Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra
About 2300 years ago the Greek conqueror Alexander the
Great invaded the Indian sub-continent. His offensive upon the
land's patchwork of small Hindu empires proved to be highly
successful due to the disunity of the petty rulers. It was
Chanakya Pandit who, feeling deeply distressed at heart,
searched for and discovered a qualified leader in the person of
Chandragupta Maurya. Although a mere dasi-putra, that is, a
son of a maidservant by the Magadha King Nanda,
Chandragupta was highly intelligent, courageous and physically
powerful. Chanakya cared little that by birth he should not have
dared to approach the throne. A man of acute discretion,
Chanakya desired only that a ruler of extraordinary capabilities
be raised to the exalted post of King of Magadha so that the
offensive launched by the Yavanas (Greeks) could be repressed.
It is said that Chanakya had been personally offended by King
Nanda and that this powerful brahmana had vowed to keep his
long sikha unknotted until he saw to the demise of the
contemptuous ruler and his drunken princes. True to his oath, it
was only after Chanakya Pandit engineered a swift death for the
degraded and worthless rulers of the Nanda dynasty that this
great brahmana was able to again tie up his tuft of hair. There are
several versions relating the exact way that Chanakya had set
about eliminating the Nandas, and it appears historians have
found it difficult to separate fact from folk legend as regards to
certain specific details.
After the Nanda downfall, it became easy for Chandragupta to
win the support of the Magadha citizens, who responded warmly
to their new heroic and handsome young ruler. Kings of
neighbouring states rallied under Chandragupta's suzerainty and
the last of the Greeks headed by Alexander's general Seleucus
were defeated.
With the dual obstacles of the Nandas and Alexander's troops
out of the way, Chanakya Pandit used every political device and
intrigue to unite the greater portion of the Indian sub-continent.
Under the Prime ministership of Chanakya, King Chandragupta
Maurya conquered all the lands up to Iran in the North west and
down to the extremities of Karnataka or Mysore state in the
South. It was by his wits alone that this skinny and ill-clad
brahmana directed the formation of the greatest Indian empire
ever before seen in history (ie. since the beginning of Kali-yuga).
Thus the indigenous Vedic culture of the sacred land of Bharata
was protected and the spiritual practices of the Hindus could go
on unhampered.
Although many great savants of the science of niti such as
Brihaspati, Shukracharya, Bhartrihari and Vishnusharma have
echoed many of these instructions in their own celebrated works,
it is perhaps the way that Chanakya applied his teachings of
niti-sastra that has made him stand out as a significant historical
figure. The great Pandit teaches us that lofty ideals can become a
certain reality if we intelligently work towards achieving our goal
in a determined, progressive and practical manner.
Dr. R. Shamashastry, the translator of the English version of
Kautilya's Artha-Sastra, quotes a prediction from the Vishnu
Purana fourth canto, twenty-fourth chapter, regarding the
appearance of Chanakya Pandit. This prediction, incidentally,
was scribed fifty centuries ago, nearly 2700 years before this
political heavyweight and man of destiny was to appear. The
prediction informs us: "(First) Mahapadma then his sons - only
nine in number - will be the lords of the earth for a hundred
years. A brahmana named Kautilya will slay these Nandas. On
their death, the Mauryas will enjoy the earth. Kautilya himself will
install Chandragupta on the throne. His son will be Bindusara
and his son will be Ashokavardhana." Similar prophecies are
also repeated in the Bhagavata, Vayu and Matsya Puranas.
In presenting this work I have traced out and referred to two old
English versions of Chanakya Niti-sastra published at the close
of the last century. However, these apparently were translated
by mere scholars (not devotees) who seem to have missed many
subtleties of Chanakya's vast wit and wisdom. Another unedited
and unpublished manuscript Chanakya Niti-sastra with both
English translation and Latinised transliteration produced by the
Vrndavana ISKCON Centre was also referred to. It was
however the learned Vaisnava pandit and Sanskrit scholar Sri V.
Badarayana Murthy, of the South Indian Madhva School, who
helped me see the depth and import of these verses from the
original Devanagari.
I have been told that our blessed spiritual master His Divine
Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada had expressed a
desire that Sri Chanakya Niti-sastra be properly translated into
English. It is hoped that our present rendering will be at least
useful if not instructive to the reader. Let us examine now in a
few words on the science of niti, or common sense, from the pen
of Srila Bhaktivinoda, the great 19th century devotee-pioneer of
the worldwide propagation of Lord Caitanya's divine message.
Taking the two words "common sense" right up to their highest
level, he has written:
Man's glory is in common sense,
Dictating us the grace,
That man is made to live and love
The beauteous Heaven's embrace.
In other words, the real goal of niti, indeed the goal of life, is to
realise one's eternal position of Krishna consciousness. The
Bhagavad-gita confirms Srila Bhaktivinode's view in the final line
of its last sloka: dhruva nitir matir mama. A translation of that full
verse runs: "(Sanjaya said) Wherever there is Krishna the master
of all mystics, and wherever there is Arjuna the supreme archer,
there will also be opulence, victory, extraordinary power and
morality (niti). That is My opinion."
Miles Davis (Patita Pavana dasa)
Makara Sankranti Day
Pausa Shukla Navami
14th January 1981
Lucknow, India
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter One
1. Humbly bowing down before the almighty Lord Sri Vishnu,
the Lord of the three worlds, I recite maxims of the science of
political ethics (niti) selected from the various satras.
2. That man who by the study of these maxims from the satras
acquires a knowledge of the most celebrated principles of duty,
and understands what ought and what ought not to be followed,
and what is good and what is bad, is most excellent.
3. Therefore with an eye to the public good, I shall speak that
which, when understood, will lead to an understanding of things
in their proper perspective.
4. Even a pandit comes to grief by giving instruction to a foolish
disciple, by maintaining a wicked wife, and by excessive
familiarity with the miserable.
5. A wicked wife, a false friend, a saucy servant and living in a
house with a serpent in it are nothing but death.
6. One should save his money against hard times, save his wife at
the sacrifice of his riches, but invariably one should save his soul
even at the sacrifice of his wife and riches.
7. Save your wealth against future calamity. Do not say, "What
what fear has a rich man of calamity?" When riches begin to
forsake one even the accumulated stock dwindles away.
8. Do not inhabit a country where you are not respected, cannot
earn your livelihood, have no friends, or cannot acquire
knowledge.
9. Do not stay for a single day where there are not these five
persons: a wealthy man, a brahmana well versed in Vedic lore, a
king, a river and a physician.
10. Wise men should never go into a country where there are no
means of earning one's livelihood, where the people have no
dread of anybody, have no sense of shame, no intelligence, or a
charitable disposition.
11. Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in
difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.
12. He is a true friend who does not forsake us in time of need,
misfortune, famine, or war, in a king's court, or at the
crematorium (smashana).
13. He who gives up what is imperishable for that which
perishable, loses that which is imperishable; and doubtlessly
loses that which is perishable also.
