Chanakya quotes: wise famous quotes, sayings and quotations by Chanakya

Chanakya Famous Quotes & Sayings

Discover top inspirational quotes from Chanakya on Wise Famous Quotes.

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

Religion is preserved by wealth; knowledge by diligent practice; a king by conciliatory words; and a home by a dutiful housewife.

He who has wealth has friends.

The disgrace of one's people brings sorrow to the Nobel minded.

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.

One's weakness should not ever be revealed.

Who realises all the happiness he desires? Everything is in the hands of God. Therefore one should learn contentment.

Our bodies are perishable, wealth is not at all permanent and death is always nearby. Therefore we must immediately engage in acts of merit.

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

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

A thing may be dreaded as long as it has not overtaken you.

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

By means of hearing one understands dharma, malignity vanishes, knowledge is acquired, and liberation from material bondage is gained.

There are three gems upon this earth; food, water, and pleasing words - fools (mudhas) consider pieces of rocks as gems.

He who shall practice these twenty virtues shall become invincible in all his undertakings.

A man is great by deeds, not by birth.

There is no disease so destructive as lust.

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.

The poor wish for wealth; animals for the faculty of speech; men wish for heaven; and godly persons for liberation.

Swans live wherever there is water, and leave the place where water dries up; let not a man act so - and comes and goes as he pleases.

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

Till the enemy's weakness is known , he should be kept on friendly terms.

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

One who is to be pardoned should not be harassed.

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.

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.

People's Fury is above all the furies.

The king shall lose no time when the opportunity waited for arrives.

For the moon though one, dispels the darkness, which the stars, though numerous, do not.

The foolish wish to speak out what was spoken in secret by the master.

A debt should be paid off till the last penny; An enemy should be destroyed without a trace

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.

Women have hunger two-fold, shyness four-fold, daring six-fold, and lust eight-fold as compared to men.

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

The forest fire burns even tree like sandalwood.

No amount of advice change his attitude. He does not listed to good advice. Rather he gets angry.

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

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

One destitute of wealth is not destitute, he is indeed rich, but the man devoid of learning is destitute in every way.

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.

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

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.

The learned are envied by the foolish; rich men by the poor; chaste women by adulteresses; and beautiful ladies by ugly ones.

They (low-minded) ones should never be trusted.

Sinfully acquired wealth may remain for ten years; in the eleventh year it disappears with even the original stock.

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

All types of riches should be amassed by all means.

This world is a bitter tree, it has only two sweet nectar like fruits - one is soft voice and the other is company of gentlemen.

A person or a ruler who executes his plans (of public welfare) after due consideration, the prosperity stands with him for a longer period.

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.

As a calf follows its mother among a thousand cows, so the (good or bad) deeds of a man follow him.

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

Wicked ones are like fire. Even if pu on hea, they burn only. They do not leave unhurt even their well - wishers and benefactors.

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

Your feelings are your god.

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.

Love is indicated by deeds (and not by words)

Charity puts and end to poverty; righteous conduct to misery; discretion to ignorance; and scrutiny to fear.

Those base men who speak of the secret faults of others destroy themselves like serpents that stray onto anthills.

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 runs away from a fearful calamity, a foreign invasion, a terrible famine, and the companionship of wicked men is safe.

Virtuous persons and fruit-laden trees bow, but fools and dry sticks break because they do not bend.

Good behavior wins even an enemy.

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.

No one should ever be disrespected.

It is narual for enemy to attack on the weaker side of the adversary.

Time perfects men as well as destroys them.

A permanent relationship is dependent on particular purpose or wealth.

Don't judge the future of a person based on his present conditions, becausetime has the power to change black coal to shiny diamond.

An enemy should be struck at his weak point.

Foolishness is indeed painful, and verily so is youth, but more painful by far than either is being obliged in another person's house.

The low minded are fond of deception the nature of low-minded people never changes.

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

She is a true wife who is clean (suci), expert, chaste, pleasing to the husband, and truthful.

Offspring, friends and relatives flee from a devotee of the Lord: yet those who follow him bring merit to their families through their devotion.

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

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

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

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.

Trees on a riverbank, a woman in another man's house, and kings without counselors go without doubt to swift destruction.

He who forsakes his own community and joins another perishes as the king who embraces an unrighteous path.

A low-minded person should not be given good advice.

All the creatures are pleased by loving words; and therefore we should address words that are pleasing to all, for there is no lack of sweet words.

A friend, even if he be the enemy's son , should be protected.

Learning is a friend on the journey; a wife in the house; medicine in sickness; and religious merit is the only friend after death.

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

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

There is no enemy like infatuation and fire like wrath.

Punishment when awarded with due consideration, makes the people devoted to righteousness and to works productive of wealth and enjoyment.

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

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

Poverty, disease, sorrow, imprisonment and other evils are the fruits borne by the tree of one's own sins.

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

It is better to be without a king than to have a bad one.

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.

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

Do not say, What what fear has a rich man of calamity.

Skills are called hidden treasure as they save like a mother in a foreign country.

Prosperity last long for one who acts after proper consideration.

We should not feel pride in our charity, austerity, valour, scriptural knowledge, modestyandmorality for the world is full of the rarest gems.