Chanakya Quotes

CHANAKYA: Chanakya is considered the greatest political mind of all times (Year of Birth:350 BC Year of Death:275 BC).

Here are some of his quotes translated from his book Chanakyaniti,

* A man is great by deeds, not by birth.

* A person should not be too honest. Just as straight trees are chopped-down first, honest people are taken advantage of first.

* A rich man has many friends.

* A woman is four times as shy, six times as brave and eight times as lusty as a man.

* An egoist can be won over by being respected, a crazy personcan be won over by allowing him to behave in an insane manner and a wise person can be won over by truth.

* As centesimal (hundred) droppings will fill a pot so also are knowledge, virtue and wealth gradually obtained.

* As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it.

* Avoid him who talks sweetly before you but tries to ruin you behindyour back, for he is like a pitcher of poison with milk on top.

* Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions— Why am I doing it? What the results might be? And Will Ibe successful?
Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to the questions, go ahead.

* Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person.

* Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth.

* Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous.

* God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple.

* He who befriends a man whose conduct is vicious, whose vision is impure, and who is notoriously crooked, is rapidly ruined.

* If you get to learn something even from the worst of creatures, don't hesitate.

* In a state where the ruler lives like a common man, the citizens live like kings do. And in the state where the ruler lives like a king, the citizens live like beggars do.

* Jealousy is another name for failure.

* Never go on a long journey alone.

* Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness.

* Once you start working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it.

* People who work sincerely are the happiest.

* One who is in search of knowledge should give up the search of pleasure and the one who is in search of pleasure should give up the search of knowledge.

* The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you.

* The four greatest enemies of a man are — the father who has takena loan, the characterless mother, the beautiful but promiscuous wife and the stupid child.

* The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all directions.

* The world's biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman.

* There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is nofriendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth.

* Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat themlike a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends.

* Whores don't live in company of poor men, birds don't build nests on a tree that doesn't bear fruits and citizens never support a weak administration.

* Wise men should never go into a country where there are no means of earning one's livelihood, where the people have no dread of anybody, have no sense of shame, no intelligence, or a charitable disposition.