14. A wise man should marry a virgin of a respectable family
even if she is deformed. He should not marry one of a low-class
family, through beauty. Marriage in a family of equal status is
preferable.
15. Do not put your trust in rivers, men who carry weapons,
beasts with claws or horns, women, and members of a royal
family.
16. Even from poison extract nectar, wash and take back gold if
it has fallen in filth, receive the highest knowledge (Krishna
consciousness) from a low born person; so also a girl possessing
virtuous qualities (stri-ratna) even if she be born in a disreputable
family.
17. Women have hunger two-fold, shyness four-fold, daring
six-fold, and lust eight-fold as compared to men.
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter Two
(The Political Ethics of Chanakya Pandit)
1. Untruthfulness, rashness, guile, stupidity, avarice, uncleanliness
and cruelty are a women's seven natural flaws.
2. To have ability for eating when dishes are ready at hand, to be
robust and virile in the company of one's religiously wedded
wife, and to have a mind for making charity when one is
prosperous are the fruits of no ordinary austerities.
3. 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.
4. They alone are sons who are devoted to their father. He is a
father who supports his sons. He is a friend in whom we can
confide, and she only is a wife in whose company the husband
feels contented and peaceful.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Do not reveal what you have thought upon doing, but by wise
council keep it secret being determined to carry it into execution.
8. Foolishness is indeed painful, and verily so is youth, but more
painful by far than either is being obliged in another person's
house.
9. There does not exist a ruby in every mountain, nor a pearl in
the head of every elephant; neither are the sadhus to be found
everywhere, nor sandal trees in every forest.
10. Wise men should always bring up their sons in various moral
ways, for children who have knowledge of niti-sastra and are
well-behaved become a glory to their family.
11. Those parents who do not educate their sons are their
enemies; for as is a crane among swans, so are ignorant so are
ignorant sons in a public assembly.
12. Many a bad habit is developed through overindulgence, and
many a good one by chastisement, therefore beat your son as
well as your pupil; never indulge them. ("Spare the rod and spoil
the child.")
13. 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.
14. Separation from the wife, disgrace from one's own people,
an enemy saved in battle, service to a wicked king, poverty, and
a mismanaged assembly: these six kinds of evils, if afflicting a
person, burn him even without fire.
15. Trees on a river bank, a woman in another man's house, and
kings without counsellors go without doubt to swift destruction.
16. A brahmana's strength is in his learning, a king's strength is in
his army, a vaishya's strength is in his wealth and a shudra's
strength is in his attitude of service.
17. The prostitute has to forsake a man who has no money, the
subject a king that cannot defend him, the birds a tree that bears
no fruit, and the guests a house after they have finished their
meals.
18. Brahmanas quit their patrons after receiving alms from them,
scholars leave their teachers after receiving education from them,
and animals desert a forest that has been burnt down.
19. He who befriends a man whose conduct is vicious, whose
vision impure, and who is notoriously crooked, is rapidly ruined.
20. Friendship between equals flourishes, service under a king is
respectable, it is good to be business-minded in public dealings,
and a handsome lady is safe in her own home.
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter Three
(The Political Ethics of Chanakya Pandit)
1. In this world, whose family is there without blemish? Who is
free from sickness and grief? Who is forever happy?
2. A man's descent may be discerned by his conduct, his country
by his pronunciation of language, his friendship by his warmth
and glow, and his capacity to eat by his body.
3. Give your daughter in marriage to a good family, engage your
son in learning, see that your enemy comes to grief, and engage
your friends in dharma. (Krsna consciousness).
4. Of a rascal and a serpent, the serpent is the better of the two,
for he strikes only at the time he is destined to kill, while the
former at every step.
5. Therefore kings gather round themselves men of good
families, for they never forsake them either at the beginning, the
middle or the end.
6. At the time of the pralaya (universal destruction) the oceans
are to exceed their limits and seek to change, but a saintly man
never changes.
7. Do not keep company with a fool for as we can see he is a
two-legged beast. Like an unseen thorn he pierces the heart with
his sharp words.
8. Though men be endowed with beauty and youth and born in
noble families, yet without education they are like the palasa
flower which is void of sweet fragrance.
9. 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.
10. Give up a member to save a family, a family to save a village,
a village to save a country, and the country to save yourself.
11. There is no poverty for the industrious. Sin does not attach
itself to the person practicing japa (chanting of the holy names of
the Lord). Those who are absorbed in maunam (silent
contemplation of the Lord) have no quarrel with others. They are
fearless who remain always alert.
12. ...
13. What is too heavy for the strong and what place is too
distant for those who put forth effort? What country is foreign to
a man of true learning? Who can be inimical to one who speaks
pleasingly?
14. As a whole forest becomes fragrant by the existence of a
single tree with sweet-smelling blossoms in it, so a family
becomes famous by the birth of a virtuous son.
15. As a single withered tree, if set aflame, causes a whole forest
to burn, so does a rascal son destroy a whole family.
16. As night looks delightful when the moon shines, so is a family
gladdened by even one learned and virtuous son.
17. What is the use of having many sons if they cause grief and
vexation? It is better to have only one son from whom the whole
family can derive support and peacefulness.
18. Fondle a son until he is five years of age, and use the stick
for another ten years, but when he has attained his sixteenth year
treat him as a friend.
19. He who runs away from a fearful calamity, a foreign invasion,
a terrible famine, and the companionship of wicked men is safe.
20 He who has not acquired one of the following: religious merit
(dharma), wealth (artha), satisfaction of desires (kama), or
liberation (moksa) is repeatedly born to die.
21. 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.
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter Four
1. These five: the life-span, the type of work, wealth, learning
and the time of one's death are determined while one is in the
womb.
2. Offspring, friends and relatives flee from a devotee of the
Lord: yet those who follow him bring merit to their families
through their devotion.
3. Fish, tortoises, and birds bring up their young by means of
sight, attention and touch; so do saintly men afford protection to
their associates by the same means.
4. As long as your body is healthy and under control and death is
distant, try to save your soul; when death is immanent what can
you do?
5. Learning is like a cow of desire. It, like her, yields in all
seasons. Like a mother, it feeds you on your journey. Therefore
learning is a hidden treasure.
6. A single son endowed with good qualities is far better than a
hundred devoid of them. For the moon, though one, dispels the
darkness, which the stars, though numerous, can not.
7. A still-born son os superior to a foolish son endowed with a
long life. The first causes grief for but a moment while the latter
like a blazing fire consumes his parents in grief for life.
8. Residing in a small village devoid of proper living facilities,
serving a person born of a low family, unwholesome food, a
frowning wife, a foolish son, and a widowed daughter burn the
body without fire.
9. 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?
10. When one is consumed by the sorrows of life, three things
give him relief: offspring, a wife, and the company of the Lord's
devotees.
11. Kings speak for once, men of learning once, and the
daughter is given in marriage once. All these things happen once
and only once.
