Wisdom of Chanakya Pandit - Part One

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CHAPTER ONE

1. Humbly bowing down before the almighty Lord Sri

Vishnu, the Lord of the three worlds, I recite maxims

of the science of political ethics (niti)

selected from the various satras.

2. That man who by the study of these maxims from the

satras acquires a knowledge of the most celebrated

principles of duty, and understands

what ought and what ought not to be followed, and what

is good and what is bad, is most excellent.

3. Therefore with an eye to the public good, I shall

speak that which, when understood, will lead to an

understanding of things in their proper

perspective.

4. Even a pandit comes to grief by giving instruction

to a foolish disciple, by maintaining a wicked wife,

and by excessive familiarity with the

miserable.

5. A wicked wife, a false friend, a saucy servant and

living in a house with a serpent in it are nothing but

death.

6. One should save his money against hard times, save

his wife at the sacrifice of his riches, but

invariably one should save his soul even at the

sacrifice of his wife and riches.

7. Save your wealth against future calamity. Do not

say, "What w hat fear has a rich man of calamity?"

When riches begin to forsake one even

the accumulated stock dwindles away.

8. Do not inhabit a country where you are not

respected, cannot earn your livelihood, have no

friends, or cannot acquire knowledge.

9. Do not stay for a single day where there are not

these five persons: a wealthy man, a brahmana well

versed in Vedic lore, a king, a river and a

physician.

10. 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.

11. Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty,

a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a

wife in misfortune.

12. He is a true friend who does not forsake us in

time of need, misfortune, famine, or war, in a king's

court, or at the crematorium (smasana).

13. He who gives up what is imperishable for that

which perishable, loses that which is imperishable;

and doubtlessly loses that which is

perishable also.

14. A wise man should marry a virgin of a respectable

family even if she is deformed. He should not marry

one of a low-class family, through

beauty. Marriage in a family of equal status is

preferable.

15. Do not put your trust in rivers, men who carry

weapons, beasts with claws or horns, women, and

members of a royal family.

16. Even from poison extract nectar, wash and take

back gold if it has fallen in filth, receive the

highest knowledge (Krsna consciousness) from a

low born person; so also a girl possessing virtuous

qualities (stri-ratna) even if she be born in a

disreputable family.

17. Women have hunger two-fold, shyness four-fold,

daring six-fold, and lust eight-fold as compared to

men.

CHAPTER TWO

1. Untruthfulness, rashness, guile, stupidity,

avarice, uncleanliness and cruelty are a women's seven

natural flaws.

2. To have ability for eating when dishes are ready at

hand, to be robust and virile in the company of one's

religiously wedded wife, and to have a

mind for making charity when one is prosperous are the

fruits of no ordinary austerities.

3. 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.

4. They alone are sons who are devoted to their

father. He is a father who supports his sons. He is a

friend in whom we can confide, and she

only is a wife in whose company the husband feels

contented and peaceful.

5. Avoid him who talks sweetly before you but tries to

ruin you behind your back, for he is like a pitcher of

poison with milk on top.

6. Do not put your trust in a bad companion nor even

trust an ordinary friend, for if he should get angry

with you, he may bring all your secrets

to light.

7. Do not reveal what you have thought upon doing, but

by wise council keep it secret being determined to

carry it into execution.

8. Foolishness is indeed painful, and verily so is

youth, but more painful by far than either is being

obliged in another person's house.

9. There does not exist a ruby in every mountain, nor

a pearl in the head of every elephant; neither are the

sadhus to be found everywhere, nor

sandal trees in every forest.

10. Wise men should always bring up their sons in

various moral ways, for children who have knowledge of

niti-sastra and are well-behaved

become a glory to their family.

11. Those parents who do not educate their sons are

their enemies; for as is a crane among swans, so are

ignorant so are ignorant sons in a

public assembly.

12. Many a bad habit is developed through

overindulgence, and many a good one by chastisement,

therefore beat your son as well as your pupil;

never indulge them. ("Spare the rod and spoil the

child.")

13. 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.

14. Separation from the wife, disgrace from one's own

people, an enemy saved in battle, service to a wicked

king, poverty, and a mismanaged

assembly: these six kinds of evils, if afflicting a

person, burn him even without fire.

