Shloka 68

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चित्‌ कोषश्न कोष्ठं च वाहनं द्वारमायुधम्‌ । आयश्व कृतकल्याणैस्तव भक्तैरनुछित:

Transliteration

kaccit kośaś ca koṣṭhaṁ ca vāhanaṁ dvāram āyudham | āyaś ca kṛtakalyāṇais tava bhaktair anucitaiḥ ||

Translation

那罗陀说道：“我愿相信：陛下的国库与粮仓、车乘、正门、兵器，以及诸般财赋之源，皆由忠诚侍从专司守护并妥善管理——他们敬主尽节，恒以陛下安泰为念？”

Word by Word

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

• कोषः: treasury
• कोषः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• कोष्ठम्: granary/storehouse
• कोष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोष्ठ
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वाहनम्: vehicle/transport
• वाहनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• द्वारम्: gate/door
• द्वारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आयुधम्: weapon/arms
• आयुधम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुध
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आयश्च: income/revenue (and)
• आयश्च: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृतकल्याणैः: by those who have done good / well-disposed
• कृतकल्याणैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतकल्याण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तव: of you/your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• भक्तैः: by devoted (servants)
• भक्तैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अनुचितः: proper/appropriate (i.e., duly arranged/guarded)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुचित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• treasury (kośa)
• granary/storehouse (koṣṭha)
• vehicles (vāhana)
• principal gate (dvāra)
• weapons/arms (āyudha)
• revenue sources (āya)
• loyal attendants/retainers (bhaktāḥ anucitāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s prosperity and stability depend on vigilant protection and honest management of key state assets—wealth, provisions, transport, gates, arms, and revenue—entrusted to loyal, welfare-minded retainers rather than unreliable or self-serving agents.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada continues a sequence of ‘kaccit’ inquiries to assess the king’s governance, asking whether essential resources and security points of the realm are being safeguarded and supervised by devoted, trustworthy attendants.