12. Religious austerities should be practiced alone, study by two,
and singing by three. A journey should be undertaken by four,
agriculture by five, and war by many together.
13. She is a true wife who is clean (suci), expert, chaste, pleasing
to the husband, and truthful.
14. The house of a childless person is a void, all directions are
void to one who has no relatives, the heart of a fool is also void,
but to a poverty stricken man all is void.
15. Scriptural lessons not put into practice are poison; a meal is
poison to him who suffers from indigestion; a social gathering is
poison to a poverty stricken person; and a young wife is poison
to an aged man.
16. That man who is without religion and mercy should be
rejected. A guru without spiritual knowledge should be rejected.
The wife with an offensive face should be given up, and so
should relatives who are without affection.
17. 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.
18. Consider again and again the following: the right time, the
right friends, the right place, the right means of income, the right
ways of spending, and from whom you derive your power.
19. For the twice-born the fire (Agni) is a representative of God.
The Supreme Lord resides in the heart of His devotees. Those of
average intelligence (alpa-buddhi or kanista-adhikari) see God
only in His sri-murti (deity form), but those of broad vision see
the Supreme Lord everywhere.
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter Five
1. Agni is the worshipable person for the twice-born; the
brahmana for the other castes; the husband for the wife; and the
guest who comes for food at the midday meal for all.
2. As gold is tested in four ways by rubbing, cutting, heating and
beating -- so a man should be tested by these four things: his
renunciation, his conduct, his qualities and his actions.
3. A thing may be dreaded as long as it has not overtaken you,
but once it has come upon you, try to get rid of it without
hesitation.
4. Though persons be born from the same womb and under the
same stars, they do not become alike in disposition as the
thousand fruits of the badari tree.
5. He whose hands are clean does not like to hold an office; he
who desires nothing cares not for bodily decorations; he who is
only partially educated cannot speak agreeably; and he who
speaks out plainly cannot be a deceiver.
6. The learned are envied by the foolish; rich men by the poor;
chaste women by adulteresses; and beautiful ladies by ugly ones.
7. Indolent application ruins study; money is lost when entrusted
to others; a farmer who sows his seed sparsely is ruined; and an
army is lost for want of a commander.
8. Learning is retained through putting into practice; family
prestige is maintained through good behaviour; a respectable
person is recognised by his excellent qualities; and anger is seen
in the eyes.
9. Religion is preserved by wealth; knowledge by diligent
practice; a king by conciliatory words; and a home by a dutiful
housewife.
10. Those who blaspheme Vedic wisdom, who ridicule the life
style recommended in the satras, and who deride men of
peaceful temperament, come to grief unnecessarily.
11. Charity puts and end to poverty; righteous conduct to
misery; discretion to ignorance; and scrutiny to fear.
12. There is no disease (so destructive) as lust; no enemy like
infatuation; no fire like wrath; and no happiness like spiritual
knowledge.
13. 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.
14. Heaven is but a straw to him who knows spiritual life; so is
life to a valiant man; a woman to him who has subdued his
senses; and the universe to him who is without attachment for the
world.
15. Learning is a friend on the journey; a wife in the house;
medicine in sickness; and religious merit is the only friend after
death.
16. 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.
17. There is no water like rainwater; no strength like one's own;
no light like that of the eyes; and no wealth more dear than food
grain.
18. The poor wish for wealth; animals for the faculty of speech;
men wish for heaven; and godly persons for liberation.
19. The earth is supported by the power of truth; it is the power
of truth that makes the sun shine and the winds blow; indeed all
things rest upon truth.
20. The Goddess of wealth is unsteady (chanchala), and so is the
life breath. The duration of life is uncertain, and the place of
habitation is uncertain; but in all this inconsistent world religious
merit alone is immovable.
21. Among men the barber is cunning; among birds the crow;
among beasts the jackal; and among women, the malin (flower
girl).
22. These five are your fathers; he who gave you birth, girdled
you with sacred thread, teaches you, provides you with food,
and protects you from fearful situations.
23. These five should be considered as mothers; the king's wife,
the preceptor's wife, the friend's wife, your wife's mother, and
your own mother.
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter Six
1. By means of hearing one understands dharma, malignity
vanishes, knowledge is acquired, and liberation from material
bondage is gained.
2. Among birds the crow is vile; among beasts the dog; the
ascetic whose sins is abominable, but he who blasphemes others
is the worst chandala.
3. Brass is polished by ashes; copper is cleaned by tamarind; a
woman, by her menses; and a river by its flow.
4. The king, the brahmana, and the ascetic yogi who go abroad
are respected; but the woman who wanders is utterly ruined.
5. He who has wealth has friends. He who is wealthy has
relatives. The rich one alone is called a man, and the affluent
alone are respected as pandits.
6. As is the desire of Providence, so functions one's intellect;
one's activities are also controlled by Providence; and by the will
of Providence one is surrounded by helpers.
7. Time perfects all living beings as well as kills them; it alone is
awake when all others are asleep. Time is insurmountable.
8. 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.
9. The spirit soul goes through his own course of karma and he
himself suffers the good and bad results thereby accrued. By his
own actions he entangles himself in samsara, and by his own
efforts he extricates himself.
10. The king is obliged to accept the sins of his subjects; the
purohit (priest) suffers for those of the king; a husband suffers for
those of his wife; and the guru suffers for those of his pupils.
11. A father who is a chronic debtor, an adulterous mother, a
beautiful wife, and an unlearned son are enemies ( in one's own
home).
12. Conciliate a covetous man by means of a gift, an obstinate
man with folded hands in salutation, a fool by humouring him,
and a learned man by truthful words.
13. It is better to be without a kingdom than to rule over a petty
one; better to be without a friend than to befriend a rascal; better
to be without a disciple than to have a stupid one; and better to
be without a wife than to have a bad one.
14. How can people be made happy in a petty kingdom? What
peace can we expect from a rascal friend? What happiness can
we have at home in the company of a bad wife? How can
renown be gained by instructing an unworthy disciple?
15. Learn one thing from a lion; one from a crane; four a cock;
five from a crow; six from a dog; and three from an ass.
16. 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.
17. The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and
accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, time
and ability.
18. To wake at the proper time; to take a bold stand and fight;
to make a fair division (of property) among relations; and to earn
one's own bread by personal exertion are the four excellent
things to be learned from a cock.
19. 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.
20. Contentment with little or nothing to eat although one may
have a great appetite; to awaken instantly although one may be in
a deep slumber; unflinching devotion to the master; and bravery;
these six qualities should be learned from the dog.
21. Although an ass is tired, he continues to carry his burden; he
is unmindful of cold and heat; and he is always contented; these
three things should be learned from the ass.
22. He who shall practice these twenty virtues shall become
invincible in all his undertakings.
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter Seven
1. A wise man should not reveal his loss of wealth, the vexation
of his mind, the misconduct of his own wife, base words spoken
by others, and disgrace that has befallen him.
2. He who gives up shyness in monetary dealings, in acquiring
knowledge, in eating and in business, becomes happy.
