Shloka 68

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चित्‌ कोषश्न कोष्ठं च वाहनं द्वारमायुधम्‌ । आयश्व कृतकल्याणैस्तव भक्तैरनुछित:,तुम्हारे कल्याणके लिये सदा प्रयत्नशील रहनेवाले, स्वामिभक्त मनुष्योंद्वारा ही तुम्हारे धन-भण्डार, अन्न-भण्डार, वाहन, प्रधान द्वार, अस्त्र-शस्त्र तथा आयके साधनोंकी रक्षा एवं देख-भाल की जाती है न?

Transliteration

kaccit kośaś ca koṣṭhaṁ ca vāhanaṁ dvāram āyudham | āyaś ca kṛtakalyāṇais tava bhaktair anucitaiḥ ||

Translation

నారదుడు పలికెను—నీ క్షేమార్థం ఎల్లప్పుడూ శ్రమించే, స్వామిభక్తులైన వారే నీ ఖజానా, ధాన్యకోశం, వాహనాలు, ప్రధాన ద్వారం, ఆయుధాలు, అలాగే ఆదాయసాధనాలను నిరంతరం కాపాడి నిర్వహిస్తున్నారా?

Word by Word

कच्चित्whether indeed? (I hope)

कोषःtreasury

नnot

कोष्ठम्granary/storehouse

चand

वाहनम्vehicle/transport

द्वारम्gate/door

आयुधम्weapon/arms

आयश्चincome/revenue (and)

कृतकल्याणैःby those who have done good / well-disposed

तवof you/your

भक्तैःby devoted (servants)

अनुचितःproper/appropriate (i.e., duly arranged/guarded)

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

treasury (kośa)

granary/storehouse (koṣṭha)

vehicles (vāhana)

principal gate (dvāra)

weapons/arms (āyudha)

revenue sources (āya)

loyal attendants/retainers (bhaktāḥ anucitāḥ)

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 prosperity and stability depend on vigilant protection and honest management of key state assets—wealth, provisions, transport, gates, arms, and revenue—entrusted to loyal, welfare-minded retainers rather than unreliable or self-serving agents.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada continues a sequence of ‘kaccit’ inquiries to assess the king’s governance, asking whether essential resources and security points of the realm are being safeguarded and supervised by devoted, trustworthy attendants.