Nārada’s Rāja-Dharma Questions

Soon after Yudhishṭhira took his seat in the Māyā Sabhā at Indraprastha, the devarshi (divine ṛshi) Nārada arrived. Over several chapters of the Sabhā Parva, Nārada asked Yudhishṭhira more than sixty questions on how a king should rule. He then described the assembly halls of Yama, Varuṇa, Kubera, Indra and Brahmā. At the end he took Yudhishṭhira aside and told him the purpose behind his visit: Bhagavān Kṛshṇa had taken avatāra (descent) to remove the adharmic kshatriyas, and the Rājasūya Yajña was the means.

Nārada arrives

The Māyā Sabhā was full of ṛshis and kings when the great devarshi Nārada came. He was received with all the honour due to the first of the divine ṛshis. The Pāṇḍavas rose to meet him. Yudhishṭhira offered the arghya (water of welcome). The whole court gave him its full attention.

Nārada looked over the splendid sabhā. It was set with gems and shining, and its crystal floors threw light in every direction. He approved with a smile. Then, seeming to come only to teach dharma, he began his famous questions. (Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva, Chapter 5)

The questions on rāja-dharma

Nārada put a stream of questions to Yudhishṭhira. Each looked at a different part of right kingship, in the order of the classical divisions of rājanīti (the conduct of kings).

On the work of the kingdom

  • Are your ministers learned in nīti-śāstra (the science of policy), loyal, and free from corruption?
  • Do your officials collect revenue without hurting the people?
  • Are your treasury, granaries, armouries and city gates well kept?
  • Do you protect women of every standing, and avoid being ruled by them?
  • Do your vaidyas (physicians) know all eight branches of medicine, and are they devoted to your health?

On foreign policy (shāḍguṇya)

  • Do you use the six means of policy rightly: sandhi (alliance), vigraha (war), yāna (march), āsana (staying still), dvaidhībhāva (peace with one and war with another) and saṃśraya (seeking protection)?
  • Have you understood the twelve-fold maṇḍala (circle) of rulers: vijigīshu, ari, mitra, ari-mitra, mitra-mitra, pārshṇigrāhaka, ākranda and the others?
  • Do you use sāma, dāna, bheda and daṇḍa (conciliation, gifts, division and force) in the right way?
  • Are your spies placed in all your own land and in enemy kingdoms?

On farming and trade

  • Are the irrigation tanks of your kingdom full?
  • Do the farmers get seed and loans at low interest, one percent a month?
  • Is the vārta (the economy: farming, trade, cattle-keeping and lending) run justly?
  • Is each of the four varṇas content in its own work?

On justice

  • Do you hear the pleas of the rich and the poor alike, without favour?
  • Are thieves caught with stolen goods really punished, or let go for bribes?
  • Do you keep away from the ten royal vices (hunting, gambling, sleeping by day, speaking ill of others and the rest)?
  • Do you rise in the last watch of the night and take counsel with your ministers on dharma and artha (wealth)?

On honouring the devas and the Vedic rites

  • Do you honour brāhmaṇas with rites rich in dakshiṇā (gifts to the priests)?
  • Do you perform the Vājapeya, the Puṇḍarīka and the other great yajñas as your ancestors did?
  • Do you bow to your gurus, the devas, the tāpasas (those who do tapas) and the sacred trees?
  • Does your purohita (house priest) say the svastivācana (the blessing) at your side each day?

Nārada ended: “A king who rules by these principles will never lose his kingdom. He will conquer the whole earth and live in great happiness.” (Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva, Chapter 5)

The sabhās of the devas

After the questions, Nārada described the divine assembly halls he had visited.

Yama’s sabhā

Viśvakarmā built Yama’s hall after great tapas. It was very comfortable, neither too cold nor too hot, and needed no pillar to hold it up. It shone with its own inner light. Yama sat there, wearing divine ornaments. Around him sat the greatest rājarshis of all ages: Yayāti, Nahusha, Pūru, Māndhātā, Somaka, Nṛga, Kṛtavīrya, Bhagīratha, Rāma son of Daśaratha, Rāma son of Jamadagni, Śibi, Dilīpa, Karṇa, Sagara, Nala, Dushyanta and hundreds more. The pitṛ-gaṇas (hosts of ancestors) were there too: Agnishvātta, Barhishad, Ūshmapa and Svadhāvanta, all with shining bodies. Kāla himself was present.

Varuṇa’s sabhā

Varuṇa’s hall lay within the waters. Viśvakarmā built it inside the great ocean. Trees bearing flowers and fruits of every kind ringed it. The hall was white, pleasant in every season, and shone with its own light. Varuṇa sat there with Varuṇānī, dressed in divine clothes. Around him were the Ādityas, the four oceans, and the great rivers: Bhāgīrathī, Kālindhī, Narmadā, Godāvarī, Kṛshṇaveṇā, Kāverī, Sarasvatī, Sindhu and scores more. The nāga-rājas Vāsuki, Takshaka, Airāvata, Karkoṭaka and Dhanaṃjaya were there. So were the asuras Bali, Prahlāda, Vipracitti, Narakāsura and others, all with divine bodies.

Kubera’s sabhā

Kubera’s hall shone with the wealth of the three worlds. Yakshas, rākshasas, gandharvas and the eight treasures (the Nava-Nidhis) attended him. The hall was sweet with the perfumes of the devas.

Indra’s sabhā

Indra’s hall, the Sudharmā, blazed with the light of a thousand suns. The Maruts, Viśvedevas, Sādhyas, Aśvins, Ādityas, Vasus and Rudras all met there. Bṛhaspati served as the priest. Gandharvas and apsarās gave music, dance and song without end.

Brahmā’s sabhā

Brahmā’s hall is beyond human telling. The four Vedas were present there in living form. Dharma, Artha, Kāma and Moksha were his attendants. All the devarshis were gathered there: Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumāra, Nārada, Parvata, Kaśyapa and others. (Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva, Chapters 6–13)

The divine plan

When he had described the sabhās, Nārada drew Yudhishṭhira aside and spoke with great seriousness.

“Yudhishṭhira, you now live in a splendid sabhā. But I have been to the sabhā of Brahmā, and there, among the assembled devas, ṛshis and siddhas, I heard the divine plan that has been set in motion.

“Bhagavān Kṛshṇa, who is none other than Nārāyaṇa, the cause of all causes, has taken this avatāra for one purpose. The earth is crushed under the weight of adharmic kshatriyas. Bhagavān Kṛshṇa means to lift her burden by bringing these kings together and causing them to destroy each other in a great war. Brahmā has arranged all of this.

“For this, Kṛshṇa has arranged that you, the most dharmic of kings, should perform the Rājasūya Yajña. The yajña needs all other kings to submit. To bring this about, the obstacle of Jarāsandha of Magadha must first be removed. He holds eighty-six royal prisoners in his prison at Girivraja. He waits to offer them to Śiva when their number reaches one hundred. You must free them and establish your rule over all the kings. Then the Rājasūya can go on.” (Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva, Chapter 13)

Sources

  • Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva, Chapters 5–13