15. Trees on a river bank, a woman in another man's

house, and kings without counsellors go without doubt

to swift destruction.

16. A brahmana's strength is in his learning, a king's

strength is in his army, a vaishya's strength is in

his wealth and a shudra's strength is in his

attitude of service.

17. The prostitute has to forsake a man who has no

money, the subject a king that cannot defend him, the

birds a tree that bears no fruit, and the

guests a house after they have finished their meals.

18. Brahmanas quit their patrons after receiving alms

from them, scholars leave their teachers after

receiving education from them, and animals

desert a forest that has been burnt down.

19. He who befriends a man whose conduct is vicious,

whose vision impure, and who is notoriously crooked,

is rapidly ruined.

20. Friendship between equals flourishes, service

under a king is respectable, it is good to be

business-minded in public dealings, and a handsome

lady is safe in her own home.

CHAPTER THREE

1. In this world, whose family is there without

blemish? Who is free from sickness and grief? Who is

forever happy?

2. A man's descent may be discerned by his conduct,

his country by his pronunciation of language, his

friendship by his warmth and glow, and

his capacity to eat by his body.

3. Give your daughter in marriage to a good family,

engage your son in learning, see that your enemy comes

to grief, and engage your friends in

dharma. (Krsna consciousness).

4. 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.

5. Therefore kings gather round themselves men of good

families, for they never forsake them either at the

beginning, the middle or the end.

6. At the time of the pralaya (universal destruction)

the oceans are to exceed their limits and seek to

change, but a saintly man never changes.

7. Do not keep company with a fool for as we can see

he is a two-legged beast. Like an unseen thorn he

pierces the heart with his sharp words.

8. Though men be endowed with beauty and youth and

born in noble families, yet without education they are

like the palasa flower which is void

of sweet fragrance.

9. 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.

10. Give up a member to save a family, a family to

save a village, a village to save a country, and the

country to save yourself.

11. There is no poverty for the industrious. Sin does

not attach itself to the person practicing japa

(chanting of the holy names of the Lord).

Those who are absorbed in maunam (silent contemplation

of the Lord) have no quarrel with others. They are

fearless who remain always alert.

12. ...

13. What is too heavy for the strong and what place is

too distant for those who put forth effort? What

country is foreign to a man of true

learning? Who can be inimical to one who speaks

pleasingly?

14. 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 son.

15. As a single withered tree, if set aflame, causes a

whole forest to burn, so does a rascal son destroy a

whole family.

16. As night looks delightful when the moon shines, so

is a family gladdened by even one learned and virtuous

son.

17. What is the use of having many sons if they cause

grief and vexation? It is better to have only one son

from whom the whole family can

derive support and peacefulness.

18. Fondle a son until he is five years of age, and

use the stick for another ten years, but when he has

attained his sixteenth year treat him as a

friend.

19. He who runs away from a fearful calamity, a

foreign invasion, a terrible famine, and the

companionship of wicked men is safe.

20 He who has not acquired one of the following:

religious merit (dharma), wealth (artha), satisfaction

of desires (kama), or liberation (moksa) is

repeatedly born to die.

21. Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, comes of Her own

accord where fools are not respected, grain is well

stored up, and the husband and wife

do not quarrel.

CHAPTER FOUR

1. These five: the life-span, the type of work,

wealth, learning and the time of one's death are

determined while one is in the womb.

2. Offspring, friends and relatives flee from a

devotee of the Lord: yet those who follow him bring

merit to their families through their devotion.

3. Fish, tortoises, and birds bring up their young by

means of sight, attention and touch; so do saintly men

afford protection to their associates by

the same means.

4. 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?

5. Learning is like a cow of desire. It, like her,

yields in all seasons. Like a mother, it feeds you on

your journey. Therefore learning is a hidden

treasure.

6. A single son endowed with good qualities is far

better than a hundred devoid of them. For the moon,

though one, dispels the darkness, which

the stars, though numerous, can not.

7. A still-born son os superior to a foolish son

endowed with a long life. The first causes grief for

but a moment while the latter like a blazing fire

consumes his parents in grief for life.

8. Residing in a small village devoid of proper living

facilities, serving a person born of a low family,

unwholesome food, a frowning wife, a

foolish son, and a widowed daughter burn the body

without fire.

