Chanakya quotes

He who wears unclean garments, has dirty teeth, is a glutton, speaks unkindly and sleeps after sunrise - although he may be the greatest personality - will lose the favour of Lakshmi.

He is a pandit (man of knowledge) who speaks what is suitable to the occasion, who renders loving service according to his ability, and who knows the limits of his anger.

The forest fire burns even tree like sandalwood.

Beauty is spoiled by an immoral nature; noble birth by bad conduct; learning, without being perfected; and wealth by not being properly utilised.

A tolerant person should not be harrased. The subject or the ruled ones generally is loyal to the ruler. The people tak to revolt when they are helpless. The duty of the ruler is that his humble people mey not tak to revolt being suppressed by his bad polity. Considering the forbearance of the subject, do not ill behave with them so that they may feel oppressed.

Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness.

The ruler should employ person in tasks according to their abilities because Knowers ( or the means ) and efficient employees make impossible tasks also possible.

No one should ever be disrespected.

The poor wish for wealth; animals for the faculty of speech; men wish for heaven; and godly persons for liberation.

In trans-border relations, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies or even permanent borders. There are only permanent interests and everything should be done to secure these interests.

He who look at a woman who is not his wife as a mother; wealth that is not his as dust and all the men as himself... is a happy man. He, who sees all these things under a different light, is a blind.

Time perfects all living beings as well as kills them; it alone is awake when all others are asleep. Time is insurmountable.

Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person.

Avoid him who talks sweetly before you but tries to ruin you behind your back, for he is like a pitcher of poison with milk on top.

Knower of the means makes impossible tasks also possible.

The beauty of a cuckoo is in its notes, that of a woman in her unalloyed devotion to her husband, that of an ugly person in his scholarship, and that of an ascetic in his forgiveness.

The life of an uneducated man is as useless as the tail of a dog which neither covers its rear end, nor protects it from the bites of insects.

The world's biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman.

As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it.

Evil person causes harm even if treated will.

Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.

Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.

Whoever imposes severe punishment becomes repulsive to the people; while he who awards mild punishment becomes contemptible. But whoever imposes punishment as deserved becomes respectable.

He whose son is obedient to him, whose wife's conduct is in accordance with his wishes, and who is content with his riches, has his heaven here on earth.

Time perfects men as well as destroys them.

This world is a bitter tree, it has only two sweet nectar like fruits - one is soft voice and the other is company of gentlemen.

The foolish wish to speak out what was spoken in secret by the master.

Let not a single day pass without your learning a verse, half a verse, or a fourth of it, or even one letter of it; nor without attending to charity, study and other pious activity.

All the creatures are pleased by loving words; and therefore we should address words that are pleasing to all, for there is no lack of sweet words.

There is no austerity equal to a balanced mind, and there is no happiness equal to contentment; there is no disease like covetousness, and no virtue like mercy.

Sinfully acquired wealth may remain for ten years; in the eleventh year it disappears with even the original stock.

No amount of advice change his attitude. He does not listed to good advice. Rather he gets angry.

Trees on a riverbank, a woman in another man's house, and kings without counselors go without doubt to swift destruction.

Women have hunger two-fold, shyness four-fold, daring six-fold, and lust eight-fold as compared to men.

The learned are envied by the foolish; rich men by the poor; chaste women by adulteresses; and beautiful ladies by ugly ones.

Love is indicated by deeds (and not by words)

Charity puts and end to poverty; righteous conduct to misery; discretion to ignorance; and scrutiny to fear.

If one limb of the body is defected or inflicted with, disease, the whole feels tha pai. Some way if any department, minister or official of the state is faulty, the whole country is effected. An administrator should try hard to curb it.

The low minded are fond of deception the nature of low-minded people never changes.

Don't judge the future of a person based on his present conditions, becausetime has the power to change black coal to shiny diamond.

The man who remains a fool even in advanced age is really a fool, just as the Indra-Varuna fruit does not become sweet no matter how ripe it might become.

