Shloka 17
Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ
Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics
नारद उवाच कच्चिदर्थाक्ष कल्पन्ते धर्मे च रमते मन: । सुखानि चानुभूयन्ते मनश्न न विहन्यते,नारदजी बोले--राजन्! क्या तुम्हारा धन तुम्हारे (यज्ञ, दान तथा कुटुम्बरक्षा आदि आवश्यक कार्योंके) निर्वाहके लिये पूरा पड़ जाता है? क्या धर्ममें तुम्हारा मन प्रसन्नतापूर्वक लगता है? क्या तुम्हें इच्छानुसार सुख-भोग प्राप्त होते हैं? (भावच्चिन्तनमें लगे हुए) तुम्हारे मनको (किन््हीं दूसरी वृत्तियोंद्वारा) आघात या विक्षेप तो नहीं पहुँचता है?
nārada uvāca | kaccid arthākṣāḥ kalpante dharme ca ramate manaḥ | sukhāni cānubhūyante manaś ca na vihanyate ||
Nārada disse: “Ó rei, são suficientes os teus recursos para os deveres necessários da vida—sacrifício, caridade e a proteção e sustento de tua casa? Tua mente se deleita no dharma? Obténs os prazeres e confortos que buscas? E tua mente, voltada à reta reflexão, permanece livre de perturbação e de dano por impulsos que distraem?”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s well-being is measured not only by wealth and pleasure but by whether resources are rightly used for obligatory duties (yajña, dāna, protection), whether the mind delights in dharma, and whether inner stability is maintained without distraction.
Narada addresses the king with a traditional set of welfare-questions: he inquires about the adequacy of the king’s resources, his commitment to dharma, his experience of legitimate enjoyments, and the steadiness of his mind—testing both external governance and inner self-governance.