Wisdom
of Chanakya Pandit - Part One
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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Wisdom of Chanakya Pandit - Part Two
------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER NINE
1. My dear child, if you desire to be
free from the cycle of birth and death, then abandon the objects of sense
gratification as poison. Drink instead the nectar of forbearance, upright
conduct, mercy, cleanliness and truth.
2. Those base men who speak of the
secret faults of others destroy themselves like serpents who stray onto
anthills.
3. Perhaps nobody has advised Lord
Brahma, the creator, to impart perfume to gold; fruit to the sugarcane; flowers
to the sandalwood tree; wealth to the learned; and long life to the king.
4. Nectar (amrita) is the best among
medicines; eating good food is the best of all types of material happiness; the
eye is the chief among all organs; and the head occupies the chief position
among all parts of the body.
5. No messenger can travel about in the
sky and no tidings come from there. The voice of its inhabitants as never
heard, nor can any contact be established with them. Therefore the brahmana who
predicts the eclipse of the sun and moon which occur in the sky must be
considered as a vidwan (man of great learning).
6. The student, the servant, the
traveller, the hungry person, the frightened man, the treasury guard, and the
steward: these seven ought to be awakened if they fall asleep.
7. 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.
8. Of those who have studied the Vedas
for material rewards, and those who accept foodstuffs offered by shudras, what
potency have they? They are just like serpents without fangs.
9. He who neither rouses fear by his
anger, nor confers a favour when he is pleased can neither control nor protect.
What can he do?
10. The serpent may, without being
poisonous, raise high its hood, but the show of terror is enough to frighten
people -- whether he be venomous or not.
11. Wise men spend their mornings in
discussing gambling, the afternoon discussing the activities of women, and the
night hearing about the activities of theft. (The first item above refers to
the gambling of King Yuddhisthira, the great devotee of Krsna. The second item
refers to the glorious deeds of mother Sita, the consort of Lord Ramachandra.
The third item hints at the adorable childhood pastimes of Sri Krsna who stole
butter from the elderly cowherd ladies of Gokula. Hence Chanakya Pandita
advises wise persons to spend the morning absorbed in Mahabharata, the
afternoon studying Ramayana, and the evening devotedly hearing the
Srimad-Bhagvatam.)
12. By preparing a garland for a Deity
with one's own hand; by grinding sandal paste for the Lord with one's own hand;
and by writing sacred texts with one's own hand -- one becomes blessed with
opulence equal to that of Indra.
13. ...
14. Poverty is set off by fortitude;
shabby garments by keeping them clean; bad food by warming it; and ugliness by
good behaviour.
CHAPTER TEN
1. One destitute of wealth is not
destitute, he is indeed rich (if he is learned); but the man devoid of learning
is destitute in every way.
2. We should carefully scrutinise that
place upon which we step (having it ascertained to be free from filth and
living creatures like insects, etc.); we should drink water which has been
filtered (through a clean cloth); we should speak only those words which have
the sanction of the satras; and do that act which we have carefully considered.
3. He who desires sense gratification
must give up all thoughts of acquiring knowledge; and he who seeks knowledge
must not hope for sense gratification. How can he who seeks sense gratification
acquire knowledge, and he who possesses knowledge enjoy mundane sense pleasure?
4. What is it that escapes the
observation of poets? What is that act women are incapable of doing? What will
drunken people not prate? What will not a crow eat?
5. Fate makes a beggar a king and a king
a beggar. He makes a rich man poor and a poor man rich.
6. The beggar is a miser's enemy; the
wise counsellor is the fool's enemy; her husband is an adulterous wife's enemy;
and the moon is the enemy of the thief.
7. Those who are destitute of learning,
penance, knowledge, good disposition, virtue and benevolence are brutes
wandering the earth in the form of men. They are burdensome to the earth.
8. Those that are empty-minded cannot be
benefited by instruction. Bamboo does not acquire the quality of sandalwood by
being associated with the Malaya Mountain.
9. What good can the scriptures do to a
man who has no sense of his own? Of what use is as mirror to a blind man?
