Top Best 100+ Quotes on Family and Relations by Chanakya

Chanakya, also known as Kautilya or Vishnugupta, was prime minister under the reign of Chandragupta (r. c. 321-c. 297 BCE), founder of the Mauryan Empire(322-185 BCE) and also an ancient Indian teacher, philosopher, economist, jurist, and royal advisor. He was born into a Brahman family and was educated at Takshashila which is an ancient center for learning, located in north-western ancient India.. 

Chanakya's teachings have been collected in two books- Arthashastra (“The Science of Material Gain”) and Chanakya Niti. The Arthashastra is Chanakya’s training manual by which he transformed Chandragupta from a citizen to a king. No one can question his intelligence.

Chanakya helped to establish the Mauryan Empire and served two of its emperors as chief advisor. He was not a warrior, but he used his brain to fight battles. Chanakya, the pioneer of political science and economics in India, certainly knew how to deal with life and stay one step ahead.

Chanakya’s quotes explain his profound wisdom, offering guidance on various aspects of life, governance, and human behavior. In this post, you will search the Top Best 100+ Quotes on Family and Relations by Chanakya that continue to inspire and enlighten your life.

• “ There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth.” 

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

• “ 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.”

• “ 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.”

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

   Chanakya Niti Quotes on Life:

• “ 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.”

• “ Either Scholarship or Death will be my refuge.”

• “ There is no enemy like infatuation and fire like wrath.”

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

• “ The world’s biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman.”

• “ Learn from the mistakes of others….. you can’t live long enough to make them all yourselves.” 

• “ 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.” 

• “ 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.”

• “ A good wife 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.”

• “ 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.”

• “ 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.”

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

• “ 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.”

• “ 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.”

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

• “ It is better to have only one son endowed with good qualities than a hundred devoid of them. For the moon though one, dispels the darkness, which the stars, though numerous, do not.” 

• “ Desires of the mind! Who has got all the cushy things? everything depends on destiny, therefore count your blessings.”

• “ 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.”

• “ The one excellent thing that can be learned from a lion is that whatever a man intends to do should be done by him with a whole-hearted and strenuous effort.” 

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

• “ 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.”

•  “ 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.”

• “ Just as a mirror reflects a man's face his personality is reflected in his choice of friends. One must always be careful in forming friendships and acquaintances, for one’s friends, are in a way, an extension of one’s inner inclinations and tendencies.” 

• “ Drop the idea that attachment and love are one thing. They are enemies. It is an attachment that destroys all love.” 

• “ 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.” 

• “ The earth is supported by the power of truth, it is the power of truth that makes the sunshine and the winds blow, indeed all things rest upon truth.” 

• “ Never reveal what you have thought upon doing, but by wise council keep it secret being determined to carry it into execution.”

 

• “ One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth is in the possession of others can use neither knowledge nor wealth when the need for them arises.” 

• “ A person who is aware of future troubles, and fights against them with his intelligence will be always happy. And a person who remains inactive (without working ) waiting for good days to come will destroy his own life.” 

• “ The enemy’s enemy is a friend.” 

• “ Once a man’s ambition is kindled, nothing can stop him. For a businessman, no country can be too far. For a wise man, there is no such thing as a foreign land. He is at home wherever he goes.” 

• “ Give your wealth only to the worthy and never to others.”

•  “ The water of the sea received by the clouds is always sweet.” 

• “ Don’t judge the future of a person based on his present conditions, because time has the power to change black coal to shiny diamond.” 

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

   Chanakya Niti Quotes on Family:

• “ There is no disease so destructive as lust.” 

• “ We should always speak what would please the man of whom we expect a favor, like the hunter who sings sweetly when he desires to shoot a deer.”  

• “ No amount of advice changes his attitude. He does not listen to good advice. Rather he gets angry.”

• “ 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.”

• “ An enemy should be struck at his weak point.”

• “ A good wife 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.”

• “ 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.” 