9. What good is a cow that neither gives milk nor

conceives? Similarly, what is the value of the birth

of a son if he becomes neither learned nor a

pure devotee of the Lord?

10. When one is consumed by the sorrows of life, three

things give him relief: offspring, a wife, and the

company of the Lord's devotees.

11. Kings speak for once, men of learning once, and

the daughter is given in marriage once. All these

things happen once and only once.

12. Religious austerities should be practiced alone,

study by two, and singing by three. A journey should

be undertaken by four, agriculture by

five, and war by many together.

13. She is a true wife who is clean (suci), expert,

chaste, pleasing to the husband, and truthful.

14. The house of a childless person is a void, all

directions are void to one who has no relatives, the

heart of a fool is also void, but to a poverty

stricken man all is void.

15. Scriptural lessons not put into practice are

poison; a meal is poison to him who suffers from

indigestion; a social gathering is poison to a

poverty stricken person; and a young wife is poison to

an aged man.

16. That man who is without religion and mercy should

be rejected. A guru without spiritual knowledge should

be rejected. The wife with an

offensive face should be given up, and so should

relatives who are without affection.

17. Constant travel brings old age upon a man; a horse

becomes old by being constantly tied up; lack of

sexual contact with her husband brings

old age upon a woman; and garments become old through

being left in the sun.

18. 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.

19. For the twice-born the fire (Agni) is a

representative of God. The Supreme Lord resides in the

heart of His devotees. Those of average

intelligence (alpa-buddhi or kanista-adhikari) see God

only in His sri-murti, but those of broad vision see

the Supreme Lord everywhere.

CHAPTER FIVE

1. Agni is the worshipable person for the twice-born;

the brahmana for the other castes; the husband for the

wife; and the guest who comes for

food at the midday meal for all.

2. 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.

3. A thing may be dreaded as long as it has not

overtaken you, but once it has come upon you, try to

get rid of it without hesitation.

4. Though persons be born from the same womb and under

the same stars, they do not become alike in

disposition as the thousand fruits of the

badari tree.

5. He whose hands are clean does not like to hold an

office; he who desires nothing cares not for bodily

decorations; he who is only partially

educated cannot speak agreeably; and he who speaks out

plainly cannot be a deceiver.

6. The learned are envied by the foolish; rich men by

the poor; chaste women by adulteresses; and beautiful

ladies by ugly ones.

7. Indolent application ruins study; money is lost

when entrusted to others; a farmer who sows his seed

sparsely is ruined; and an army is lost for

want of a commander.

8. Learning is retained through putting into practice;

family prestige is maintained through good behaviour;

a respectable person is recognised by

his excellent qualities; and anger is seen in the

eyes.

9. Religion is preserved by wealth; knowledge by

diligent practice; a king by conciliatory words; and a

home by a dutiful housewife.

10. Those who blaspheme Vedic wisdom, who ridicule the

life style recommended in the satras, and who deride

men of peaceful temperament,

come to grief unnecessarily.

11. Charity puts and end to poverty; righteous conduct

to misery; discretion to ignorance; and scrutiny to

fear.

12. There is no disease (so destructive) as lust; no

enemy like infatuation; no fire like wrath; and no

happiness like spiritual knowledge.

13. 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.

14. Heaven is but a straw to him who knows spiritual

life (Krsna consciousness); so is life to a valiant

man; a woman to him who has subdued his

senses; and the universe to him who is without

attachment for the world.

15. Learning is a friend on the journey; a wife in the

house; medicine in sickness; and religious merit is

the only friend after death.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. The poor wish for wealth; animals for the faculty

of speech; men wish for heaven; and godly persons for

liberation.

19. 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.

20. The Goddess of wealth is unsteady (chanchala), and

so is the life breath. The duration of life is

uncertain, and the place of habitation is

uncertain; but in all this inconsistent world

religious merit alone is immovable.

21. Among men the barber is cunning; among birds the

crow; among beasts the jackal; and among women, the

malin (flower girl).

22. These five are your fathers; he who gave you

birth, girdled you with sacred thread, teaches you,

provides you with food, and protects you

from fearful situations.

23. These five should be considered as mothers; the

king's wife, the preceptor's wife, the friend's wife,

your wife's mother, and your own

mother.