3. The happiness and peace attained by those satisfied by the
nectar of spiritual tranquillity is not attained by greedy persons
restlessly moving here and there.
4. One should feel satisfied with the following three things; his
own wife, food given by Providence and wealth acquired by
honest effort; but one should never feel satisfied with the
following three; study, chanting the holy names of the Lord (japa)
and charity.
5. Do not pass between two brahmanas, between a brahmana
and his sacrificial fire, between a wife and her husband, a master
and his servant, and a plough and an ox.
6. Do not let your foot touch fire, the spiritual master or a
brahmana; it must never touch a cow, a virgin, an old person or a
child.
7. Keep one thousand cubits away from an elephant, a hundred
from a horse, ten from a horned beast, but keep away from the
wicked by leaving the country.
8. An elephant is controlled by a goad (ankusha), a horse by a
slap of the hand, a horned animal with the show of a stick, and a
rascal with a sword.
9. Brahmanas find satisfaction in a good meal, peacocks in the
peal of thunder, a sadhu in seeing the prosperity of others, and
the wicked in the misery of others.
10. Conciliate a strong man by submission, a wicked man by
opposition, and the one whose power is equal to yours by
politeness or force.
11. The power of a king lies in his mighty arms; that of a
brahmana in his spiritual knowledge; and that of a woman in her
beauty youth and sweet words.
12. 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.
13. Swans live wherever there is water, and leave the place
where water dries up; let not a man act so -- and come and go
as he pleases.
14. Accumulated wealth is saved by spending just as incoming
fresh water is saved by letting out stagnant water.
15. He who has wealth has friends and relations; he alone
survives and is respected as a man.
16. The following four characteristics of the denizens of heaven
may be seen in the residents of this earth planet; charity, sweet
words, worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and
satisfying the needs of brahmanas.
17. The following qualities of the denizens of hell may
characterise men on earth; extreme wrath, harsh speech, enmity
with one's relations, the company with the base, and service to
men of low extraction.
18. By going to the den of a lion pearls from the head of an
elephant may be obtained; but by visiting the hole of a jackal
nothing but the tail of a calf or a bit of the hide of an ass may
found.
19. 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.
20. Purity of speech, of the mind, of the senses, and the of a
compassionate heart are needed by one who desires to rise to
the divine platform.
21. As you seek fragrance in a flower, oil in the sesamum seed,
fire in wood, ghee in milk, and jaggery (guda) in sugarcane; so
seek the spirit that is in the body by means of discrimination.
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter Eight
1. 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.
2. ...
3. The lamp eats up the darkness and therefore it produces lamp
black; in the same way according to the nature of our diet
(sattva, rajas, or tamas) we produce offspring in similar quality.
4. O wise man! Give your wealth only to the worthy and never
to others. The water of the sea received by the clouds is always
sweet. The rain water enlivens all living beings of the earth both
movable (insects, animals, humans, etc.) and immovable (plants,
trees, etc.), and then returns to the ocean it value multiplied a
million fold.
5. The wise who discern the essence of things have declared that
the yavana (meat eater) is equal in baseness to a thousand
candalas the lowest class), and hence a yavana is the basest of
men; indeed there is no one more base.
6. After having rubbed oil on the body, after encountering the
smoke from a funeral pyre, after sexual intercourse, and after
being shaved, one remains a chandala until he bathes.
7. Water is the medicine for indigestion; it is invigorating when
the food that is eaten is well digested; it is like nectar when drunk
in the middle of a dinner; and it is like poison when taken at the
end of a meal.
8. 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.
9. A man who encounters the following three is unfortunate; the
death of his wife in his old age, the entrusting of money into the
hands of relatives, and depending upon others for food.
10. Chanting of the Vedas without making ritualistic sacrifices to
the Supreme Lord through the medium of Agni, and sacrifices
not followed by bountiful gifts are futile. Perfection can be
achieved only through devotion (to the Supreme Lord) for
devotion is the basis of all success.
11. ...
12. ...
13. 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.
14. Anger is a personification of Yama (the demigod of death);
thirst is like the hellish river Vaitarani; knowledge is like a
kamadhenu (the cow of plenty); and contentment is like
Nandanavana (the garden of Indra).
15. Moral excellence is an ornament for personal beauty;
righteous conduct, for high birth; success for learning; and proper
spending for wealth.
16. Beauty is spoiled by an immoral nature; noble birth by bad
conduct; learning, without being perfected; and wealth by not
being properly utilised.
17. Water seeping into the earth is pure; and a devoted wife is
pure; the king who is the benefactor of his people is pure; and
pure is the brahmana who is contented.
18. Discontented brahmanas, contented kings, shy prostitutes,
and immodest housewives are ruined.
19. Of what avail is a high birth if a person is destitute of
scholarship? A man who is of low extraction is honoured even y
the demigods if he is learned.
20. A learned man is honoured by the people. A learned man
commands respect everywhere for his learning. Indeed, learning
is honoured everywhere.
21. those who are endowed with beauty and youth and who are
born of noble families are worthless if they have no learning.
They are just like the kimshuka blossoms ( flowers of the palasa
tree) which, though beautiful, have no fragrance.
22. The earth is encumbered with the weight of the flesh-eaters,
wine-bibblers, dolts and blockheads, who are beasts in the form
of men.
23. There is no enemy like a yajna (sacrifice) which consumes
the kingdom when not attended by feeding on a large scale;
consumes the priest when the chanting is not done properly; and
consumes the yajaman (the responsible person) when the gifts
are not made.
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter Nine
1. My dear child, if you desire to be free from the cycle of birth
and death, then abandon the objects of sense gratification as
poison. Drink instead the nectar of forbearance, upright conduct,
mercy, cleanliness and truth.
2. Those base men who speak of the secret faults of others
destroy themselves like serpents who stray onto anthills.
3. Perhaps nobody has advised Lord Brahma, the creator, to
impart perfume to gold; fruit to the sugarcane; flowers to the
sandalwood tree; wealth to the learned; and long life to the king.
4. Nectar (amrita) is the best among medicines; eating good food
is the best of all types of material happiness; the eye is the chief
among all organs; and the head occupies the chief position
among all parts of the body.
5. No messenger can travel about in the sky and no tidings come
from there. The voice of its inhabitants as never heard, nor can
any contact be established with them. Therefore the brahmana
who predicts the eclipse of the sun and moon which occur in the
sky must be considered as a vidwan (man of great learning).
6. The student, the servant, the traveller, the hungry person, the
frightened man, the treasury guard, and the steward: these seven
ought to be awakened if they fall asleep.
7. 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.
8. Of those who have studied the Vedas for material rewards,
and those who accept foodstuffs offered by shudras, what
potency have they? They are just like serpents without fangs.
9. He who neither rouses fear by his anger, nor confers a favour
when he is pleased can neither control nor protect. What can he
do?
10. The serpent may, without being poisonous, raise high its
hood, but the show of terror is enough to frighten people --
whether he be venomous or not.
