Shloka 85

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चिदात्ययिकं श्रुत्वा तदर्थमनुचिन्त्य च । प्रियाण्यनुभवउ्छेषे न त्वमन्तःपुरे नृप,राजन! तुम कोई अमंगलसूचक समाचार सुनकर और उसके विषयमें बार- बार विचार करके भी प्रिय भोग-विलासोंका आनन्द लेते हुए अन्तःपुरमें ही सोते तो नहीं रह जाते?

Transliteration

kaccid ātyayikaṃ śrutvā tad-artham anucintya ca | priyāṇy anubhavo'cchese na tvam antaḥpure nṛpa ||

Translation

നാരദൻ പറഞ്ഞു— രാജാവേ! അമംഗളസൂചനയായ വാർത്ത കേട്ടും അതിന്റെ അർത്ഥം വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും ആലോചിച്ചും, പ്രിയഭോഗവിലാസങ്ങളിൽ മുങ്ങി അന്തഃപുരത്തിൽ തന്നെ കിടന്നു കഴിയുന്നില്ലല്ലോ?

Word by Word

कच्चित्whether? (I hope)

आत्ययिकम्calamitous, ominous (news/thing)

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

तत्that

अर्थम्meaning, import, purpose

अनुचिन्त्यhaving reflected upon, having considered repeatedly

चand

प्रियाणिpleasant things, dear/enjoyable (objects)

अनुभवin enjoyment/experience

उच्छेषेin excess, in indulgence (lit. surplus)

नnot

त्वम्you

अन्तःपुरेin the inner palace/royal apartments

नृपO king

राजन्O king

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

the king (nṛpa/rājan)

antaḥpura (inner palace apartments)

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 must not retreat into private pleasures when warned of danger; ethical kingship requires alertness, reflection, and timely action rather than complacency in comfort.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada questions the king’s conduct, probing whether—despite hearing ominous reports and thinking about them—he still remains in the inner palace enjoying luxuries, implying negligence of royal duty.