Home | Spiritual Topics | Subhaashit

Previous | Next

"There are eight kinds of foes- an act of god, fire, water, disease, plague, panic, famine and flood.
--Arth Shaastra Book IV, Ch. III

One should very much avoid swimming in a big river and conflict with and opposition to a great man.
--Chaanakya Neeti, 3.160

Never live in a city lacking these five things: Means of livelihood, Fear of punishment, Mutual shame, Cleverness and Charity amongst the people.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 1.10

A servant is tested at the time of work, Relatives at the time of suffering, Friends in calamities, and women during the loss of wealth.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 1.11

A wise man should marry an ugly girl of a noble family rather than a beautiful girl born in a dubious family, because a marriage takes place only between equal families.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 1.14

Never trust the following: Animals with nails, Rivers, Horned animals, Men with weapons, Women, and the Royal family (because all change temperament without warning).
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 1.15

Compared to men women have eight times the diet, four times the brain, six times the courage and eight times the desire.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 1.17

Never live in a city lacking in these five things: a rich man, a Vaidik Braahman, a ruler, a river and a doctor.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 1.9

The parents who do not educate their child are his enemies.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 2.11

Separation from one's wife, lack of respect from friends and relatives, a balance loan, service of an evil king, poverty, and a gathering of fools - all these burn the body without fire.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 2.14

These three are destroyed soon: Trees on the bank of a river, a woman who lives in another's house and a king without ministers
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 2.15

A prostitute deserts a man without money, the people desert a defeated king, birds a fruitless tree, and a guest the house after having his food.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 2.17

Appropriate food and the capacity to digest it, a beautiful wife and the power to make love to her, extensive wealth and the inclination to charity, all these are not the fruit of a small amount of penance (ie they are the fruits of a large amount of penance).
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 2.2

Whose son is under his control, whose wife follows his words, who has ample wealth, for him, this world itself is heaven.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 2.3

Never trust a bad friend. Even a good friend should not be trusted too much, because, if he ever gets angry, he will reveal all your secrets.
--Chanakya Neeti Darpan, 2.6

Indulgence leads to demerits and admonition leads to development of good qualities. Hence, sons and students should be admonished and never indulged.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 212

Whose family is without a stain? Who is not suffering from some disease? Who has not experienced a crisis? Who has always experienced happiness?
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 3.1

The industrious one is devoid of poverty, the one who chants is devoid of sins, for the silent there are no quarrels, and there is no fear for those who are alert.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 3.11

Seetaa was kidnapped because of too much beauty, Raavan was killed because of excess pride, King Bali was bound in ropes because of excess charity; therefore, always shun excess in anything.
--Chanakya Neeti Darpan, 3.12

Indulge a child till five years; for the next ten, chide him to mend his faults; but, as soon he becomes sixteen years old, start treating him like a friend.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 3.18

A man's behavior reveals his family background, his manner of speaking his place of origin, respect reveals his affection, and the makeup of his body reveals his food habits.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 3.2

Where fools are not worshipped, sufficient quantity of grain is in store, where husband and wife don't fight with each other, there Goddess Lakshmee dwells by her own choice.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 3.21

A Koel's beauty is in her voice, a woman's beauty in her loving devotion to her husband, an ugly person's beauty is his knowledge and for saints, beauty lies in forgiveness.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 3.9

Kings give order only once, wise men give their decision only once, and a daughter is given in marriage only once. All three are done only once.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 4.11

Penance is done alone, studies with two, singing with three, traveling with four, farming with five, and a battle is fought well by many.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 4.12

A scripture is poison without practice, food is poison for those having indigestion, a gathering is poison for a poor fellow, and a young woman is poison for an old man.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 4.15

For men too much walking, for horses being tied up, for women the lack of copulation, and for clothes exposure to sunshine - all lead to deterioration and old age.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 4.17

One should ponder over again and again over the following points: who are my friends, who are my enemies, what is the ground level situation, what is my income and expense, who am I, and what is my strength.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 4.18