11. Wise men spend their mornings in discussing gambling, the
afternoon discussing the activities of women, and the night
hearing about the activities of theft. (The first item above refers to
the gambling of King Yuddhisthira, the great devotee of Krishna.
The second item refers to the glorious deeds of mother Sita, the
consort of Lord Ramachandra. The third item hints at the
adorable childhood pastimes of Sri Krsna who stole butter from
the elderly cowherd ladies of Gokula. Hence Chanakya Pandita
advises wise persons to spend the morning absorbed in
Mahabharata, the afternoon studying Ramayana, and the evening
devotedly hearing the Srimad-Bhagvatam.)
12. By preparing a garland for a Deity with one's own hand; by
grinding sandal paste for the Lord with one's own hand; and by
writing sacred texts with one's own hand -- one becomes
blessed with opulence equal to that of Indra.
13. ...
14. Poverty is set off by fortitude; shabby garments by keeping
them clean; bad food by warming it; and ugliness by good
behaviour.
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter Ten
1. One destitute of wealth is not destitute, he is indeed rich (if he
is learned); but the man devoid of learning is destitute in every
way.
2. We should carefully scrutinise that place upon which we step
(having it ascertained to be free from filth and living creatures like
insects, etc.); we should drink water which has been filtered
(through a clean cloth); we should speak only those words which
have the sanction of the satras; and do that act which we have
carefully considered.
3. He who desires sense gratification must give up all thoughts of
acquiring knowledge; and he who seeks knowledge must not
hope for sense gratification. How can he who seeks sense
gratification acquire knowledge, and he who possesses
knowledge enjoy mundane sense pleasure?
4. What is it that escapes the observation of poets? What is that
act women are incapable of doing? What will drunken people
not prate? What will not a crow eat?
5. Fate makes a beggar a king and a king a beggar. He makes a
rich man poor and a poor man rich.
6. The beggar is a miser's enemy; the wise counsellor is the fool's
enemy; her husband is an adulterous wife's enemy; and the moon
is the enemy of the thief.
7. Those who are destitute of learning, penance, knowledge,
good disposition, virtue and benevolence are brutes wandering
the earth in the form of men. They are burdensome to the earth.
8. Those that are empty-minded cannot be benefited by
instruction. Bamboo does not acquire the quality of sandalwood
by being associated with the Malaya Mountain.
9. 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?
10. Nothing can reform a bad man, just as the posterious cannot
become a superior part of the body though washed one hundred
times.
11. By offending a kinsman, life is lost; by offending others,
wealth is lost; by offending the king, everything is lost; and by
offending a brahmana one's whole family is ruined.
12. It is better to live under a tree in a jungle inhabited by tigers
and elephants, to maintain oneself in such a place with ripe fruits
and spring water, to lie down on grass and to wear the ragged
barks of trees than to live amongst one's relations when reduced
to poverty.
13. The brahmana is like tree; his prayers are the roots, his
chanting of the Vedas are the branches, and his religious act are
the leaves. Consequently effort should be made to preserve his
roots for if the roots are destroyed there can be no branches or
leaves.
14. My mother is Kamala devi (Lakshmi), my father is Lord
Janardana (Vishnu), my kinsmen are the Vishnu-bhaktas
(Vaisnavas) and, my homeland is all the three worlds.
15. (Through the night) a great many kinds of birds perch on a
tree but in the morning they fly in all the ten directions. Why
should we lament for that? (Similarly, we should not grieve when
we must inevitably part company from our dear ones).
16. He who possesses intelligence is strong; how can the man
that is unintelligent be powerful? The elephant of the forest having
lost his senses by intoxication was tricked into a lake by a small
rabbit. (this verse refers to a famous story from the niti-sastra
called pancatantra compiled by the pandit Vishnusharma 2500
years ago).
17. Why should I be concerned for my maintenance while
absorbed in praising the glories of Lord Vishwambhara (Vishnu),
the supporter of all. Without the grace of Lord Hari, how could
milk flow from a mother's breast for a child's nourishment?
Repeatedly thinking only in this way, O Lord of the Yadus, O
husband of Lakshmi, all my time is spent in serving Your lotus
feet.
18. ...
19. ...
20. ...
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter Eleven
1. Generosity, pleasing address, courage and propriety of
conduct are not acquired, but are inbred qualities.
2. He who forsakes his own community and joins another
perishes as the king who embraces an unrighteous path.
3. The elephant has a huge body but is controlled by the ankusha
(goad): yet, is the goad as large as the elephant? A lighted candle
banishes darkness: is the candle as vast as the darkness. A
mountain is broken even by a thunderbolt: is the thunderbolt
therefore as big as the mountain? No, he whose power prevails
is really mighty; what is there in bulk?
4. ...
5. He who is engrossed in family life will never acquire
knowledge; there can be no mercy in the eater of flesh; the
greedy man will not be truthful; and purity will not be found in a
woman a hunter.
6. The wicked man will not attain sanctity even if he is instructed
in different ways, and the nim tree will not become sweet even if
it is sprinkled from the top to the roots with milk and ghee.
7. Mental dirt cannot be washed away even by one-hundred
baths in the sacred waters, just as a wine pot cannot be purified
even by evaporating all the wine by fire.
8. It is not strange if a man reviles a thing of which he has no
knowledge, just as a wild hunter's wife throws away the pearl
that is found in the head of an elephant, and picks up a gunj(a
type of seed which poor tribals wear as ornaments).
9. He who for one year eats his meals silently (inwardly
meditating upon the Lord's prasadam); attains to the heavenly
planets for a thousand crore of years. ( Note: one crore equals
ten million)
10. The student (brahmacari) should completely renounce the
following eight things -- his lust, anger, greed, desire for sweets,
sense of decorating the body, excessive curiosity, excessive
sleep, and excessive endeavour for bodily maintenance.
11. ...
12. He alone is a true brahmana (dvija or "twice-born") who is
satisfied with one meal a day, who has the six samskaras (or acts
of purification such as garbhadhana, etc.) performed for him, and
who cohabits with his wife only once in a month on an auspicious
day after her menses.
13. The brahmana who is engrossed in worldly affairs, brings up
cows and is engaged in trade is really called a vaishya.
14. The brahmana who deals in lac-die, articles, oil, indigo,
silken cloth, honey, clarified butter, liquor, or flesh is called a
shudra.
15. The brahmana who thwarts the doings of others, who is
hypocritical, selfish, and a deceitful hater, and while speaking
mildly cherishes cruelty in his heart, is called a cat.
16. The brahmana who destroys a pond, a well, a tank, a garden
and a temple is called a mleccha.
17. The brahmana who steals the property of the Deities and the
spiritual preceptor, who cohabits with another's wife, and who
maintains himself by eating anything and everything s called a
chandala.
18. The meritorious should give away in charity all that they have
in excess of their needs. By charity only Karna, Bali and King
Vikramaditya survive even today. Just see the plight of the
honeybees beating their legs in despair upon the earth. They are
saying to themselves, "Alas! We neither enjoyed our stored-up
honey nor gave it in charity, and now someone has taken it from
us in an instant."
