Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 174
Nityā-paṭala-prakaraṇa
The Exposition of the Nityā-paṭala
अरातेश्चतुरंगं तु बलं रोगार्द्दितं भवेत् । तेनास्य विजयो भूयान्निधनेनापि वा पुनः ॥ १७४ ॥
arāteścaturaṃgaṃ tu balaṃ rogārdditaṃ bhavet | tenāsya vijayo bhūyānnidhanenāpi vā punaḥ || 174 ||
Nhưng nếu đạo quân bốn binh chủng của kẻ thù bị bệnh tật hành hạ, thì chiến thắng của người ấy trở nên rất chắc chắn—hoặc do sự suy yếu ấy, hoặc lại do chính cái chết của kẻ thù.
Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: vira (heroic)
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka (fear)
FAQs
It frames victory and defeat as outcomes influenced by observable conditions (like disease), urging a dharmic ruler to read circumstances carefully and avoid reckless violence.
Bhakti is not stated directly here; the verse belongs to technical guidance. Indirectly, it supports a devotee-king’s humility—success is not only personal prowess but also depends on larger forces that one should approach with restraint and reliance on dharma.
It reflects applied prognostics aligned with Jyotiṣa/Śakuna-style reasoning: the enemy army’s illness is treated as a concrete sign indicating a high probability of victory (or the enemy’s collapse).