Shloka 64

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चिदष्टाड्रसंयुक्ता चतुर्विधबला चमू: । बलमुख्यै: सुनीता ते द्विषतां प्रतिवर्धिनी

Transliteration

kaccid aṣṭāḍrasa-saṃyuktā caturvidha-balā camūḥ | balamukhyaiḥ sunītā te dviṣatāṃ prativardhinī ||

Translation

നാരദൻ പറഞ്ഞു—നിന്റെ സൈന്യം അഷ്ടാദശാംഗസമ്പന്നവും ചതുര്വിധബലസമന്വിതവും ആണോ? നിന്റെ പ്രമുഖ സേനാനായകർ അതിനെ നന്നായി നയിച്ച് ശത്രുക്കൾക്കെതിരേ ശക്തി വർധിപ്പിക്കുന്നുണ്ടോ?

Word by Word

कच्चित्whether (indeed)? / I hope

अष्ट-अङ्ग-संयुक्ताendowed with eight parts (i.e., eightfold-equipped)

चतुर्विध-बलाhaving four kinds of forces (fourfold army)

चमूःarmy

बल-मुख्यैःby the chief men of the army / by leading commanders

सु-नीताwell-led, well-guided

तेof you / your

द्विषताम्of enemies

प्रतिवर्धिनीincreasing (i.e., overpowering) [them]

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

camū (army)

balamukhya (chief commanders)

dviṣat (enemies)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s dharma includes vigilant governance: maintaining a well-organized, properly commanded, and adequately composed army is an ethical duty for protecting the realm and deterring hostile forces.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada, in the course of advising and assessing royal preparedness, asks whether the king’s army is complete in its standard constituents, strong in the fourfold divisions, and effectively led by capable commanders so that it can counter enemies.