Shloka 18

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

पाण्डवोंद्वारा देवर्षि नारदका पूजन कच्चिदाचरितं पूर्वर्नरदेव पितामहै: । वर्तसे वृत्तिमक्षुद्रां धर्मार्थसहितां त्रिषु

Transliteration

kaccid ācaritaṃ pūrvair naradeva pitāmahaiḥ | vartase vṛttim akṣudrāṃ dharmārthasahitāṃ triṣu, naradeva ||

Translation

那罗陀说：“大王，你对三种社会阶序——婆罗门（brāhmaṇa）、吠舍（vaiśya）与首陀罗（śūdra）——是否仍以你父祖先王昔日所行之道来治理：既立足于正法（dharma），又兼顾现实福祉（artha），以高贵而宽厚的政风待之？”

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: whether?, I hope
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित्
• Form: avyaya (interrogative particle)

• आचरितम्: practised, observed
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर्
• Form: past passive participle; neuter nominative/accusative singular

• पूर्वैः: by the former (elders)
• पूर्वैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व
• Form: masculine instrumental plural

• नरदेव: O king (god among men)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरदेव
• Form: masculine vocative singular

• पितामहैः: by grandfathers/forefathers
• पितामहैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: masculine instrumental plural

• वर्तसे: do you conduct yourself / do you follow
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: present indicative (lat); 2nd person singular; parasmaipada (Ātmanepada usage: vartase)

• वृत्तिम्: conduct, mode of life, practice
• वृत्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति
• Form: feminine accusative singular

• अक्षुद्राम्: not mean; noble
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षुद्र
• Form: feminine accusative singular (agreeing with वृत्तिम्)

• धर्मार्थसहिताम्: accompanied by dharma and artha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मार्थसहित
• Form: feminine accusative singular (agreeing with वृत्तिम्)

• त्रिषु: among the three
• त्रिषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: locative plural (used substantively: 'in/among the three')

• नरदेव: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरदेव
• Form: masculine vocative singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• naradeva (the king addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should uphold a magnanimous, non-petty standard of conduct that harmonizes dharma (righteousness) with artha (public welfare and prosperity), and apply it consistently in dealings with the social orders under his protection.

What is happening in the narrative?

The sage Nārada addresses the king with a formal, probing question, checking whether the king’s administration follows the time-tested, dharma-guided practices of his forefathers—especially in how he treats and governs the three varṇas mentioned in the contextual gloss.