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"Nothing happens that is not predestined, And what is predestined, always comes to pass, Even when a man has something in his hand, If fate is hostile, it slips from his grasp."
'When a king shows respect to his servants, They will never forsake him In times of distress.'
'When a master enjoys life While his devoted servants suffer, He will surely have to pay, Both here and in hell.'
"A wise man should develop friendship With the right kind of people, For, with their help, even difficult problems Can be tackled easily."
'However great the volume of the sea, It must await the appearance of full moon To produce the high tide, And however talented a wise man may be, He nonetheless needs friends.'
'Friendship is only possible Between people who are equals In strength, wealth and status.' "
'Enmity that arises for some particular reason, Vanishes when the cause is removed, But the natural enmity, between certain species, Endures for ever.
'Never put your trust in someone Who is not to be trusted. Nor even in a trustworthy man Beyond limit.
"The indications of friendship are Mutual entertainment And the exchange of confidences and presents."
"When a man is wealthy, He becomes elated And his energy increases."
'An insignificant person who gives, Is respected by all, But not so a rich man who is miserly. Sweet water from a small well quenches the thirst, But not the salty water of the great ocean.' "
"A wise man can weigh another's strength By a mere glance And estimate the weight of an object Simply by handling it."
'When Fate is hostile, What can you achieve By making an effort to avoid it?'
"To flaunt oneself, to humble others, And to treat them contemptuously, All this is done on the strength of riches."
"A snake without fangs And a man without money, Merely exist."
"A rich man Who loses his money, Suffers more than a poor man Who never had any."
"A master from whom one derives no benefits, Should be avoided from a long distance."
"The life of a man without riches, A marriage without children, Oblations to dead parents without a Brahmin's rituals And religious ceremonies without gifts to charity, All these are futile."
'You always get What's coming to you.
Even the gods can't oppose The laws of destiny. And so, I regret nothing And nothing astonishes me. What destiny gives me, No one can take away.'
'A wise man should avoid doing anything Which may bring dishonour, humiliation Or exclusion from heaven."
'When you are rich, All men are your friends, But when calamity strikes, Only a true friend stands by you.'
'You can only enjoy riches and youth, The friendship of the wicked, Cooked food and women, For a short time.'
'Money is troublesome to earn And more troublesome to guard. Getting it or spending it, brings unhappiness. Money is a curse!'
'A wise man uses his wits To make money But avoids being a miser, For he may be destined to lose his money: The art is in learning how to enjoy it.
"What is not predestined, Do what you will, Can never happen: What is not predestined, Will even come into your hand And yet slip away: But what destiny has planned, Will surely come to pass Without your help: For destiny and action Go hand in hand, The one is as much a part of the other, As light and shade."
"As a calf will find out its mother Amongst a thousand cows. So destiny selects its performers From amongst the masses."
"No plan can succeed, Without determined effort, Any more than you can clap with one hand."
wise man uses his wits To make money But avoids being a miser, For he may be destined to lose his money: The art is in learning how to enjoy it.
'There are two ways of rescuing yourself From the clutches of an enemy: You can use your hands to fight Or your feet to run.'
"The wise choose good friends, For, with their help, It is possible to survive every calamity."
'When Destiny frowns on him, Even a sage May lose his power of thought. What is predestined Cannot be avoided Even by the great.' "
'You get more cuts Where there's already a wound, And when the money is short, You feel more hungry than usual!' And, 'When you are already in trouble, Your enemies multiply, And when you are weak Most evils arise.'
'When calamity strikes, To cry serves no purpose, It only increases the sorrow.' "
"He who makes friends And never deceives them, Shall triumph over all his troubles."
"Never trust a man Who has always been your enemy And suddenly turns friendly towards you.
'Only when a minister is specifically asked for his opinion, Should he say what he honestly thinks And then it should make no difference Whether his opinion is palatable or not. For, if a minister is nothing but a flatterer, Then he is in reality not a minister but an enemy.'
'Make peace with an enemy Who is as strong as you are, For, in a battle between equals, The victory hangs in the balance, Never fight Unless you are sure of success.'
'If a weak man is full of fire, He can destroy an enemy who is stronger, Just as a lion kills an elephant And rules over his domain.'
'A ram retreats to attack And a lion crouches to pounce on his prey.'
'A crocodile in water Can drag an elephant But outside, on land, He is harassed by a mere dog.'
'A single archer, well entrenched, Can withstand a hundred men of the enemy.'
'He who, in the face of a strong enemy, Instead of entrenching himself, Deserts his post, Shall never see it again.'
'Only intrigue is effectual When your enemy is powerful
'Animals are guided by their sense of smell, Brahmins through the Vedas, Kings through spies And other men by their two eyes.' "
"As a boat without a helmsman Just drifts with the tide, So too the people come to grief, When their king takes no care of them. So never put your faith in such a king Any more than you would in a sinking ship in the ocean.
"A barber is the shrewdest amongst men, A crow amongst birds, A jackal amongst animals, And a white-robed Jain Muni* amongst hermits."
'A messenger should be someone Who has wits, good looks and an unselfish nature, An excellent conversationalist, with a thorough knowledge of the shastras, Someone who understands the minds of other people.' "
'He who arbitrates unjustly, Out of pride, avarice, anger or fear, Shall surely go to hell.'
"The wound caused by an arrow or a sword may heal, But not the wound caused by sharp words."