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter Twelve
1. He is a blessed grhasta (householder) in whose house there is
a blissful atmosphere, whose sons are talented, whose wife
speaks sweetly, whose wealth is enough to satisfy his desires,
who finds pleasure in the company of his wife, whose servants
are obedient, in whose house hospitality is shown, the auspicious
Supreme Lord is worshiped daily, delicious food and drink is
partaken, and who finds joy in the company of devotees.
2. One who devotedly gives a little to a brahmana who is in
distress is recompensed abundantly. Hence, O Prince, what is
given to a good brahmana is got back not in an equal quantity,
but in an infinitely higher degree.
3. Those men who are happy in this world, who are generous
towards their relatives, kind to strangers, indifferent to the
wicked, loving to the good, shrewd in their dealings with the
base, frank with the learned, courageous with enemies, humble
with elders and stern with the wife.
4. O jackal, leave aside the body of that man at once, whose
hands have never given in charity, whose ears have not heard the
voice of learning, whose eyes have not beheld a pure devotee of
the Lord, whose feet have never traversed to holy places, whose
belly is filled with things obtained by crooked practices, and
whose head is held high in vanity. Do not eat it, O jackal,
otherwise you will become polluted.
5. "Shame upon those who have no devotion to the lotus feet of
Sri Krishna, the son of mother Yasoda; who have no attachment
for the describing the glories of Srimati Radharani; whose ears
are not eager to listen to the stories of the Lord's lila." Such is the
exclamation of the mrdanga sound of dhik-tam dhik-tam
dhigatam at kirtana.
6. What fault of spring that the bamboo shoot has no leaves?
What fault of the sun if the owl cannot see during the daytime? Is
it the fault of the clouds if no raindrops fall into the mouth of the
chatak bird? Who can erase what Lord Brahma has inscribed
upon our foreheads at the time of birth?
7. A wicked man may develop saintly qualities in the company of
a devotee, but a devotee does not become impious in the
company of a wicked person. The earth is scented by a flower
that falls upon it, but the flower does not contact the odour of the
earth.
8. One indeed becomes blessed by having darshan of a devotee;
for the devotee has the ability to purify immediately, whereas the
sacred tirtha gives purity only after prolonged contact.
9. A stranger asked a brahmana, "Tell me, who is great in this
city?" The brahmana replied, "The cluster of palmyra trees is
great." Then the traveller asked, "Who is the most charitable
person?" The brahmana answered, "The washerman who takes
the clothes in the morning and gives them back in the evening is
the most charitable." He then asked, "Who is the ablest man?"
The brahmana answered, "Everyone is expert in robbing others
of their wives and wealth." The man hen asked the brahmana,
"How do you manage to live in such a city?" The brahmana
replied, "As a worm survives while even in a filthy place so do I
survive here!"
10. The house in which the lotus feet of brahmanas are not
washed, in which Vedic mantras are not loudly recited, and in
which the holy rites of svaha (sacrificial offerings to the Supreme
Lord) and swadha (offerings to the ancestors) are not
performed, is like a crematorium.
11. (It is said that a sadhu, when asked about his family, replied
thusly): truth is my mother, and my father is spiritual knowledge;
righteous conduct is my brother, and mercy is my friend, inner
peace is my wife, and forgiveness is my son: these six are my
kinsmen.
12. Our bodies are perishable, wealth is not at all permanent and
death is always nearby. Therefore we must immediately engage
in acts of merit.
13. Arjuna says to Krsna. "Brahmanas find joy in going to feasts,
cows find joy in eating their tender grass, wives find joy in the
company of their husbands, and know, O Krsna, that in the
same way I rejoice in battle.
14. He who regards another's wife as his mother, the wealth that
does not belong to him as a lump of mud, and the pleasure and
pain of all other living beings as his own -- truly sees things in the
right perspective, and he is a true pandit.
15. O Raghava, the love of virtue, pleasing speech, and an
ardent desire for performing acts of charity, guileless dealings
with friends, humility in the guru's presence , deep tranquillity of
mind, pure conduct, discernment of virtues, realised knowledge
of the sastras, beauty of form and devotion to God are all found
in you." (The great sage Vasistha Muni, the spiritual preceptor of
the dynasty of the sun, said this to Lord Ramachandra at the time
of His proposed coronation).
16. The desire tree is wood; the golden Mount Meru is
motionless; the wish-fulfilling gem cintamani is just a stone; the
sun is scorching; the moon is prone to wane; the boundless
ocean is saline; the demigod of lust lost his body (due to Shiva's
wrath); Bali Maharaja, the son of Diti, was born into a clan of
demons; and Kamadhenu (the cow of heaven) is a mere beast.
O Lord of the Raghu dynasty! I cannot compare you to any one
of these (taking their merits into account).
17. Realised learning (vidya) is our friend while travelling , the
wife is a friend at home, medicine is the friend of a sick man, and
meritorious deeds are the friends at death.
18. Courtesy should be learned from princes, the art of
conversation from pandits, lying should be learned from gamblers
and deceitful ways should be learned from women.
19. The unthinking spender, the homeless urchin, the quarrel
monger, the man who neglects his wife and is heedless in his
actions -- all these will soon come to ruination.
20. The wise man should not be anxious about his food; he
should be anxious to be engaged only in dharma. The food of
each man is created for him at his birth.
21. He who is not shy in the acquisition of wealth, grain and
knowledge, and in taking his meals, will be happy.
22. As centesimal droppings will fill a pot so also are knowledge,
virtue and wealth gradually obtained.
23. 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.
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter Thirteen
1. A man may live but for a moment, but that moment should be
spent in doing auspicious deeds. It is useless living even for a
kalpa (4,320,000,000 years) and bringing only distress upon the
two worlds (this world and the next).
2. 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.
3. It certainly is nature of the demigods, men of good character,
and parents to be easily pleased. Near and distant relatives are
pleased when they are hospitably received with bathing, food,
and drink; and pandits are pleased with an opportunity for giving
spiritual discourse.
4 Even as the unborn babe is in the womb of his mother, these
five are fixed as his life destiny: his life span, his activities, his
acquisition of wealth and knowledge, and his time of death.
5. O see what a wonder it is! The doings of the great are strange:
they treat wealth as light as a straw, yet, when they obtain it, they
bend under its weight.
6. 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.
7. He who is prepared for the future and he who deals cleverly
with any situation that may arise are both happy; but the fatalistic
man who wholly depends on luck is ruined.
8. If the king is virtuous, then the subjects are also virtuous. If the
king is sinful, then the subjects also become sinful. If he is
mediocre, then the subjects are mediocre. The subjects follow
the example of the king. In short, as is the king so are the
subjects.
9. I consider him who does not act religiously as dead though
living, but he who dies acting religiously unquestionably lives long
though he is dead.