10. Nothing can reform a bad man, just
as the posterious cannot become a superior part of the body though washed one
hundred times.
11. By offending a kinsman, life is
lost; by offending others, wealth is lost; by offending the king, everything is
lost; and by offending a brahmana one's whole family is ruined.
12. It is better to live under a tree in
a jungle inhabited by tigers and elephants, to maintain oneself in such a place
with ripe fruits and spring water, to lie down on grass and to wear the ragged
barks of trees than to live amongst one's relations when reduced to poverty.
13. The brahmana is like tree; his
prayers are the roots, his chanting of the Vedas are the branches, and his
religious act are the leaves. Consequently effort should be made to preserve
his roots for if the roots are destroyed there can be no branches or leaves.
14. My mother is Kamala devi (Lakshmi),
my father is Lord Janardana (Vishnu), my kinsmen are the Vishnu-bhaktas
(Vaisnavas) and, my homeland is all the three worlds.
15. (Through the night) a great many
kinds of birds perch on a tree but in the morning they fly in all the ten
directions. Why should we lament for that? (Similarly, we should not grieve
when we must inevitably part company from our dear ones).
16. He who possesses intelligence is
strong; how can the man that is unintelligent be powerful? The elephant of the
forest having lost his senses by intoxication was tricked into a lake by a
small rabbit. (this verse refers to a famous story from the niti-sastra called
pancatantra compiled by the pandit Vishnusharma 2500 years ago).
17. Why should I be concerned for my
maintenance while absorbed in praising the glories of Lord Vishwambhara
(Vishnu), the supporter of all. Without the grace of Lord Hari, how could milk
flow from a mother's breast for a child's nourishment? Repeatedly thinking only
in this way, O Lord of the Yadus, O husband of Lakshmi, all my time is spent in
serving Your lotus feet.
18. ...
19. ...
20. ...
CHAPTER ELEVEN
1. Generosity, pleasing address, courage
and propriety of conduct are not acquired, but are inbred qualities.
2. He who forsakes his own community and
joins another perishes as the king who embraces an unrighteous path.
3. The elephant has a huge body but is
controlled by the ankusha (goad): yet, is the goad as large as the elephant? A
lighted candle banishes darkness: is the candle as vast as the darkness. A
mountain is broken even by a thunderbolt: is the thunderbolt therefore as big
as the mountain? No, he whose power prevails is really mighty; what is there in
bulk?
4. ...
5. He who is engrossed in family life
will never acquire knowledge; there can be no mercy in the eater of flesh; the
greedy man will not be truthful; and purity will not be found in a woman a
hunter.
6. The wicked man will not attain
sanctity even if he is instructed in different ways, and the nim tree will not
become sweet even if it is sprinkled from the top to the roots with milk and
ghee.
7. Mental dirt cannot be washed away
even by one-hundred baths in the sacred waters, just as a wine pot cannot be
purified even by evaporating all the wine by fire.
8. It is not strange if a man reviles a
thing of which he has no knowledge, just as a wild hunter's wife throws away
the pearl that is found in the head of an elephant, and picks up a gunj(a type
of seed which poor tribals wear as ornaments).
9. He who for one year eats his meals
silently (inwardly meditating upon the Lord's prasadam); attains to the
heavenly planets for a thousand crore of years. ( Note: one crore equals ten
million)
10. The student (brahmacari) should
completely renounce the following eight things -- his lust, anger, greed,
desire for sweets, sense of decorating the body, excessive curiosity, excessive
sleep, and excessive endeavour for bodily maintenance.
11. ...
12. He alone is a true brahmana (dvija
or "twice-born") who is satisfied with one meal a day, who has the
six samskaras (or acts of purification such as garbhadhana, etc.) performed for
him, and who cohabits with his wife only once in a month on an auspicious day
after her menses.
13. The brahmana who is engrossed in
worldly affairs, brings up cows and is engaged in trade is really called a
vaishya.
14. The brahmana who deals in lac-die,
articles, oil, indigo, silken cloth, honey, clarified butter, liquor, and flesh
is called a shudra.
