Shloka 64

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चिदष्टाड्रसंयुक्ता चतुर्विधबला चमू: । बलमुख्यै: सुनीता ते द्विषतां प्रतिवर्धिनी

Transliteration

kaccid aṣṭāḍrasa-saṃyuktā caturvidha-balā camūḥ | balamukhyaiḥ sunītā te dviṣatāṃ prativardhinī ||

Translation

那罗陀说道：“陛下的军队是否具足十八要素，兼备四种兵力，并由最卓越的统帅善加统御，使其在对敌之时日益强盛？”

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: whether (indeed)? / I hope
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित्

• अष्ट-अङ्ग-संयुक्ता: endowed with eight parts (i.e., eightfold-equipped)
• अष्ट-अङ्ग-संयुक्ता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टाङ्गसंयुक्त
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• चतुर्विध-बला: having four kinds of forces (fourfold army)
• चतुर्विध-बला: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्विधबल
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• चमूः: army
• चमूः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमू
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• बल-मुख्यैः: by the chief men of the army / by leading commanders
• बल-मुख्यैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलमुख्य
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सु-नीता: well-led, well-guided
• सु-नीता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुनीत
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• ते: of you / your
• ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• द्विषताम्: of enemies
• द्विषताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विषत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• प्रतिवर्धिनी: increasing (i.e., overpowering) [them]
• प्रतिवर्धिनी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिवर्धिन्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• camū (army)
• balamukhya (chief commanders)
• dviṣat (enemies)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s dharma includes vigilant governance: maintaining a well-organized, properly commanded, and adequately composed army is an ethical duty for protecting the realm and deterring hostile forces.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada, in the course of advising and assessing royal preparedness, asks whether the king’s army is complete in its standard constituents, strong in the fourfold divisions, and effectively led by capable commanders so that it can counter enemies.