10. He who has acquired neither virtue, wealth, satisfaction of
desires nor salvation (dharma, artha, kama, moksa), lives an
utterly useless life, like the "nipples" hanging from the neck of a
goat.
11. The hearts of base men burn before the fire of other's fame,
and they slander them being themselves unable to rise to such a
high position.
12. Excessive attachment to sense pleasures leads to bondage,
and detachment from sense pleasures leads to liberation;
therefore it is the mind alone that is responsible for bondage or
liberation.
13. He who sheds bodily identification by means of knowledge
of the indwelling Supreme Self (Paramatma), will always be
absorbed in meditative trance (samadhi) wherever his mind leads
him.
14. Who realises all the happiness he desires? Everything is in
the hands of God. Therefore one should learn contentment.
15. As a calf follows its mother among a thousand cows, so the
(good or bad) deeds of a man follow him.
16. He whose actions are disorganised has no happiness either in
the midst of men or in a jungle -- in the midst of men his heart
burns by social contacts, and his helplessness burns him in the
forest.
17. As the man who digs obtains underground water by use of a
shovel, so the student attains the knowledge possessed by his
preceptor through his service.
18. Men reap the fruits of their deeds, and intellects bear the
mark of deeds performed in previous lives; even so the wise act
after due circumspection.
19. Even the man who has taught the spiritual significance of just
one letter ought to be worshiped. He who does not give
reverence to such a guru is born as a dog a hundred times, and
at last takes birth as a chandala (dog-eater).
20. At the end of the yuga, Mount Meru may be shaken; at the
end of the kalpa, the waters of the seven oceans may be
disturbed; but a sadhu will never swerve from the spiritual path.
21. There are three gems upon this earth; food, water, and
pleasing words -- fools (mudhas) consider pieces of rocks as
gems.
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter Fourteen
1. Poverty, disease, sorrow, imprisonment and other evils are the
fruits borne by the tree of one's own sins.
2. Wealth, a friend, a wife, and a kingdom may be regained; but
this body when lost may never be acquired again.
3. The enemy can be overcome by the union of large numbers,
just as grass through its collectiveness wards off erosion caused
by heavy rainfall.
4. Oil on water, a secret communicated to a base man, a gift
given to a worthy receiver, and scriptural instruction given to an
intelligent man spread out by virtue of their nature.
5. If men should always retain the state of mind they experience
when hearing religious instruction, when present at a crematorium
ground, and when in sickness -- then who could not attain
liberation.
6. If a man should feel before, as he feels after, repentance --
then who would not attain perfection?
7. We should not feel pride in our charity, austerity, valour,
scriptural knowledge, modesty and morality for the world is full
of the rarest gems.
8. He who lives in our mind is near though he may actually be far
away; but he who is not in our heart is far though he may really
be nearby.
9. 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.
10. It is ruinous to be familiar with the king, fire, the religious
preceptor, and a woman. To be altogether indifferent of them is
to be deprived of the opportunity to benefit ourselves, hence our
association with them must be from a safe distance.
11. We should always deal cautiously with fire, water, women,
foolish people, serpents, and members of a royal family; for they
may, when the occasion presents itself, at once bring about our
death.
12. He should be considered to be living who is virtuous and
pious, but the life of a man who is destitute of religion and virtues
is void of any blessing.
13. If you wish to gain control of the world by the performance
of a single deed, then keep the following fifteen, which are prone
to wander here and there, from getting the upper hand of you:
the five sense objects (objects of sight, sound, smell, taste, and
touch); the five sense organs (ears, eyes, nose, tongue and skin)
and organs of activity (hands, legs, mouth, genitals and anus).
14. 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.
15 One single object (a woman) appears in three different ways:
to the man who practices austerity it appears as a corpse, to the
sensual it appears as a woman, and to the dogs as a lump of
flesh.
16. A wise man should not divulge the formula of a medicine
which he has well prepared; an act of charity which he has
performed; domestic conflicts; private affairs with his wife;
poorly prepared food he may have been offered; or slang he
may have heard.
17. The cuckoos remain silent for a long time (for several
seasons) until they are able to sing sweetly (in the Spring ) so as
to give joy to all.
18. We should secure and keep the following: the blessings of
meritorious deeds, wealth, grain, the words of the spiritual
master, and rare medicines. Otherwise life becomes impossible.
19. 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.
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter Fifteen
1. For one whose heart melts with compassion for all creatures;
what is the necessity of knowledge, liberation, matted hair on the
head, and smearing the body with ashes.
2. There is no treasure on earth the gift of which will cancel the
debt a disciple owes his guru for having taught him even a single
letter ( that leads to Krishna consciousness).
3. There are two ways to get rid of thorns and wicked persons;
using footwear in the first case and in the second shaming them
so that they cannot raise their faces again thus keeping them at a
distance.
4. He who wears unclean garments, has dirty teeth, as a glutton,
speaks unkindly and sleeps after sunrise -- although he may be
the greatest personality -- will lose the favour of Lakshmi.
5. 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.
6. Sinfully acquired wealth may remain for ten years; in the
eleventh year it disappears with even the original stock.
7. A bad action committed by a great man is not censured (as
there is none that can reproach him), and a good action
performed by a low-class man comes to be condemned
(because none respects him). Just see: the drinking of nectar is
excellent, but it became the cause of Rahu's demise; and the
drinking of poison is harmful, but when Lord Shiva (who is
exalted) drank it, it became an ornament to his neck (nila-kanta).
8. A true meal is that which consists of the remnants left after a
brahmana's meal. Love which is shown to others is true love, not
that which is cherished for one's own self. to abstain from sin is
true wisdom. That is an act of charity which is performed without
ostentation.
9. For want of discernment the most precious jewels lie in the
dust at the feet of men while bits of glass are worn on their
heads. But we should not imagine that the gems have sunk in
value, and the bits of glass have risen in importance. When a
person of critical judgement shall appear, each will be given its
right position.
10. Sastric knowledge is unlimited, and the arts to be learned are
many; the time we have is short, and our opportunities to learn
are beset with obstacles. Therefore select for learning that which
is most important, just as the swan drinks only the milk in water.
11. He is a chandala who eats his dinner without entertaining the
stranger who has come to his house quite accidentally, having
travelled from a long distance and is wearied.
12. One may know the four Vedas and the Dharma-sastras, yet
if he has no realisation of his own spiritual self, he can be said to
be like the ladle which stirs all kinds of foods but knows not the
taste of any.
13. Those blessed souls are certainly elevated who, while
crossing the ocean of life, take shelter of a genuine brahmana,
who is likened unto a boat. They are unlike passengers aboard
an ordinary ship which runs the risk of sinking.
14. The moon, who is the abode of nectar and the presiding
deity of all medicines, although immortal like amrta and
resplendent in form, loses the brilliance of his rays when he
repairs to the abode of the sun (day time). Therefore will not an
ordinary man be made to feel inferior by going to live at the
house of another.
