Shloka 115

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच कच्चिदभ्यागता दूराद्‌ वणिजो लाभकारणात्‌ । यथोक्तमवहार्यन्ते शुल्क शुल्कोपजीविभि:,नारदजीने पूछा--राजन्‌! कर वसूलनेका काम करनेवाले तुम्हारे कर्मचारीलोग दूरसे लाभ उठानेके लिये आये हुए व्यापारियोंसे ठीक-ठीक कर वसूल करते हैं न? (अधिक तो नहीं लेते?)

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | kaccid abhyāgatā dūrād vaṇijo lābhakāraṇāt | yathoktam avahāryante śulka-śulkopajīvibhiḥ ||

Translation

那罗陀说：“大王，可有商人自远方而来求利？而那些以征收关津税赋为生的官吏，是否依律如数征收，不多取分毫？”

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• कच्चित्: whether (I wonder), surely?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित्

• अभ्यागताः: arrived, come
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-आ-गम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• दूरात्: from afar
• दूरात्: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर

• वणिजः: merchants
• वणिजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• लाभकारणात्: for the sake/cause of profit
• लाभकारणात्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाभ-कारण
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• यथा: as, according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• उक्तम्: as stated, as prescribed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• अवहार्यन्ते: are taken/collected (as dues)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-हृ
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• शुल्कम्: toll, tax, duty
• शुल्कम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुल्क
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शुल्कोपजीविभिः: by those who live on/are employed in tax-collection
• शुल्कोपजीविभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुल्क-उपजीविन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• King (rājan)
• Merchants (vaṇijaḥ)
• Tax/toll collectors (śulka-upajīvinaḥ)
• Customs/tolls (śulka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s dharma includes ensuring fair, rule-bound taxation: revenue officers must collect only what is prescribed, avoiding exploitation of merchants and preventing corruption that harms prosperity and trust.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada continues his set of welfare-questions to the king, probing the health of the realm by asking whether trade is flourishing and whether customs officials levy duties properly rather than overcharging merchants.