Shloka 117
Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ
Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics
कच्चिच्छृूणोषि वृद्धानां धर्मार्थसहिता गिर: । नित्यमर्थविदां तात यथाधर्मार्थदर्शिनाम्
kaccic chṛṇoṣi vṛddhānāṃ dharmārthasahitā giraḥ | nityam arthavidāṃ tāta yathā dharmārthadarśinām ||
Нарада сказал: «Дитя, слушаешь ли ты постоянно речи старейшин — речи, соединяющие дхарму и артху, — произносимые теми, кто знает путь к благополучию и ясно различает должное и полезное?»
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler (or any responsible person) should habitually seek guidance from experienced elders whose speech integrates dharma (moral right) with artha (practical welfare). Ethical judgment must be informed by both righteousness and sound policy.
Nārada addresses the listener affectionately and tests his conduct by asking whether he regularly listens to elder advisers—those skilled in artha and capable of discerning dharma and artha—thus framing a standard of good governance and disciplined learning.