Shloka 36
Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ
Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics
कच्चिद् दुर्गाणि सर्वाणि धनधान्यायुधोदकै: । यन्त्रैश्न परिपूर्णानि तथा शिल्पिधनुर्धरै:
kaccid durgāṇi sarvāṇi dhanadhānyāyudhodakaiḥ | yantraiś ca paripūrṇāni tathā śilpidhanuḥdharaiḥ ||
那罗陀说道：“你的诸城堡是否供给充足——财宝与粮谷、兵器与清水皆充盈，又备有守城器械，并有巧匠与善射之弓兵驻守？”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma includes prudent governance: ensuring forts are fully provisioned and staffed—food, treasury, arms, water, defensive technology, and skilled personnel—so the realm is protected without panic or injustice in times of crisis.
In Sabha Parva, Nārada conducts a systematic inquiry into the king’s administration. Here he asks whether the kingdom’s forts are properly stocked and manned, testing the ruler’s readiness and competence in protecting subjects.