Mahabharata · 2.5.91–92
॥
Devanāgarī
कच्चिद् एषा च ते बुद्धिर् वृत्तिर् एषा च ते ऽनघ ॥
आयुष्या च यशस्या च धर्मकामार्थदर्शिनी ॥
एतया वर्तमानस्य बुद्ध्या राष्ट्रं न सीदति ॥
विजित्य च महीं राजा सो ऽत्यन्तं सुखम् एधते ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kaccid eṣā ca te buddhir vṛttir eṣā ca te 'nagha ||
āyuṣyā ca yaśasyā ca dharmakāmārthadarśinī ||
etayā vartamānasya buddhyā rāṣṭraṃ na sīdati ||
vijitya ca mahīṃ rājā so 'tyantaṃ sukham edhate ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कच्चित् एषा च ते बुद्धिः वृत्तिः एषा च ते अनघkaccit eṣā ca te buddhiḥ vṛttiḥ eṣā ca te anaghaI hope that this way of thinking of yours and this conduct of yours, O blameless one,—
आयुष्या च यशस्या च धर्म-काम-अर्थ-दर्शिनीāyuṣyā ca yaśasyā ca dharma-kāma-artha-darśinīare life-giving and glory-bringing, discerning of dharma, kama, and artha;
एतया वर्तमानस्य बुद्ध्या राष्ट्रम् न सीदतिetayā vartamānasya buddhyā rāṣṭram na sīdatifor the kingdom of one who lives by this understanding does not incline toward ruin,
विजित्य च महीम् राजा सः अत्यन्तम् सुखम् एधतेvijitya ca mahīm rājā saḥ atyantam sukham edhateand the king, having conquered the earth, prospers immeasurably.
कच्चिद्kaccidoriginal form "kaccid", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बुद्धिर्buddhiroriginal form "buddhir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वृत्तिर्vṛttiroriginal form "vṛttir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽनघ'naghaoriginal form "'nagha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मकामार्थदर्शिनीdharmakāmārthadarśinīoriginal form "dharmakāmārthadarśinī", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राष्ट्रंrāṣṭraṃoriginal form "rāṣṭraṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महींmahīṃoriginal form "mahīṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सोsooriginal form "so", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽत्यन्तं'tyantaṃoriginal form "'tyantaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"I hope that such is your way of thinking and such is your conduct, O blameless one—life-giving, glory-bringing, discerning of dharma, kama, and artha? For the kingdom of one who lives by such understanding does not incline toward ruin, and the king, having conquered the earth, prospers immeasurably.".
Version
4b98690fa295 · published Jul 16, 2026, 2:43:40 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here Narada draws the line: a good way of thinking preserves both the kingdom and the king. It is significant that the fruit of righteous rule is not only victory but "life and glory": dharma observed by power turns into prosperity for all. Thus the scripture shows that the wisdom of the ruler is the life of the realm; what follows concerns just judgment and the punishment of the thief.