。さらに、彼らに正当な贈与（ダクシナー dakṣiṇā）を絶えず施しているか。かかる布施は、天界と解脱の双方をもたらすと説かれる。」
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames righteous governance and personal dharma as grounded in (1) discerning respect for all forms of knowledge according to merit, (2) reverent service to brāhmaṇas and saintly people, and (3) regular, proper giving (dakṣiṇā/dāna). Such conduct is presented as both socially sustaining and spiritually fruitful—leading to worldly merit (svarga) and ultimate good (apavarga/mokṣa).
In the Sabha Parva context, the sage Nārada addresses a ruler with a series of ‘kaccit’ inquiries—probing whether the king is upholding key duties. Here he specifically tests the king’s commitment to honoring learning, supporting the virtuous, and maintaining generosity toward brāhmaṇas and holy persons, marking these as signs of stable, dharmic rule.