Shloka 48

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चिद्‌ बलस्य ते मुख्या: सर्वयुद्धविशारदा: । धृष्टावदाता विक्रान्तास्त्वया सत्कृत्य मानिता:,तुम्हारी सेनाके मुख्य-मुख्य दलपति सब प्रकारके युद्धोंमें चतुर, धृष्ट (निर्भय), निष्कपट और पराक्रमी हैं न? तुम उनका यथोचित सत्कार एवं सम्मान करते हो न?

Transliteration

kaccid balasya te mukhyāḥ sarvayuddhaviśāradāḥ | dhṛṣṭāvadātā vikrāntās tvayā satkṛtya mānitāḥ ||

Translation

Nārada berkata: “Katakan kepadaku, adakah para pemimpin utama tenteramu mahir dalam segala jenis peperangan—berani dan tidak gentar, lurus serta tidak tercemar dalam tingkah laku, dan benar-benar perkasa? Dan adakah engkau memuliakan mereka sewajarnya, menyambut mereka dengan hormat dan pengiktirafan yang patut?”

Word by Word

कच्चित्whether?, I hope (interrogative particle)

बलस्यof the army/force

तेyour

मुख्याःchief, principal

सर्व-युद्ध-विशारदाःskilled in all battles

धृष्टाःbold, fearless

अवदाताःpure, unblemished, straightforward

विक्रान्ताःvaliant, mighty

त्वयाby you

सत्कृत्यhaving honored, after duly receiving

मानिताःrespected, honored

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

army (bala)

chief commanders/leaders (mukhyāḥ)

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 strength depends not only on military skill but on ethical leadership: appoint capable, fearless, upright commanders and maintain their loyalty through proper respect, recognition, and fair treatment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada continues a sequence of welfare-questions to the ruler, probing the condition of the kingdom. Here he asks whether the army’s principal leaders are competent and virtuous, and whether the king honors them appropriately—an indirect test of governance and preparedness.