Few Useful Teachings & Advises by Chanakya , the Great

                                         

                      

Digital painting of  The Great Chanakya

Chanakya  was an ancient Indian political scientist , strategist , famous economist , philosopher , teacher etc. who was born  370 BC  in Pataliputra , Magadh (Modern Bihar) and  later moved to Takshashila in Gandhar state ( now situated in Pakistan) and  Died - 283 BC  (according to maximum historiographers). He was the professor (Acharya) of Political Science at Takshashila University. He was also known as Kautilya and  Vishnugupta . His alma mater was 'Takshashila'. He was teacher , advisor , King maker and guardian  of Chandragupta Maurya and was  founder of Maurya Empire.

He is famous for his writings.He wrote the ancient Indian political treatise called 'Arthashastra' , which has a significant value still today and forever. The ‘Arthashastra’ is an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy, written in Sanskrit Language.The ‘Arthashastra’also focuses on issues of welfare (for instance, redistribution of wealth during a famine) and the collective ethics that hold a society together.The text was influential until the 12th century, when it disappeared. In 1904 it was rediscovered  by R. Shamasastry, who published it in 1909. The first English translation was published in 1915.

Chanakya is considered as the pioneer of the field of economics and political science in India, and his work is thought of as an important precursor to classical economics .His works were lost near the end of the Gupta dynasty and not rediscovered. 

For the last Few days I have been reading about this famous Indian Talent. Once in my childhood I neglected History as then it was a boring subject to me  , but now seldom I feel attraction to read few chapters of History Book gathering information about  such valuable persons and their Ideology . Now I've come to realise that History has a great value not only for the present but also for the better future of us. 

From this famous person's life history, ideology, philosophy , realisation etc.  I've gathered some valuable teachings and  advises , which have a great value in our real life as we are not only rational beings but also political living beings. These advises and teachings are represented  below in the mode of quotation.We make mistakes because of lack of such moral knowledges. We can avoid mistakes if we can realise and follow such following advises and teachings.But after all we make mistake as we do.

                           USEFUL TEACHINGS AND ADVISES  OF  CHANAKYA :   

1) "A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and honest people are screwed first." 

2) "Learn from the mistakes of others... you can't live long enough to make them all yourselves!!"

3) "Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous."

4)  "As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it." 

5) “Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, what the results might be and will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead."

6) "There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self- interests. This is a bitter truth."

7) "Education is the Best Friend. An Educated Person is Respected Everywhere. Education beats the Beauty and the Youth."

8) "Once you start a working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest." 

9) "The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction."

10) "God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple."

11) "A man is great by deeds, not by birth."

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

13) "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 them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends."

14) "Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person."

15) "The world's biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman."

16) " He who is overly attached to his family members experiences fear and sorrow, for the root of all grief is attachment. Thus one should discard attachment to be happy."

17) "The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction."  

18) " A man is born alone and dies alone; and he experiences the good and bad  consequences of his karma alone; and he goes alone to hell or the Supreme abode."

19) " There is no austerity equal to a balanced mind, and there is no happiness equal to contentment; there is no disease like covetousness, and no virtue like mercy. "

20) "Once you start a working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest. "

21) " We should not fret for what is past, nor should we be anxious about the future; men of discernment deal only with the present moment."

22) " The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the small child, the dog owned by other people, and the fool: these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep."

23) " O wise man! Give your wealth only to the worthy and never to others. The water of the sea received by the clouds is always sweet. " 

24) “The one excellent thing that can be learned from a lion is that whatever a man intends doing should be done by him with a whole-hearted and strenuous effort."

25) " Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty,a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune." 

26) " There is poison in the fang of the serpent, in the mouth of the fly and in the sting of a scorpion; but the wicked man is saturated with it." 

27) " He who lives in our mind is near though he may actually be far away; but he who is not in our heart is far though he may really be nearby. " 

28) " Do not reveal what you have thought upon doing,but by wise counsel keep it secret being determined to carry it into execution." 

29) " Purity of speech, of the mind, of the senses, and of a compassionate heart are needed by one who desires to rise to the divine platform."

30) " The life of an uneducated man is as useless as the tail of a dog which neither covers its rear end, nor protects it from the bites of insects."

31) " Do not be very upright in your dealings for you would see by going to the forest that straight trees are cut down while crooked ones are left standing. " 

32) " One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth is in the possession of others, can use neither his knowledge nor wealth when the need for them arises." 

33) "The earth is supported by the power of truth; it is the power of truth that makes the sun shine and the winds blow; indeed all things rest upon truth. " 

34) " If one has a good disposition, what other virtue is needed? If a man has fame, what is the value of other ornamentation? " 

35) " The happiness and peace attained by those satisfied by the nectar of spiritual tranquillity is not attained by greedy persons restlessly moving here and there." 