15. The brahmana who thwarts the doings
of others, who is hypocritical, selfish, and a deceitful hater, and while
speaking mildly cherishes cruelty in his heart, is called a cat.
16. The brahmana who destroys a pond, a
well, a tank, a garden and a temple is called a mleccha.
17. The brahmana who steals the property
of the Deities and the spiritual preceptor, who cohabits with another's wife,
and who maintains himself by eating anything and everything s called a
chandala.
18. The meritorious should give away in
charity all that they have in excess of their needs. By charity only Karna,
Bali and King Vikramaditya survive even today. Just see the plight of the
honeybees beating their legs in despair upon the earth. They are saying to
themselves, "Alas! We neither enjoyed our stored-up honey nor gave it in
charity, and now someone has taken it from us in an instant."
CHAPTER TWELVE
1. He is a blessed grhasta (householder)
in whose house there is a blissful atmosphere, whose sons are talented, whose
wife speaks sweetly, whose wealth is enough to satisfy his desires, who finds
pleasure in the company of his wife, whose servants are obedient, in whose
house hospitality is shown, the auspicious Supreme Lord is worshiped daily,
delicious food and drink is partaken, and who finds joy in the company of
devotees.
2. One who devotedly gives a little to a
brahmana who is in distress is recompensed abundantly. Hence, O Prince, what is
given to a good brahmana is got back not in an equal quantity, but in an
infinitely higher degree.
3. Those men who are happy in this
world, who are generous towards their relatives, kind to strangers, indifferent
to the wicked, loving to the good, shrewd in their dealings with the base, frank
with the learned, courageous with enemies, humble with elders and stern with
the wife.
4. O jackal, leave aside the body of
that man at once, whose hands have never given in charity, whose ears have not
heard the voice of learning, whose eyes have not beheld a pure devotee of the
Lord, whose feet have never traversed to holy places, whose belly is filled
with things obtained by crooked practices, and whose head is held high in
vanity. Do not eat it, O jackal, otherwise you will become polluted.
5. "Shame upon those who have no
devotion to the lotus feet of Sri Krsna, the son of mother Yasoda; who have no
attachment for the describing the glories of Srimati Radharani; whose ears are
not eager to listen to the stories of the Lord's lila." Such is the
exclamation of the mrdanga sound of dhik-tam dhik-tam dhigatam at kirtana.
6. What fault of spring that the bamboo
shoot has no leaves? What fault of the sun if the owl cannot see during the
daytime? Is it the fault of the clouds if no raindrops fall into the mouth of
the chatak bird? Who can erase what Lord Brahma has inscribed upon our
foreheads at the time of birth?
7. A wicked man may develop saintly
qualities in the company of a devotee, but a devotee does not become impious in
the company of a wicked person. The earth is scented by a flower that falls
upon it, but the flower does not contact the odour of the earth.
8. One indeed becomes blessed by having
darshan of a devotee; for the devotee has the ability to purify immediately,
whereas the sacred tirtha gives purity only after prolonged contact.
9. A stranger asked a brahmana,
"Tell me, who is great in this city?" The brahmana replied, "The
cluster of palmyra trees is great." Then the traveller asked, "Who is
the most charitable person?" The brahmana answered, "The washerman
who takes the clothes in the morning and gives them back in the evening is the
most charitable." He then asked, "Who is the ablest man?" The
brahmana answered, "Everyone is expert in robbing others of their wives and
wealth." The man hen asked the brahmana, "How do you manage to live
in such a city?" The brahmana replied, "As a worm survives while even
in a filthy place so do I survive here!"
10. The house in which the lotus feet of
brahmanas are not washed, in which Vedic mantras are not loudly recited, and in
which the holy rites of svaha (sacrificial offerings to the Supreme Lord) and
swadha (offerings to the ancestors) are not performed, is like a crematorium.
11. (It is said that a sadhu, when asked
about his family, replied thusly): truth is my mother, and my father is
spiritual knowledge; righteous conduct is my brother, and mercy is my friend,
inner peace is my wife, and forgiveness is my son: these six are my kinsmen.
12. Our bodies are perishable, wealth is
not at all permanent and death is always nearby. Therefore we must immediately
engage in acts of merit.
