Shloka 49
Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ
Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics
कच्चिद् बलस्य भक्त च वेतनं च यथोचितम् । सम्प्राप्तकाले दातव्यं ददासि न विकर्षसि
kaccid balasya bhaktaṃ ca vetanaṃ ca yathocitam | samprāptakāle dātavyaṃ dadāsi na vikarṣasi ||
那罗陀说道：“你是否按理为你的军队供给适当的口粮，并发给公正的军饷？到了应发之时，你是否把该给的都如期给出，不克扣，也不拖延？”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma includes ensuring the welfare of those who serve the state—especially soldiers—by providing adequate rations and fair wages, and by paying what is due on time without reduction or delay.
Nārada, in a sequence of ‘kaccit’ welfare-and-dharma questions, probes the king’s governance: he asks whether the army is properly maintained through fitting provisions and timely remuneration, testing the king’s adherence to righteous administration.