Shloka 70

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

कच्चिन्न पाने द्यूते वा क्रीडासु प्रमदासु च । प्रतिजानन्ति पूर्वाह्नि व्ययं व्यसनजं तव

Transliteration

kaccin na pāne dyūte vā krīḍāsu pramadāsu ca | pratijānanti pūrvāhṇe vyayaṁ vyasanajaṁ tava ||

Translation

那罗陀说道：“你的侍从可曾在上午——本应行持正法、履行职责之时——怂恿你把光阴与财帛耗费在饮酒、赌博、嬉戏娱乐以及沉溺女色等恶习之中？”

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: whether (indeed)?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित्
• Form: interrogative particle

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: negation

• पाने: in drinking (liquor)
• पाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पान
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• द्यूते: in gambling
• द्यूते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्यूत
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा
• Form: disjunctive particle

• क्रीडासु: in games/sports
• क्रीडासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रीडा
• Form: feminine, locative, plural

• प्रमदासु: among women/with women
• प्रमदासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमदा
• Form: feminine, locative, plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: conjunction

• प्रतिजानन्ति: they propose/undertake/promise
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-ज्ञा
• Form: present tense, parasmaipada, 3rd person, plural

• पूर्वाह्नि: in the forenoon
• पूर्वाह्नि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वाह्न
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• व्यम्: expenditure/waste
• व्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यय
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• व्यसनजम्: born of vice/addiction-caused
• व्यसनजम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यसन-ज
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• तव: of you/your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: genitive, singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler must guard the prime hours meant for dharma and governance from being consumed by addictive pleasures—drink, gambling, frivolous play, and sensual indulgence—since these lead to waste of wealth and moral decline.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada, speaking as a moral counselor, questions the king about courtly discipline: whether servants or companions tempt him in the morning to engage in vices that squander time and resources.