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Enemy’s enemy becomes our friend. [A common enemy makes even the hostile countries turn friends.]
Never attack someone more powerful or even of matching strength. [One should be cautious of assessing one’s strength before starting an aggression. Keep postponing any armed conflict till one is ensured of an edge over one’s adversary.]
Never take enemy’s strength for granted.]
उद्धतवेषधारो न भवति! One must never be uncouthly dressed. [No matter what one’s position be, one’s dress must not appear to be an eye-sore to the observer.]
न देवचरितं चरेत्। One must not copy king’s manners or his life style. [No matter how much money and pelf you may acquire, your wearing a crown will appear bodacious since it is king’s prerogative. A king has his royal style which a commoner shouldn’t adopt to.]
द्वयोरपीर्ष्यतोद्वधीभावं कुर्वीत्। Always sow a seed of dissension between the persons nursing jealousy for you. [This Sutra also highlights the strategy of common sense.]
नव्यसनपरस्य कार्यावाप्ति:। A person addicted to some drugs or vile habits can never progress no matter what he or she does. [Their addiction will prevent them from paying attention to the job they undertake.]
अर्थेषणा न व्यसनेषु गण्यते। Longing for amassing wealth is not an addiction. [Since it could be deserve of nearly all. All want to be rich!]
अग्निदाहादिप विशिष्टं वाक्यारुष्यम्। Harsh language scalds more than the fire-burn! [For the wound or injury caused by fire could be healed but not the wound caused by a caustic remark.]
The existence of enemy depends on the policy of punishment.
Self-security (of the people) very much depends on the punishment policy in the state.
Growth and decay is always in one’s own hands. [It is an obvious statement. Nobody can ensure any body’s growth if that person is destroying oneself. And if one is determined to grow nobody can cause that person’s destruction.]
The penal code (in the state) must be enforced with discretionary wisdom. [The state cannot blindly enforce the penal code. While punishing the criminal that person’s basic nature and past conduct must also be judged judiciously.]
Never dishonour even a weak king. [A king is not just a person but an institution for the state. Even if your king is weak he deserves honour because he symbolizes your state. Deshonouring him is tentamount to dishonouring your own country.]
spiritual gain is the root of all religious practices and gain of physical satisfaction is the root of all desires.]
अर्थमूलं कार्यम्। Money is the base of all the assignments.
If one has dedication to find a clue to solve a problem, no problem remains difficult.
कार्य पुरुषकारेण लक्ष्यं सम्पद्यते। A work is completed if one is determined to do it. Then it becomes one’s sole aim.
दैवं बिनाऽति प्रयत्नं करोति यत्तद्विपफलम्। God helps those who help themselves!
असमाहितस्य वृतिर्न विद्यते। Fatalists get no job. [Those who wait for their luck to help them never get any work or employment to earn their livelihood.]
पूर्वं निश्चित्य पश्चात् कार्यमारभेत। Before starting any job, weigh all the possible pros and cons and then decide your course of action.
कार्यान्तरे दीर्घसूत्रता न कर्तव्या। Be not slack before the whole job is finished. [Lazing mid-way a work, one may not finish it well or timely.]
न चलचित्तस्य कार्यावाप्ति:। A fickle mind can never complete a job successfully.
हस्तगतावमानात् कार्यव्यतिक्रमो भवति। Not using the available means properly interferes in completing the work.
दोषवर्जितानि कार्याणि दुर्लभानि। Doing a work flawlessly is a rare happening.
दुरनुबन्ध कार्य नारभेत्। One must not take up the job whose consequence is not ascertained before hand.
कालवित् कार्य साध्येत्। He who discerns the right time of doing a work gets sure success. [Every job has its specified or most opportune time to complete it. He who knows this invariably achieves success in doing it.]
कालातिक्रमात् काल एव फलं पिवति। Interference in the flow of time eventually makes the time nullify its results. [In any work, an order of time should be maintained. If done haphazardly, the lapsing time may nullify its result.]
क्षण प्रति कालविक्षेपं न कुर्यात्सर्व कृत्येषु। In no work, even a moment should be wasted. [In doing a work, not even a moment should be overlapped. If you lose a moment in the beginning, you can’t replace with the extra moment in the end.]
देशफलविभागौ ज्ञात्वा कार्यमारभेत्। Before doing a work its place and time must be found out.
नीतिज्ञो देशकालौ परीक्षेत्। The wise must examine the contemporary situation of a country [before making their decision].
परीक्ष्यकारणी श्रीश्यिरं तिष्ठति। When begun after testing the consequence of a work, its results stay for long time with the performer. [He (or the king) who judges before hand the consequence of a campaign after testing its efficacy with respect to time and territory enjoys its results (or fruit) for a longer duration.]
भाग्यवन्तमपरीक्ष्यकारिणं श्री: परित्यजति:। Goddess of riches and resources, Lakshmi, parts company even with the lucky person who works without thinking beforehand the consequence of that work.
ज्ञानानुमानैश्च परीक्षा कर्तव्या। Knowledge and guess, both, must be used while examining the possible consequence of a job to be undertaken.
One must publicise only that work which is complete and successful.
One must face the natural calamities with a calm head (and not in panic or desperation). [The adverse acts of providence or the natural calamities – like earthquakes, floods, drought, Tsunami etc.
It is only fools who start the blaming game when they face any problem in their work.
Lack of sincerity in efforts goes to ruin the work [in hand].
कार्यबाह्यो न पोषयत्याश्रितान्। Those who run away from their responsibilities are never able to nurture their dependents properly.
He who doesn’t see his work is verilly a blind person.
When one finds problem arising in the work, one should examine all the aspects of it minutely to find the fault and remove it.
Start any work after assessing totally your capability for doing it.
He who feeds his close ones before feeding himself verilly partakes of ambrosia. [One must fulfill the needs of his close ones – friends, dependents and guests etc. – before fulfilling his own. Then he will be the most satisfied person.]
सर्वानुष्ठानादायमुखानि वर्धन्ते। One must not leave any possibility of enhancing one’s resources/income. This will ensure his constant growth.
नास्ति भीरो: कार्यचिन्ता। The cowards don’t care for their work or duties. [A coward is actually a work-shirker].
Those working under a master must know the nature of the master before devoting themselves to work. [The intelligent workers first assess the nature of their master – what kind of man is he; what he wants etc., and then decide how they should work.]
A soft-natured person gets insulted even by his dependents!
A king who punishes his culprits ruthlessly is hated by all his subjects.