CHAPTER SIX

1. By means of hearing one understands dharma,

malignity vanishes, knowledge is acquired, and

liberation from material bondage is gained.

2. Among birds the crow is vile; among beasts the dog;

the ascetic whose sins is abominable, but he who

blasphemes others is the worst

chandala.

3. Brass is polished by ashes; copper is cleaned by

tamarind; a woman, by her menses; and a river by its

flow.

4. The king, the brahmana, and the ascetic yogi who go

abroad are respected; but the woman who wanders is

utterly ruined.

5. He who has wealth has friends. He who is wealthy

has relatives. The rich one alone is called a man, and

the affluent alone are respected as

pandits.

6. As is the desire of Providence, so functions one's

intellect; one's activities are also controlled by

Providence; and by the will of Providence one

is surrounded by helpers.

7. Time perfects all living beings as well as kills

them; it alone is awake when all others are asleep.

Time is insurmountable.

8. Those born blind cannot see; similarly blind are

those in the grip of lust. Proud men have no

perception of evil; and those bent on acquiring

riches see no sin in their actions.

9. The spirit soul goes through his own course of

karma and he himself suffers the good and bad results

thereby accrued. By his own actions he

entangles himself in samsara, and by his own efforts

he extricates himself.

10. The king is obliged to accept the sins of his

subjects; the purohit (priest) suffers for those of

the king; a husband suffers for those of his

wife; and the guru suffers for those of his pupils.

11. A father who is a chronic debtor, an adulterous

mother, a beautiful wife, and an unlearned son are

enemies ( in one's own home).

12. Conciliate a covetous man by means of a gift, an

obstinate man with folded hands in salutation, a fool

by humouring him, and a learned man

by truthful words.

13. 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.

14. How can people be made happy in a petty kingdom?

What peace can we expect from a rascal friend? What

happiness can we have at home in

the company of a bad wife? How can renown be gained by

instructing an unworthy disciple?

15. Learn one thing from a lion; one from a crane;

four a cock; five from a crow; six from a dog; and

three from an ass.

16. 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.

17. The wise man should restrain his senses like the

crane and accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of

his place, time and ability.

18. To wake at the proper time; to take a bold stand

and fight; to make a fair division (of property) among

relations; and to earn one's own bread

by personal exertion are the four excellent things to

be learned from a cock.

19. 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.

20. Contentment with little or nothing to eat although

one may have a great appetite; to awaken instantly

although one may be in a deep slumber;

unflinching devotion to the master; and bravery; these

six qualities should be learned from the dog.

21. Although an ass is tired, he continues to carry

his burden; he is unmindful of cold and heat; and he

is always contented; these three things

should be learned from the ass.

22. He who shall practice these twenty virtues shall

become invincible in all his undertakings.

CHAPTER SEVEN

1. 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.

2. He who gives up shyness in monetary dealings, in

acquiring knowledge, in eating and in business,

becomes happy.

3. 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.

4. One should feel satisfied with the following three

things; his own wife, food given by Providence and

wealth acquired by honest effort; but one

should never feel satisfied with the following three;

study, chanting the holy names of the Lord (japa) and

charity.

5. Do not pass between two brahmanas, between a

brahmana and his sacrificial fire, between a wife and

her husband, a master and his servant,

and a plough and an ox.

6. Do not let your foot touch fire, the spiritual

master or a brahmana; it must never touch a cow, a

virgin, an old person or a child.

7. Keep one thousand cubits away from an elephant, a

hundred from a horse, ten from a horned beast, but

keep away from the wicked by leaving

the country.

8. An elephant is controlled by a goad (ankusha), a

horse by a slap of the hand, a horned animal with the

show of a stick, and a rascal with a

sword.

9. Brahmanas find satisfaction in a good meal,

peacocks in the peal of thunder, a sadhu in seeing the

prosperity of others, and the wicked in the

misery of others.

10. Conciliate a strong man by submission, a wicked

man by opposition, and the one whose power is equal to

yours by politeness or force.

11. The power of a king lies in his mighty arms; that

of a brahmana in his spiritual knowledge; and that of

a woman in her beauty youth and

sweet words.

12. 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.

13. Swans live wherever there is water, and leave the

place where water dries up; let not a man act so --

and come and goas he pleases.