13. Arjuna says to Krsna.
"Brahmanas find joy in going to feasts, cows find joy in eating their
tender grass, wives find joy in the company of their husbands, and know, O
Krsna, that in the same way I rejoice in battle.
14. He who regards another's wife as his
mother, the wealth that does not belong to him as a lump of mud, and the
pleasure and pain of all other living beings as his own -- truly sees things in
the right perspective, and he is a true pandit.
15. O Raghava, the love of virtue,
pleasing speech, and an ardent desire for performing acts of charity, guileless
dealings with friends, humility in the guru's presence , deep tranquillity of
mind, pure conduct, discernment of virtues, realised knowledge of the sastras,
beauty of form and devotion to God are all found in you." (The great sage
Vasistha Muni, the spiritual preceptor of the dynasty of the sun, said this to
Lord Ramachandra at the time of His proposed coronation).
16. The desire tree is wood; the golden
Mount Meru is motionless; the wish-fulfilling gem cintamani is just a stone;
the sun is scorching; the moon is prone to wane; the boundless ocean is saline;
the demigod of lust lost his body (due to Shiva's wrath); Bali Maharaja, the
son of Diti, was born into a clan of demons; and Kamadhenu (the cow of heaven)
is a mere beast. O Lord of the Raghu dynasty! I cannot compare you to any one
of these (taking their merits into account).
17. Realised learning (vidya) is our
friend while travelling , the wife is a friend at home, medicine is the friend
of a sick man, and meritorious deeds are the friends at death.
18. Courtesy should be learned from
princes, the art of conversation from pandits, lying should be learned from
gamblers and deceitful ways should be learned from women.
19. The unthinking spender, the homeless
urchin, the quarrel monger, the man who neglects his wife and is heedless in
his actions -- all these will soon come to ruination.
20. The wise man should not be anxious
about his food; he should be anxious to be engaged only in dharma (Krsna
consciousness). the food of each man is created for him at his birth.
21. He who is not shy in the acquisition
of wealth, grain and knowledge, and in taking his meals, will be happy
22. As centesimal droppings will fill a
pot so also are knowledge, virtue and wealth gradually obtained.
23. The man who remains a fool even in
advanced age is really a fool, just as the Indra-Varuna fruit does not become
sweet no matter how ripe it might become.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
1. A man may live but for a moment, but
that moment should be spent in doing auspicious deeds. It is useless living
even for a kalpa (4,320,000 *1000 years) and bringing only distress upon the
two worlds (this world and the next).
2. 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.
3. It certainly is nature of the
demigods, men of good character, and parents to be easily pleased. Near and
distant relatives are pleased when they are hospitably received with bathing,
food, and drink; and pandits are pleased with an opportunity for giving
spiritual discourse.
4 Even as the unborn babe is in the womb
of his mother, these five are fixed as his life destiny: his life span, his
activities, his acquisition of wealth and knowledge, and his time of death.
5. O see what a wonder it is! The doings
of the great are strange: they treat wealth as light as a straw, yet, when they
obtain it, they bend under its weight.
6. 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.
7. He who is prepared for the future and
he who deals cleverly with any situation that may arise are both happy; but the
fatalistic man who wholly depends on luck is ruined.
8. If the king is virtuous, then the
subjects are also virtuous. If the king is sinful, then the subjects also
become sinful. If he is mediocre, then the subjects are mediocre. The subjects
follow the example of the king. In short, as is the king so are the subjects.
9. I consider him who does not act
religiously as dead though living, but he who dies acting religiously
unquestionably lives long though he is dead.
10. He who has acquired neither virtue,
wealth, satisfaction of desires nor salvation (dharma, artha, kama, moksa),
lives an utterly useless life, like the "nipples" hanging from the
neck of a goat.
11. The hearts of base men burn before
the fire of other's fame, and they slander them being themselves unable to rise
to such a high position.
12. Excessive attachment to sense
pleasures leads to bondage, and detachment from sense pleasures leads to
liberation; therefore it is the mind alone that is responsible for bondage or
liberation.