Shloka 20
Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ
Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics
कच्चिदर्थ च धर्म च काम च जयतां वर । विभज्य काले कालज्ञ: सदा वरद सेवसे,विजयी वीरोंमें श्रेष्ठ एवं वरदायक नरेश! तुम त्रिवर्गसेवनके उपयुक्त समयका ज्ञान रखते हो; अतः कालका विभाग करके नियत और उचित समयपर सदा धर्म, अर्थ एवं कामका सेवन करते हो न?
kaccid arthaṃ ca dharmaṃ ca kāmaṃ ca jayatāṃ vara | vibhajya kāle kālajñaḥ sadā varada sevase ||
那罗陀说道：“胜者之中最卓越者、赐福之王啊——你既通晓时机，是否常能妥善分配时辰，并在应当的季节与时刻，修行人生三义：法（dharma）、利（artha）、欲（kāma），不使其一侵害其二？”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should pursue dharma, artha, and kāma in a balanced way, guided by proper timing and proportion, so that governance and personal life remain disciplined and ethically ordered.
Nārada addresses the king with a respectful ‘kaccit’ inquiry, testing whether he governs and lives wisely—specifically, whether he knows how to allocate time so the three human aims are pursued appropriately.