Chanakya Quotes (164 Quotes)

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A man is great by deeds, not by birth.

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.

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

Moral excellence is an ornament for personal beauty righteous conduct, for high birth success for learning and proper spending for wealth.

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.

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.

He who is not shy in the acquisition of wealth, grain and knowledge, and in taking his meals, will be happy

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.

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

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

Do not inhabit a country where you are not respected, cannot earn your livelihood, have no friends, or cannot acquire knowledge.

He who forsakes his own community and joins another perishes as the king who embraces an unrighteous path.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Whores don't live in company of poor men, citizens never support a weak company and birds don't build nests on a tree that doesn't bear fruits.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

There is no disease (so destructive) as lust no enemy like infatuation no fire like wrath and no happiness like spiritual knowledge.

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

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.