Shloka 122

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चिदशभ्यस्यते सम्यग गृहे ते भरतर्षभ । धनुर्वेदस्य सूत्र वै यन्त्रसूत्रं च नागरम्‌,भरतकुलभूषण! क्‍या तुम्हारे घरपर धरनुर्वेदसूत्र, यन्त्रसूत्रन और नागरिक सूत्रका अच्छी तरह अभ्यास किया जाता है?

Transliteration

kaccid abhyasyate samyag gṛhe te bharatarṣabha | dhanurvedasya sūtraṃ vai yantrasūtraṃ ca nāgaram ||

Translation

ନାରଦ କହିଲେ—ହେ ଭରତକୁଳଭୂଷଣ! ତୁମ ଘରେ ଧନୁର୍ବେଦସୂତ୍ର, ଯନ୍ତ୍ରସୂତ୍ର ଓ ନାଗରିକସୂତ୍ର—ଏ ସବୁର ଶିଷ୍ଟ ଶାସନ ସହିତ ସମ୍ୟକ୍ ଅଭ୍ୟାସ ଭଲଭାବେ ହେଉଛି କି?

Word by Word

कच्चित्whether (indeed)?

अभ्यस्यतेis practiced / is studied

सम्यक्properly, well

गृहेin (your) house

तेof you / your

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

धनुर्वेदस्यof the science of archery

सूत्रम्the treatise / aphoristic text

वैindeed, surely

यन्त्रसूत्रम्the treatise on machines/engines

चand

नागरम्civil/urban (i.e., civic conduct)

भरतकुलभूषणO ornament of the Bharata lineage

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Bharatarṣabha (addressed person, a Bharata prince/king)

Dhanurveda

Yantrasūtra

Nāgara-sūtra (civic/courtly/civic conduct manual)

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 household should sustain disciplined, correct practice of essential knowledges: martial training (dhanurveda), technical competence (yantra), and civic/political refinement (nāgara). The verse frames education as a component of dharma and effective kingship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada addresses a Bharata leader with a welfare-style inquiry, asking whether key branches of learning are being properly studied and maintained in his home—signaling scrutiny of the ruler’s preparedness and the orderliness of his governance.