15. This humble bee, who always resides among the soft petals
of the lotus and drinks abundantly its sweet nectar, is now
feasting on the flower of the ordinary kutaja. Being in a strange
country where the lotuses do not exist, he is considering the
pollen of the kutaja to be nice.
16. (Lord Visnu asked His spouse Lakshmi why She did not
care to live in the house of a brahmana, when She replied) " O
Lord a rishi named Agastya drank up My father (the ocean) in
anger; Brighu Muni kicked You; brahmanas pride themselves on
their learning having sought the favour of My competitor
Sarasvati; and lastly they pluck each day the lotus which is My
abode, and therewith worship Lord Shiva. Therefore, O Lord, I
fear to dwell with a brahmana and that properly.
17. There are many ways of binding by which one can be
dominated and controlled in this world, but the bond of affection
is the strongest. For example, take the case of the humble bee
which, although expert at piercing hardened wood, becomes
caught in the embrace of its beloved flowers (as the petals close
at dusk).
18. Although sandalwood be cut, it does not forsake its natural
quality of fragrance; so also the elephant does not give up
sportiveness though he should grow old. The sugarcane does not
cease to be sweet though squeezed in a mill; so the man of noble
extraction does not lose his lofty qualities, no matter how
pinched he is by poverty.
19. ...
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter Sixteen
1. ...
2. The heart of a woman is not united; it is divided. While she is
talking with one man, she looks lustfully at another and thinks
fondly of a third in her heart.
3. The fool (mudha) who fancies that a charming young lady
loves him, becomes her slave and he dances like a shakuntal bird
tied to a string.
4. Who is there who, having become rich, has not become
proud? What licentious man has put an end to his calamities?
What man in this world has not been overcome by a woman?
Who is always loved by the king? Who is there who has not
been overcome by the ravages of time? What beggar has
attained glory? Who has become happy by contracting the vices
of the wicked?
5. ...
6. 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.
7. ...
8. The man who is praised by others as great is regarded as
worthy though he may be really void of all merit. But the man
who sings his own praises lowers himself in the estimation of
others though he should be Indra (the possessor of all
excellences).
9. If good qualities should characterise a man of discrimination,
the brilliance of his qualities will be recognised just as a gem
which is essentially bright really shines when fixed in an ornament
of gold.
10. Even one who by his qualities appears to be all knowing
suffers without patronage; the gem, though precious, requires a
gold setting.
11. I do not deserve that wealth which is to be attained by
enduring much suffering, or by transgressing the rules of virtue, or
by flattering an enemy.
12. ...
13. Those who were not satiated with the enjoyment of wealth,
food and women have all passed away; there are others now
passing away who have likewise remained unsatiated; and in the
future still others will pass away feeling themselves unsatiated.
14. All charities and sacrifices (performed for fruitive gain) bring
only temporary results, but gifts made to deserving persons
(those who are Krsna consciousness) and protection offered to
all creatures shall never perish.
15. A blade of grass is light, cotton is lighter, the beggar is
infinitely lighter still. Why then does not the wind carry him
away? Because it fears that he may ask alms of him.
16. It is better to die than to preserve this life by incurring
disgrace. The loss of life causes but a moment's grief, but
disgrace brings grief every day of one's life.
17. 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.
18. There are two nectarean fruits hanging from the tree of this
world: one is the hearing of sweet words (such as Krsna-katha)
and the other, the society of saintly men.
19. The good habits of charity, learning and austerity practised
during many past lives continue to be cultivated in this birth by
virtue of the link (yoga) of this present life to the previous ones.
20. 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.
Sri Chanakya Niti-Shastra: Chapter Seventeen
1. The scholar who has acquired knowledge by studying
innumerable books without the blessings of a bonafide spiritual
master does not shine in an assembly of truly learned men just as
an illegitimate child is not honoured in society.
2. We should repay the favours of others by acts of kindness; so
also should we return evil for evil in which there is no sin, for it is
necessary to pay a wicked man in his own coin.
3. That thing which is distant, that thing which appears
impossible, and that which is far beyond our reach, can be easily
attained through tapasya (religious austerity), for nothing can
surpass austerity.
4. 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? If one has a good disposition, what other virtue is
needed? If a man has fame, what is the value of other
ornamentation? What need is there for wealth for the man of
practical knowledge? And if a man is dishonoured, what could
there be worse in death?
5. Though the sea, which is the reservoir of all jewels, is the
father of the conch shell, and the Goddess of fortune Lakshmi is
conch's sister, still the conch must go from door to door for alms
(in the hands of a beggar). It is true, therefore, that one gains
nothing without having given in the past.
6. When a man has no strength left in him he becomes a sadhu,
one without wealth acts like a brahmacari, a sick man behaves
like a devotee of the Lord, and when a woman grows old she
becomes devoted to her husband.
7. ...
8. There is poison in the fang of the serpent, in the mouth of the
fly and in the sting of a scorpion; but the wicked man is saturated
with it.
9. The woman who fasts and observes religious vows without
the permission of her husband shortens his life, and goes to hell.
10. A woman does not become holy by offering by charity, by
observing hundreds of fasts, or by sipping sacred water, as by
sipping the water used to wash her husbands feet.
11 ...
12. The hand is not so well adorned by ornaments as by
charitable offerings; one does not become clean by smearing
sandalwood paste upon the body as by taking a bath; one does
not become so much satisfied by dinner as by having respect
shown to him; and salvation is not attained by self-adornment as
by cultivation of spiritual knowledge.
13. ...
14. The eating of tundi fruit deprives a man of his sense, while
the vacha root administered revives his reasoning immediately. A
woman at once robs a man of his vigour while milk at once
restores it.
15. He who nurtures benevolence for all creatures within his
heart overcomes all difficulties and will be the recipient of all
types of riches at every step.
16. What is there to be enjoyed in the world of Lord Indra for
one whose wife is loving and virtuous, who possesses wealth,
who has a well-behaved son endowed with good qualities, and
who has a grandchildren born of his children?
17. Men have eating, sleeping, fearing and mating in common
with the lower animals. That in which men excel the beasts is
discretionary knowledge; hence, indiscreet men who are without
knowledge should be regarded as beasts.
18. If the bees which seek the liquid oozing from the head of a
lust-intoxicated elephant are driven away by the flapping of his
ears, then the elephant has lost only the ornament of his head.
The bees are quite happy in the lotus filled lake.
19. A king, a prostitute, Lord Yamaraja, fire, a thief, a young
boy, and a beggar cannot understand the suffering of others. The
eighth of this category is the tax collector.
20. O lady, why are you gazing downward? Has something of
yours fallen on the ground? (She replies) O fool, can you not
understand the pearl of my youth has slipped away?
21. O ketki flower! Serpents live in your midst, you bear no
edible fruits, your leaves are covered with thorns, you are
crooked in growth, you thrive in mud, and you are not easily
accessible. Still for your exceptional fragrance you are as dear as
a kinsmen to others. Hence, a single excellence overcomes a
multitude of blemishes.