For the Braahman fire is the god; for the sages, god is in the heart; for those low on knowledge the idol is the god;, and for those who see impartially (Sama-darshee), god is everywhere.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 4.21

It is better to have a single son with good qualities, rather than several ones without qualities; because, a single moon removes the darkness of the night, rather than the large number of stars in the sky.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 4.6

Better than a long-living foolish son is the son who dies as soon he is born. The latter gives a brief pain, but the foolish one gives torment as long as he lives.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 4.7

For the twice born, fire is the Guru, for all castes, Braahman are the Guru, for women, husband is the Guru, and a guest is guru for all.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 5.1

Those who criticize the wisdom of the Vedas, describe the noble behavior enjoined by the scriptures as useless, call the peaceful person a hypocrite, all these merely trouble themselves without cause.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 5.10

Charity destroys poverty, good behavior destroys troubles, knowledge destroys ignorance, and Bhakti destroys fear.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 5.11

Desire is the biggest disease in the world; infatuation the biggest enemy; anger the greatest fire; and knowledge the highest pleasure in the world.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 5.12

For the Brahm Gyaanee the heaven, for the brave warrior his life, for one who has won his senses a woman, and for those who are not greedy this world, all are but mere twigs.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 5.14

For those living in a foreign land his education is the true friend; in the house a wife is a man’s true friend; for the ill medicine is the best friend; and for the dead dharma is the only friend.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 5.15

All these are useless: Rainfall in the sea, feeding those with already a full stomach, donating wealth to the already rich, and lighting a lamp in the day.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 5.16

There is no water purer than a cloud’s, no power greater than one’s own inner strength, no light like that of the eye and nothing more likeable than food.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 5.17

The poor want wealth, the animals want to speak, humans desire the heavens and gods desire salvation.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 5.18

It is truth which bears this world, the Sun shines because of truth, and the wind blows because of truth; all are established in truth only.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 5.19

In this transient world wealth, our breath, life, and youth, all are transient. If anything is unshaking, it is Dharm.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 5.20

In humans the barber is the most cunning, in birds the crow, in four-legged creatures the jackal and amongst women the wife of the gardener.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 5.21

Be afraid of a fearful circumstance only till it is far. As soon as it comes near, strike at it fearlessly.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 5.3

No official is above greed, one without desire is not fond of beauty, an unintelligent person cannot be a sweet talker, and a straightforward person can never be a crook.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 5.5

Fools bear malice towards the wise, the poor towards the rich, prostitutes towards women of noble families, and widows towards married women.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 5.6

Money protects dharm, yoga protects knowledge, gentleness saves the king, and a chaste woman protects the house.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 5.9

A man understands dharm by hearing the scriptures, by hearing does he leave aside wicked thoughts, by listening does he gain knowledge, and by listening does he gain enlightenment (Moksh).
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 6.1

Amongst birds the crow, in animals the dog, in saints the one prone to anger, and in humans the one who criticizes everybody, these are the outcastes (chandala).
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 6.2

A bronze vessel becomes pure on cleaning with ash, a copper vessel is purified by application of sour mangoes (Khataai), women are purified by menstruation, and rivers on being flooded.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 6.3

A man’s intelligence follows whatever is supposed to happen, all means and helpers too become available to achieve it.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 6.5

Those born blind, those blinded with desire, and those blinded with pride, all three cannot see, and a fourth, the selfish ones, cannot see their faults.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 6.7

The ruler has to suffer the fruits of sins committed by his people, the royal priest suffers the sins of the ruler, a husband the sins of his wife, and a guru the sins committed by his disciple.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 6.9

Control the greedy man by money, the proud by folding hands, a fool by doing what he says, and a wise person by telling the truth.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 6.11

A wise man should never reveal the following: a loss of wealth, a worry bothering the mind, faults of his household, having been made a fool by someone, and being humiliated.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan, 7.1

One should always be satisfied with following three: one’s own wife, food and money. One should never be satisfied with following: one’s study, penance, and charity.
--Chaanakya Neeti Darpan: 7.4

Home | Spiritual Topics | Subhasshit

Previous | Next