How well u treat the wicked people, they do nto give up their wickedness. They derive pleasure in hurting others. A serpent made to drink milk, it ejects poison only.

He who runs away from a fearful calamity, a foreign invasion, a terrible famine, and the companionship of wicked men is safe.

Foolishness is indeed painful, and verily so is youth, but more painful by far than either is being obliged in another person's house.

A father who is a chronic debtor, an adulterous mother, a beautiful wife, and an unlearned son are enemies in one's own home.

Our bodies are perishable, wealth is not at all permanent and death is always nearby. Therefore we must immediately engage in acts of merit.

A ruler wishing to win shold not trust a cpterued enemy even if he may be extending had to be friend. Because deep rooted enemity, however, concealed, will ruerely come to light.

A friend, even if he be the enemy's son , should be protected.

There is no disease so destructive as lust.

Enemies strike at weak points.

He who gives up shyness in monetary dealings, in acquiring knowledge, in eating and in business, becomes happy.

Religion is preserved by wealth; knowledge by diligent practice; a king by conciliatory words; and a home by a dutiful housewife.

Virtuous persons and fruit-laden trees bow, but fools and dry sticks break because they do not bend.

Do not be very upright in your dealings for you would see by going to the forest that straight trees are cut down while crooked ones are left standing.

Do not put your trust in a bad companion nor even trust an ordinary friend, for if he should get angry with you, he may bring all your secrets to light.

Every relationship has one or the other motive behind it. Friendship or enemity are not purposeless.Oneness of motive is turned into friendship. While diversity of motive cause enemity. Royal relationships also depend uypon one or theother purpose. But such relatins ar mainly for the welfare of the state.

As a single withered tree, if set aflame, causes a whole forest to burn, so does a rascal son destroy a whole family.

A low-minded person should not be given good advice.

Do not reveal what you have thought upon doing, but by wise council keep it secret being determined to carry it into execution.

God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple.

Knowledge is lost without putting it into practice; a man is lost due to ignorance; an army is lost without a commander; and a woman is lost without a husband.

One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth is in the possession of others, can use neither his knowledge nor wealth when the need for them arises.

A man attains greatness by his merits, not simply by occupying an exalted seat. Can we call a crow an eagle (garuda) simply because he sits on the top of a tall building.

Even a captured enemy is not to be trusted.

Constant travel brings old age upon a man; a horse becomes old by being constantly tied up; lack of sexual contact with her husband brings old age upon a woman; and garments become old through being left in the sun.

He who has wealth has friends and relations; he alone survives and is respected as a man.

Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth.

People's Fury is above all the furies.

The biggest guru-mantra is: never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you.

Everynbody tries not to reveal his weaknesses, so that he may not be ridiculed. Specially before the enemy. One's weakpoits shold not be revealed. Becaues ohe canstrike on those to ruin us. So one shold remain strong before the enemy.

Union in privacy (with one's wife); boldness; storing away useful items; watchfulness; and not easily trusting others; these five things are to be learned from a crow.

Once you start a working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.

We should not fret for what is past, nor should we be anxious about the future; men of discernment deal only with the present moment.

As a calf follows its mother among a thousand cows, so the (good or bad) deeds of a man follow him.

One who is in search of knowledge should give up the search of pleasure and the one who is in search of pleasure should give up the search of knowledge.

What good can the scriptures do to a man who has no sense of his own? Of what use is as mirror to a blind man?

A debt should be paid off till the last penny; An enemy should be destroyed without a trace

Rain which falls upon the sea is useless; so is food for one who is satiated; in vain is a gift for one who is wealthy; and a burning lamp during the daytime is useless.

Those born blind cannot see; similarly blind are those in the grip of lust. Proud men have no perception of evil; and those bent on acquiring riches see no sin in their actions.

If a king is energetic, his subjects will be equally energetic.

For good days one should save money, women should be protected even if it takes the money saved. But for self preservation the money and the women should be sacrificed!!