14. Accumulated wealth is saved by spending just as

incoming fresh water is saved by letting out stagnant

water.

15. He who has wealth has friends and relations; he

alone survives and is respected as a man.

16. The following four characteristics of the denizens

of heaven may be seen in the residents of this earth

planet; charity, sweet words, worship

of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and satisfying

the needs of brahmanas.

17. The following qualities of the denizens of hell

may characterise men on earth; extreme wrath, harsh

speech, enmity with one's relations, the

company with the base, and service to men of low

extraction.

18. By going to the den of a lion pearls from the head

of an elephant may be obtained; but by visiting the

hole of a jackal nothing but the tail of a

calf or a bit of the hide of an ass may found.

19. 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.

20. Purity of speech, of the mind, of the senses, and

the of a compassionate heart are needed by one who

desires to rise to the divine platform.

21. As you seek fragrance in a flower, oil in the

sesamum seed, fire in wood, ghee in milk, and jaggery

(guda) in sugarcane; so seek the spirit that

is in the body by means of discrimination.

CHAPTER EIGHT

1. Low class men desire wealth; middle class men both

wealth and respect; but the noble, honour only; hence

honour is the noble man's true

wealth.

2. ...

3. The lamp eats up the darkness and therefore it

produces lamp black; in the same way according to the

nature of our diet (sattva, rajas, or

tamas) we produce offspring in similar quality.

4. 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. The rain

water enlivens all living beings of the earth both

movable (insects, animals, humans, etc.) and immovable

(plants, trees, etc.), and then returns to

the ocean it value multiplied a million fold.

5. The wise who discern the essence of things have

declared that the yavana (meat eater) is equal in

baseness to a thousand candalas the lowest

class), and hence a yavana is the basest of men;

indeed there is no one more base.

6. After having rubbed oil on the body, after

encountering the smoke from a funeral pyre, after

sexual intercourse, and after being shaved, one

remains a chandala until he bathes.

7. Water is the medicine for indigestion; it is

invigorating when the food that is eaten is well

digested; it is like nectar when drunk in the middle

of

a dinner; and it is like poison when taken at the end

of a meal.

8. 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.

9. A man who encounters the following three is

unfortunate; the death of his wife in his old age, the

entrusting of money into the hands of

relatives, and depending upon others for food.

10. Chanting of the Vedas without making ritualistic

sacrifices to the Supreme Lord through the medium of

Agni, and sacrifices not followed by

bountiful gifts are futile. Perfection can be achieved

only through devotion (to the Supreme Lord) for

devotion is the basis of all success.

11. ...

12. ...

13. 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.

14. Anger is a personification of Yama (the demigod of

death); thirst is like the hellish river Vaitarani;

knowledge is like a kamadhenu (the cow of

plenty); and contentment is like Nandanavana (the

garden of Indra).

15. Moral excellence is an ornament for personal

beauty; righteous conduct, for high birth; success for

learning; and proper spending for wealth.

16. Beauty is spoiled by an immoral nature; noble

birth by bad conduct; learning, without being

perfected; and wealth by not being properly

utilised.

17. Water seeping into the earth is pure; and a

devoted wife is pure; the king who is the benefactor

of his people is pure; and pure is the

brahmana who is contented.

18. Discontented brahmanas, contented kings, shy

prostitutes, and immodest housewives are ruined.

19. Of what avail is a high birth if a person is

destitute of scholarship? A man who is of low

extraction is honoured even y the demigods if he is

learned.

20. A learned man is honoured by the people. A learned

man commands respect everywhere for his learning.

Indeed, learning is honoured

everywhere.

21. those who are endowed with beauty and youth and

who are born of noble families are worthless if they

have no learning. They are just like

the kimshuka blossoms ( flowers of the palasa tree)

which, though beautiful, have no fragrance.

22. The earth is encumbered with the weight of the

flesh-eaters, wine-bibblers, dolts and blockheads, who

are beasts in the form of men.

23. There is no enemy like a yajna (sacrifice) which

consumes the kingdom when not attended by feeding on a

large scale; consumes the priest

when the chanting is not done properly; and consumes

the yajaman (the responsible person) when the gifts

are not made.

 

 

 

 

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