Chanakya Neeti -valuable insight into society and public life

विद्वत्त्वं च नृपत्वं च नैव तुल्यं कदाचन ।
स्वदेशे पूज्यते राजा विद्वान् सर्वत्र पूज्यते ॥

Scholar and king are never comparable. King is worshipped in his country, but scholar is worshipped everywhere.

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पाण्डिते च गुणाः सर्वे मूर्खे दोषा हि केवलम् ।
तस्मान्मूर्खसहस्रेषु प्राज्ञा एको विशिष्यते ॥

Noble people have all good qualities and fools have only bad qualities. So, people respect only one noble person instead of a thousand fools.

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मातृवत्परदारेषु परद्रवेषु लोष्ट्रवत् ।
आत्मवत्सर्वभूतेषु यः पश्यति सः पण्डितः ॥

He who looks at other's wife as mother, treats others' wealth as stone, and treats everyone as himself, is really noble.

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चला लक्ष्मीश्चला: प्राणाश्चलं जीवित-यौवनम् ।
चलाचले च संसारे धर्म एको हि निश्चलः ॥

Wealth comes and goes, life and youth goes from the living, in this world of coming and going, 'dharma' alone is firm.

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वरमेको गुणी पुत्रो न च मूर्खशतान्यपि ।
एकश्चन्द्रस्तमो हन्ति न च तारगणोऽपिच ॥

One good and noble son is better than a hundred fool sons. Only one moon lights the sky, where as thousand stars do not. Similarly one noble son brings fame and respect to family than hundred fools.

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दूरतः शोभते मूर्खो लम्बशाटपटावृतः ।
तावच्च शोभते मूर्खो यावत्किञ्चिन्न भाषते ॥

Wearing expensive dresses a fool looks like a scholar from a distance. But, when he opens his mouth his ignorance comes out.

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उत्सवे व्यसने चैव दुर्भिक्षे राष्ट्रविप्लवे ।
राजद्वारे श्मशाने च यतिष्ठति स वान्धवः ॥

He who stands with, in good times, bad times, draught, riot, war, king's court and after death; is a real friend.

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परोक्षे कार्यहन्तारं प्रतक्षे प्रियवादिनम् ।
वर्जयेत्तादृशं मित्रं विषकुम्भं पयोमुखम् ॥

The friend who talks sweet in front and does harm in the back, such friend must be left just like a pot of poison with cream of milk on top.

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जानीयात् प्रेषणे भृत्यान् वान्धवान् व्यसनागमे ।
मित्रं चापदि काले च भार्यां च विभवक्षये ॥

Revealed is truth of servant's loyality in time of work, friend's friendship in time of danger and bad time and wife's love in time of loss of wealth.

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दुर्जनः प्रियवादी च नैव विश्वाकारणम् ।
मधु तिष्ठति जिह्वाग्रे हृदये तु हलाहलम् ॥

An evil person must never be trusted even if talks sweet. Because an evil person has sweet on tounge, but has a heart filled with poision.

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सर्पः क्रूरः खलः क्रूरः सर्पात् क्रूरतरः खलः ।
मन्त्रौषधिवशः सर्पः खलः केन निवार्यते ॥

Snake is cruel and an evil person is also cruel, but an evil person is more cruel than a snake. Snake can be controlled by mantra and medicine, but how can an evil person be controlled?

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हस्ती हस्तसहस्रेण शतहस्तेन वाजिनः ।
शृङ्गिणो दशहस्तेन स्थानत्यागेन दुर्जनः ॥



A distance of a thousand hands in case of elephant, hundred hands for a horse, and ten hands for a cattle should be maintained. But, in case of an evil person one must leave the place.

-- ॐ --

हस्ती अंकुशमात्रेण वाजि हस्तेन ताडयते ।
श्रुङ्गी लगुडहस्तेन खड्गहस्तेन दुर्जनः ॥

An elephant is controlled with a goud, a horse by beating with hand, a cattle with a stick, and an evil person with a sword strike.