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The external conditions only marginally affect the intrinsic worth of any object. Dust might cover the gem to render it lustreless but sooner or later it must fetch its intrinsic value. Reality can’t be hoodwinked by any trick for long.]
The Indian thought avers that the real education is that which liberates: ( सा विद्या या विमुक्तये ) says the Upanishad. And wealth plus all mundane considerations bind one to these transient fallacies. Obviously, both are contradictory to each other. Good education liberates and wealth hinds. So, why should a well-educated or a liberated soul crave for wealth and other material possessions.
The king, the prostitute, the death-god Yamaraj, fire, thief, beggar, child and the persons (of the village) who enjoy making others fight. These eight kinds of persons do not experience the trouble of others.
The wise man must always keep his secret concerning the following informations: about the efficacious medicines, about his Dharma (faith), the short comings of his household, his sexual contact, the rotten food already consumed and the bad or evil things heard by them.
It is pure common sense to hide you or your household shortcomings. Their exposure would bring you much less accolades for your simplicity but too many damaging remarks. Similarly, only a fool would spill out the details of one’s sexual contacts, even with one’s legally wedded wife. These things are not to be told but cherished and enjoyed in privacy.
if one has eaten anything which is prohibited by one’s religion or society, there is no sense in advertising about it.
The last observation is very meaningful. Often we hear something wrong about some person or some event. It is prudent not to give currency to it by telling others about it, for this is how a rumour spreads. Moreover, if in the fit of rage one mouth palpably something wrong about some one, your passing it to others’ may cause unwanted controversy. It is better not only from the personal but social point of view also. Do digest it rather than disseminate it.
One who is attached to home does not get knowledge (education), meat-eaters are not merciful; greedy are not veridical and effeminates are not pure.
Who doesn’t grow arrogant by coming in riches? What could indulge in the sensual pleasures end one’s grief? Whose heart has not been broken by women? Who could win the king’s favour for ever? Who didn’t bear the evil glance of time? Which beggar could ever command regard? Who is that person who could return safely after being trapped in the wickedness of the vile?
A mere trickle of the tiny drops of water can-fill the pitcher. The same way we must keep on collecting knowledge, Dharma and money. [We should not neglect even the tiniest fraction of useful knowledge whose treasure become great when collected even in bits. The same way we must go on accruing the merit by upholding our religious or moral tenets and by being fair to all. This is how we must go on collecting the wealth and riches. It is these tiny trickle which eventually become the massive reservoirs.]
All beings have left, are leaving and shall leave this world totally dissatisfied with whatever they have received, are receiving and shall receive in the form of wealth, life, woman and food.
Charitable disposition, sweet tongue, patience and proper wisdom (according to the, demands of the occasion) are the inborn properties of a person which cannot be cultivated by practice. [Charity, patience, world wiseness are the natural qualities, they can’t be inculcated by any amount of practice.]
One shouldn’t stay at a place where there be no seth (rich man to dole out money if the need be), a scholar well versed in the Vedas (to clear any confusion regarding what one should do and what one shouldn’t), a King (or some one in authority to enforce law and order), a Vaidya (or physician to help one in case of any ailment) and a river (to meet one’s need for water) even for a day.
He who forgoes the certain for the uncertain has his certain also destroyed. The uncertain even otherwise would be destroyed on its own. [The aphorism conveys, the same meaning as conveyed by the famous English proverb: ‘One in hand is better than two in the bush’. ]
Rivers, weapon-weilders (having weapon in their hands), animals (beasts) with horn and paws, women and the members of the royal family should never be taken for granted.
Never trust even your good friend, let alone the vile one, in anger your friend can expose your secrets out of vengence.
Prudence lies in not disclosing to anyone the following secret: loss of one’s wealth; some personal tragedy; suspicion on wife’s conduct; mean outpourings of a vile person and the personal ignominy.
One should never leak out one’s well-thought out intentions, determinations and they should be jealously guarded like some secret Mantra. The implementation of them should also be achieved without any fanfare and in total secrecy (to ensure their successful accomplishment.)
If one has deliberated well on doing some particular job, it is only the total secrecy which ensures one’s applying one’s full potential in implementing them successfully.]
Excessive affection breeds flaws and admonition good qualities. Hence one’s son and disciple need more of admonition and less of affection.
Never pass through between the two brahmans; between fire and a brahman; between the master and the servant; between the husband and wife; and between the plough and the bullocks.
Sacrifice a person for the sake of the family, a family for a village, a village for the state but for the self the entire world.
