Chanakya Quotes

“A father who is a chronic debtor, an adulterous mother, a beautiful wife, and an unlearned son are enemies in one’s own home.”

“A good wife is one who serves her husband in the morning like a mother does, loves him in the day like a sister does, and pleases him like a prostitute in the night.”

“A human being should strive for four things in life – dharma (duty), artha (money), kama (pleasure) and moksha (salvation). A person who hasn’t striven for even one of these things has wasted life.”

“A man is great by deeds, not by birth.”

“A man or a ruler should always take up a task after thoroughly considering its consequences. Otherwise fate also cannot protect his wealth.”

“A person becomes great not be sitting on some high seat, but through higher qualities. Can a crow become an eagle by simply sitting on the top of a palatial building?”

“A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and honest people are screwed first.”

“A person who cannot decide his goal, simply cannot win.”

“Accumulated wealth is saved by spending just as incoming fresh water is saved by letting out stagnant water.”

“As a single dried tree, if fired, sets a whole forest on fire, so does a bad son destroy a whole family.”

“As water collected in a tank gets pure by filtration, so accumulated wealth is preserved by being employed in charity.”

“Avoid him who talks sweetly before you but tries to ruin you behind your back, for he is like a pitcher full of poison with milk on top.”

“Beauty is spoiled by an immoral nature; noble birth by bad conduct; learning without being perfected; and wealth by not being properly utilized.”

“Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions:

Why am I doing it?
What might the results be?
Will I be successful?

Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.”

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

“Do not put your trust in rivers, men who carry weapons, beasts with claws or horns, women and members of a royal family.”

“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.”

“He shall despise none, but hear the opinions of all. A wise man shall make use of even a child’s sensible utterance.”

“He who has wealth has friends and relations; he alone survives and is respected as a man.”

“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.”

“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.”

“He who loses his money is forsaken by his friends, his wife, his servants and his relations; yet when he regains his riches those who have forsaken him come back to him.”

“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 the heaven here on earth.”

“If one has a good disposition, what other virtue is needed? If a man has fame, what is the value of other ornamentation?”

“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.”

“It is the mind of man alone that is the cause of his bondage or freedom.”

“It is unwise to advice a fool, caring for a woman of loose character, and to be in company of a sad fellow.”

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

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