36) " As a single withered tree, if set aflame, causes a whole forest to burn, so does a rascal son destroy a whole family ." 

37) "It is better to die than to preserve this life by incurring disgrace. The loss of life causes but a moment's grief, but disgrace brings grief every day of one's life. " 

38) "The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, time and ability." 

39) " As long as your body is healthy and under control and death is distant, try to save your soul; when death is immanent what can you do? "

40) " He who is overly attached to his family members experiences fear and sorrow,for the root of all grief is attachment.Thus one should discard attachment to be happy." 

41) “The happiness and peace attained by those satisfied by the nectar of spiritual tranquility is not attained by greedy persons restlessly moving here and there.”

42) “Knowledge is lost without putting it into practice; a man is lost due to ignorance; an army is lost without a commander; and a woman is lost without a husband.” 

43) “Rain which falls upon the sea is useless; so is food for one who is satiated; in vain is a gift for one who is wealthy; and a burning lamp during the daytime is useless.”

44) “He whose son is obedient to him, whose wife's conduct is in accordance with his wishes, and who is content with his riches, has his heaven here on earth.”

45) “It is better to be without a kingdom than to rule over a petty one; better to be without a friend than to befriend a rascal; better to be without a disciple than to have a stupid one; and better to be without a wife than to have a bad one.”

46) “As gold is tested in four ways by rubbing, cutting, heating and beating -- so a man should be tested by these four things: his renunciation, his conduct, his qualities and his actions.”

47) “The one excellent thing that can be learned from a lion is that whatever a man intends doing should be done by him with a whole-hearted and strenuous effort.”

48) “Moral excellence is an ornament for personal beauty; righteous conduct, for high birth; success for learning; and proper spending for wealth.”

49) “As a single withered tree, if set aflame, causes a whole forest to burn, so does a rascal son destroy a whole family.”

50) “Union in privacy (with one's wife); boldness; storing away useful items; watchfulness; and not easily trusting others; these five things are to be learned from a crow.” 

51) “Wealth, a friend, a wife, and a kingdom may be regained; but this body when lost may never be acquired again.”

52) “Perfection can be achieved only through devotion (to the Supreme Lord) for devotion is the basis of all success.” 

53) “A single son endowed with good qualities is far better than a hundred devoid of them.”

54) “There is no disease (so destructive) as lust; no enemy like infatuation; no fire like wrath; and no happiness like spiritual knowledge.” 

55) “A wise man should not reveal his loss of wealth, the vexation of his mind, the misconduct of his own wife, base words spoken by others, and disgrace that has befallen him.” 

56) “There are two ways to get rid of thorns and wicked persons; using footwear in the first case and in the second shaming them so that they cannot raise their faces again thus keeping them at a distance.” 

57) “For the moon, though one, dispels the darkness, which the stars, though numerous, can not.”  

58) “Time perfects all living beings as well as kills them; it alone is awake when all others are asleep. Time is insurmountable.”

59) “Brass is polished by ashes; copper is cleaned by tamarind; a woman, by her menses; and a river by its flow.” 

 

60) “Let not a single day pass without your learning a verse, half a verse, or a fourth of it, or even one letter of it; nor without attending to charity, study and other pious activity.” 

61) “It is better to die than to preserve this life by incurring disgrace. The loss of life causes but a moment's grief, but disgrace brings grief every day of one's life.”

 

62) “He who gives up shyness in monetary dealings, in acquiring knowledge, in eating and in business, becomes happy.”

63) “Of a rascal and a serpent, the serpent is the better of the two, for he strikes only at the time he is destined to kill, while the former at every step.” 

 

64) “Do not inhabit a country where you are not respected, cannot earn your livelihood, have no friends, or cannot acquire knowledge.”  

65) “The beauty of a cuckoo is in its notes, that of a woman in her unalloyed devotion to her husband, that of an ugly person in his scholarship, and that of an ascetic in his forgiveness.”  

66) “As a whole forest becomes fragrant by the existence of a single tree with sweet-smelling blossoms in it, so a family becomes famous by the birth of a virtuous baby.” 

67) “Consider again and again the following: the right time, the right friends, the right place, the right means of income, the right ways of spending, and from whom you derive your power.” 

68) “There is no water like rainwater; no strength like one's own; no light like that of the eyes; and no wealth more dear than food grain.” 

69) “Conciliate a strong man by submission, a wicked man by opposition, and the one whose power is equal to yours by politeness or force.” 

70) “Generosity, pleasing address, courage and propriety of conduct are not acquired, but are inbred qualities.”  

  

    Image Courtesy : Google.com
Information Source : Ancient Indian History , google.com, wikipedia.org , brainyquote.com , Arthashastra ,