Shloka 51
Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ
Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics
कच्चित् सर्वेडनुरक्तास्त्वां कुलपुत्रा: प्रधानत: । कच्चित् प्राणांस्तवार्थेषु संत्यजन्ति सदा युधि,क्या उत्तम कुलमें उत्पन्न मन््त्री आदि सभी प्रधान अधिकारी तुमसे प्रेम रखते हैं? क्या वे युद्धमें तुम्हारे हितके लिये अपने प्राणोंतकका त्याग करनेको सदा तैयार रहते हैं?
kaccit sarve 'nuraktās tvāṁ kulaputrāḥ pradhānataḥ | kaccit prāṇāṁs tavārtheṣu saṁtyajanti sadā yudhi ||
Nārada berkata: “Adakah semua pembesar yang lahir daripada keturunan mulia benar-benar setia dan berkasih kepada engkau? Dan di medan perang, adakah mereka sentiasa bersedia mengorbankan nyawa demi kepentinganmu?”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a ruler’s ethical test: true governance depends not only on power but on earned loyalty—especially of the principal nobles and officials—so that they willingly uphold the king’s cause even at the cost of life in war.
Nārada continues a sequence of ‘kaccit’ welfare-questions to the king, probing the stability of his realm by asking whether the foremost men around him are genuinely devoted and ready to sacrifice themselves for his objectives in battle.