The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the small child, the dog owned by other people, and the fool: these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep.

Prosperity lasts long for one who acts after proper consideration.

He who is overly attached to his family members experiences fear and sorrow, for the root of all grief is attachment. Thus one should discard attachment to be happy.

A man is great by deeds, not by birth.

A man is born alone and dies alone; and he experiences the good and bad consequences of his karma alone; and he goes alone to hell or the Supreme abode.

Do not put your trust in rivers, men who carry weapons, beasts with claws or horns, women, and members of a royal family.

Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, comes of Her own accord where fools are not respected, grain is well stored up, and the husband and wife do not quarrel.

Good behavior wins even an enemy.

Wealth, a friend, a wife, and a kingdom may be regained; but this body when lost may never be acquired again.

He who loses his money is forsaken by his friends, his wife, his servants and his relations; yet when he regains his riches those who have forsaken him come back to him. Hence wealth is certainly the best of relations.

Poverty, disease, sorrow, imprisonment and other evils are the fruits borne by the tree of one's own sins.

A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and honest people are screwed first.

The one excellent thing that can be learned from a lion is that whatever a man intends doing should be done by him with a whole-hearted and strenuous effort.

A permanent relationship is dependent on particular purpose or wealth.

Till the enemy's weakness is known , he should be kept on friendly terms.

One's weakness should not ever be revealed.

Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends.

He shall despise none, but hear the opinions of all. A wise man shall make use of even a child's sensible utterance.

Considersing the forebearance of a person, Do not harass him.

He who befriends a man whose conduct is vicious, whose vision impure, and who is notoriously crooked, is rapidly ruined.

Your feelings are your god.

Eschew wicked company and associate with saintly persons. Acquire virtue day and night, and always meditate on that which is eternal forgetting that which is temporary.

The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction.

An enemy should be struck at his weak point.

Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous.

A good wife is one who serves her husband in the morning like a mother does, loves him in the day like a sister does and pleases him like a prostitute in the night.

A single son endowed with good qualities is far better than a hundred devoid of them.

What vice could be worse than covetousness? What is more sinful than slander? For one who is truthful, what need is there for austerity? For one who has a clean heart, what is the need for pilgrimage?.

Skills are called hidden treasure as they save like a mother in a foreign country.

A person becomes great not be sitting on some high seat, but through higher qualities. Can a crow become an eagle by simply sitting on the top of a palatial building?

A wicked wife, a false friend, a saucy servant and living in a house with a serpent in it are nothing but death.

The king shall lose no time when the opportunity waited for arrives.

Those base men who speak of the secret faults of others destroy themselves like serpents that stray onto anthills.

Low class men desire wealth;middle class men both wealth and respect; but the noble, honour only; hence honour is the noble man's true wealth.

What good is a cow that neither gives milk nor conceives? Similarly, what is the value of the birth of a son if he becomes neither learned nor a pure devotee of the Lord?

Low minded people are fraudulent, wicked and chaeat. They shouldnot be trusted. To h ave faith in low minded ones is mistake in policy and useless because they are not trustworthy. An administrator should not invited calamity by trusting the low minded ones.

One destitute of wealth is not destitute, he is indeed rich, but the man devoid of learning is destitute in every way.

An egoist can be won over by being respected, a crazy person can be won over by allowing him to behave in an insane manner and a wise person can be won over by truth.

Generosity, pleasing address, courage and propriety of conduct are not acquired, but are inbred qualities.

There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth.

We should always speak what would please the man of whom we expect a favour,like the hunter who sings sweetly when he desires to shoot a deer.

The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, time and ability.

A learned man is honoured by the people.A learned man commands respect everywhere for his learning. Indeed, learning is honoured everywhere.

The fire of the forest burns trees to ashes. Even expensive sandalwood tree which is endowed with qualities of cooling and fragrance, cannot escape from burning. In the same way wicked cause harm to their benefactors also.