Shloka 115

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच कच्चिदभ्यागता दूराद्‌ वणिजो लाभकारणात्‌ । यथोक्तमवहार्यन्ते शुल्क शुल्कोपजीविभि:,नारदजीने पूछा--राजन्‌! कर वसूलनेका काम करनेवाले तुम्हारे कर्मचारीलोग दूरसे लाभ उठानेके लिये आये हुए व्यापारियोंसे ठीक-ठीक कर वसूल करते हैं न? (अधिक तो नहीं लेते?)

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | kaccid abhyāgatā dūrād vaṇijo lābhakāraṇāt | yathoktam avahāryante śulka-śulkopajīvibhiḥ ||

Translation

നാരദൻ പറഞ്ഞു—രാജാവേ! ലാഭം തേടി ദൂരദേശങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് വ്യാപാരികൾ വരാറുണ്ടോ? കൂടാതെ ചുങ്കം ഈടാക്കി ജീവിക്കുന്ന നിന്റെ ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥർ നിയമപ്രകാരം തന്നെയോ ചുങ്കം ഈടാക്കുന്നത്—അധികം ഒന്നും വാങ്ങുന്നില്ലല്ലോ?

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• कच्चित्: whether (I wonder), surely?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित्

• अभ्यागताः: arrived, come
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-आ-गम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• दूरात्: from afar
• दूरात्: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर

• वणिजः: merchants
• वणिजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• लाभकारणात्: for the sake/cause of profit
• लाभकारणात्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाभ-कारण
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• यथा: as, according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• उक्तम्: as stated, as prescribed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• अवहार्यन्ते: are taken/collected (as dues)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-हृ
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• शुल्कम्: toll, tax, duty
• शुल्कम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुल्क
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शुल्कोपजीविभिः: by those who live on/are employed in tax-collection
• शुल्कोपजीविभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुल्क-उपजीविन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• King (rājan)
• Merchants (vaṇijaḥ)
• Tax/toll collectors (śulka-upajīvinaḥ)
• Customs/tolls (śulka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s dharma includes ensuring fair, rule-bound taxation: revenue officers must collect only what is prescribed, avoiding exploitation of merchants and preventing corruption that harms prosperity and trust.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada continues his set of welfare-questions to the king, probing the health of the realm by asking whether trade is flourishing and whether customs officials levy duties properly rather than overcharging merchants.