Shloka 67

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चिदशभ्यवहार्याणि गात्रसंस्पर्शनानि च | प्रेयाणि च महाराज रक्षन्त्यनुमतास्तव,महाराज! तुम्हारे खाद्य पदार्थ, शरीरमें धारण करनेके वस्त्र आदि तथा सूँघनेके उपयोगमें आनेवाले सुगन्धित द्रव्योंकी रक्षा विश्वस्त पुरुष ही करते हैं न?

Transliteration

kaccid aśabhyavahāryāṇi gātrasaṃsparśanāni ca | preyāṇi ca mahārāja rakṣanty anumātās tava ||

Translation

Nārada berkata: “Wahai raja agung, adakah segala yang untuk kegunaan peribadi tuanku—makanan dan minuman, pakaian serta barang yang menyentuh tubuh, dan wangian yang menyenangkan—dijaga hanya oleh orang-orang yang dipercayai dan diperkenankan oleh tuanku?”

Word by Word

कच्चित्whether?, I hope

अशभ्यव्यवहार्याणिthings not to be handled by the unrefined / not to be dealt with improperly

गात्रसंस्पर्शनानिthings for contact with the body (e.g., garments, unguents)

चand

प्रेयाणिdear, pleasant (things)

चand

महाराजO great king

रक्षन्तिprotect, guard

अनुमताःapproved, authorized (persons)

तवof you, your

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Mahārāja (the king addressed)

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 ensure strict, trustworthy control over intimate and consumable items—food, clothing, and personal luxuries—because negligence here invites harm, corruption, and loss of sovereignty; prudent kingship includes vigilance over one’s immediate environment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is conducting a probing inquiry into the king’s administration and personal safeguards, asking whether the king’s private-use items are protected by reliable, authorized attendants—an indirect test of the king’s alertness and quality of governance.