Chanakya Quotes

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.

They (low-minded) ones should never be trusted.

Purity of speech, of the mind, of the senses, and of a compassionate heart are needed by one who desires to rise to the divine platform.

He who has wealth has friends.

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.

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

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

Offspring, friends and relatives flee from a devotee of the Lord: yet those who follow him bring merit to their families through their devotion.

Swans live wherever there is water, and leave the place where water dries up; let not a man act so - and comes and goes as he pleases.

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

Learning is a friend on the journey; a wife in the house; medicine in sickness; and religious merit is the only friend after death.

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

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.

Education beats the beauty and the youth.

One's weakness should not ever be revealed.

There is no disease so destructive as lust.

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

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.

Enemies strike at weak points.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

There are three gems upon this earth; food, water, and pleasing words - fools (mudhas) consider pieces of rocks as gems.

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.

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

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.

Time perfects men as well as destroys them.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

She is a true wife who is clean (suci), expert, chaste, pleasing to the husband, and truthful.

Accumulated wealth is saved by spending just as incoming fresh water is saved by letting out stagnant water.

As water collected in a tank gets pure by filtration, so accumulated wealth is preserved by being employed in charity.