Protect riches (money) at the time of distress but protect wife (spouse) more than money and oneself more the riches and wife.
The servant is tested when he is sent on an important mission, the Kith and Kin are tested in one’s own distress, a friend at the hour of need or emergency and the wife when one loses one’s wealth.
One should never be too simple. If one goes to the jungle one beholds that the simple, straight trees have been cut but those which grow in a haphazard manner are spared.
mostly one is exploited for one’s generosity. If you are rude in behaviour and harsh in tongue; you, might be spreaded like those trees which grow in a wild manner.]
Chanakya says even the good qualities becomes bad in excess, let alone the bad ones. Excess of everything is bad.]
He who manages to escape from riots or scuffles, from the severe draught or from the evil company survives.
Deal with the powerful enemy by trying to win its favour (as a part of the strategy), with the wicked enemy by going away and with the enemy of matching power by being submissive or aggressive as the situation may demand. Direct opposition of the powerful enemy will cause sure defeat. In that case, it is always prudent to avoid direct confrontation. Trying to win favour means keeping him confused of your intention. If the enemy is wicked you never know what he might be upto. It is always better to avoid him and seize your opportunity to smash him in the least blows possible. It is only against
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The brahmans leave their host after getting the honorarium; the disciple leave their teacher after receiving education; the beasts leave the jungle when fire breaks out there.
One should step forward after fully viewing the path, drink water after straining it through a (clean) cloth; talk in conformity with the scriptural dictates and act according to what one’s conscience allows.
Lack of practice makes the learning a poison; indigestion makes food a poison; conferences breed venom for the poor and a young woman is poisonous for an old man.
A hermit is no authority on any subject; one who is not lecherous doesn’t need to decorate oneself; the scholars, seldom speak sweetly and the straight-forward, outspoken man is never a thug.
Whose family is blemishless? Who is not troubled by diseases? Who dosen’t suffer grief and who is perpetually happy.
The king suffers the consequences of the sin committed by a nation (State), the king’s sins are suffered by his priest, the wife’s sins are suffered by the husband, and that of the disciple by the guru.
He whose wrath causes no fear and happiness gives no money who neither can punish anyone nor show his favour–the anger of such a person is of no consequence.
A note to the value and importance of self
What is that which the poets do not see? What is that which the woman cannot do? What is that which the drunkards do not babble and what is that which is not eaten by the crows?
A born-blind man cannot see anything; the persons blinded by their sexual desire or sozzled with the intoxication cannot see anything. Similarly, a man blinded by his need cannot perceive any flaw in the desired object.
A powerless man takes to the saffron robes; a pauper takes the vow celibacy, a diseased man becomes an ardent devotee (of God) and an old woman adheres to the most pious wifely vows.
for happy survival in a society, one must affect deterrant ostentation in one’s behaviour to keep unwanted people at bay.]
Give up the faith devoid of compassion; the Guru devoid of knowledge, an irascible wife and relations devoid of affection. [Faith, which is devoid of compassion is no faith; the Guru, who is devoid of knowledge is no guru; a wife devoid of good manners is no wife and the relations devoid of affection are no relations, hence they ought to be left for good.]
A man, recklessly spend-thrift, shelterless, cantankerous, coveting for women of every caste indiscriminately soon perishes.
Callous lethargy destroys knowledge; others hold on your money soon destroys it for you; the field is destroyed by the lack of seed and the army is destroyed in the absence of a commander.
Charity destroys poverty; right demeanour destroys distress; truth¬bearing wisdom destroys ignorance and the (determined) feeling destroys fear.
An unsatisfied brahman and a satisfied king perish. A shy prostitute and a shameless bride of a noble family perish.
Beauty of the virtueless, lineage of the wicked, knowledge of the undeserving, and wealth of the unenjoyer perish.
Those who disclose the mutual secret to others perish like a snake getting destroyed in its own cavity.
Those who leave their own category and seek support of the other category perish like a country resorting to immoral means. [One should’t forgo one’s own faith or way of leading life because change in it means resorting to some way about which you have no idea. It is ‘Adharm’ for the upholder of the forlorn faith. And while treading a new path one is likely to commit grave mistake, which may lead one to the way of doom. Chanakya avers Srimadbhagwat Gita’s dictate that one should never leave one’s way of working or in other words, one’s category or else one is doomed.
Enmity with the noble-men and Sadhus (hermits) causes one’s death; with the adversary causes dissipation of wealth; with the king causes total ruin and with the brahman causes even cessation of one’s lineage.
