In the previous Sutta, Pasenadi lamented the corrupting influence of wealth. Here he talks of how he sees this corruption in his court. he speaks further of his frustrations at MN 98:13.1. | Read aḍḍa (variants attha, aṭṭa) which in Sanskrit has the senses “solve, infer, argue, discern”. The commentary interprets aḍḍakaraṇa as the “place of judgement” i.e. the court, which is clearly the case at DN 17:1.11.1.

Bhadramukha is used here by by a king of his grown son. Elsewhere, by a family for a child (MN 40:6.2); by lay people addressing monks (MN 81:21.1); by a laywoman addressing a deity (AN 7.53:3.4); (SN 3.7:1.5); and, with the addition of the familiar tāta, by a brahmin wife to her husband (MN 100:3.5). The term is of Sanskritic form and is found commonly in the Avadāna literature. Turning to later Sanskrit sources, Nāṭyaśāstra 19.12 says it should be used when addressing inferiors, while Sāhityadarpaṇa 6.154 says it is used when addressing a prince (see SN 3.7 above). The early Pali usage, however, suggests it was an affectionate and respectful term of somewhat elevated usage, but not restricted by status. Since bhadda by itself is a common form of address in the sense “my dear”, I think the suffix -mukha has its intensive sense here, “dearest”, rather than “dear face”.