Shloka 40
Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ
Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics
कच्चिद् विनयसम्पन्न: कुलपुत्रो बहुश्रुतः । अनसूयुरनुप्रष्टा सत्कृतस्ते पुरोहित:
kaccid vinayasampannaḥ kulaputro bahuśrutaḥ | anasūyur anupraṣṭā satkṛtas te purohitaḥ ||
那罗陀问道：“你的祭司（purohita）是否谦恭守礼、出身良族、博学多闻？他是否不以挑剔过失为乐，并能在圣典之学上善于诘问、审议与论辩？你又是否以应有的敬礼尊崇他？”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma is strengthened by keeping a learned, humble, non-censorious purohita and by honoring him. Ethical governance requires disciplined scholarship, constructive inquiry, and respect for principled counsel.
Narada, in a sequence of diagnostic questions about good rule and household order, asks whether the king maintains a qualified royal priest-adviser and treats him with proper honor—implying that neglect of such guidance harms dharma and statecraft.