• “ 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.”  

• “ 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.” 

• “ It is imprudent to advise a fool, care for a woman with bad character, and to be in the company of a lethargic and unhappy person.”

• “ A man shouldn’t live in a place where people are not afraid of the law, are shameless, and there is no clever man, where people lack in kindness, and there exists no creativity or art.”

• “ A wise person grooms his child carefully because only an educated person with high morals is given true respect in society.”

• “ You can guess the origin of a person through his behavior, his native place via his tone, and his food intake by looking at the size of his belly.”

• “ Just like a tree laden with scented flowers spreads fragrance in the whole forest. Similarly, a worthy son brings glory to the whole family, community, and the country.”

• “ Knowledge is like holy kamdhenu and is like a tree that bears fruit in every season. In unknown territories, it provides protection and brings you rewards.”

• “ Even if a gem be placed on the foot and a mirror on the head, Still, the gem will not lose its value.”

• “ A moment of patience in a moment of anger can help us avoid a thousand moments of sorrow.” 

 

• “ 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.”

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

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

• “ Sometimes you have to suffer in life, not because you were bad, but because you didn’t realize where to stop being good.”

• “ The biggest suspense of life is that you don’t know who is praying for you and who is playing with you!”

   Chanakya Niti Quotes:

• “ 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.” 

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

• “ Till the enemy’s weakness is known, he should be kept on friendly terms.” 

• “ Those base men who speak of the secret faults of others destroy themselves like serpents that stray onto ant hills.”

• “ The happiness and peace attained by those satisfied by the nectar of spiritual tranquility is not attained by greedy persons restlessly moving here and there.” 

• “ Never settle for anything less than what you deserve. It’s not pride, it’s self-respect.”

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

• “ 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.”

• “ No one should ever be disrespected.”

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

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

• “ 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.”

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

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

• “ One who can’t determine his goals; cannot win.”

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

• “ 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.”

• “ Before you start some work always ask yourselves three questions why I am doing it, what the results might be and will be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.”

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

   Quotes on Family and Relations by Chanakya:

• “ Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous.”

• “ The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the directions of the wind. But, the goodness of a person spreads in all directions.”

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

• “ We have to make people soft who are hard, to attract those who are far, if they do bad for us then even considering our aim we should always love them.” 

• “ There are three gems upon this earth, food, water, and pleasing words — fools consider pieces of rocks as gems.” 

• “ 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.” 

• “ A learned man is honored by the people. A learned man commands respect everywhere for his learning. Indeed, learning is honored everywhere.” 

• “ If you were to choose between an evil person and a snake to keep company with, opt for the snake. Because the snake will bite you only in self-defense but the evil person will put a bite for any reason and any time or always.” 

• “ There are only two ways of dealing with the evil persons or thorns. Crush them under your boot or stay far away from them.” 

• “ Too much beauty got Sita kidnapped, too much ego got Ravana killed and too much charity got Raja Bali in deep trouble. So too much of anything is bad. One should refrain from ‘too much’.” 

• “ There is no present and future of the lazy.” 

• “ You can win over a greedy by offering money, a proud person by covering before him. You can win a fool by agreeing with him and you can win a scholar by truth only.”

• “ As long as your body is healthy and under control and death is distant, try to save your soul; when death is imminent what can you do?” 

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

• “ Do not inhabit a country where you are not respected, cannot earn your livelihood, have no friends, or cannot acquire knowledge.” 

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

• “ The wealth earned by unjust means will perish for sure.”

• “ A true son is obedient, a true father is loving, and a true friend is honest.” 

• “ 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.”

• “ There are two ways to deal with thorns and wicked people. One is to crush them, and the other is to stay away from them.” 

• “ No one can defeat a powerful mind.” 

• “ A man who has mercy and compassion for all creatures is religious for sure. He does not require any religious symbol or sign to prove his religiousness.” 

• “ Whoever helps you at the time of illness, misfortune, famines, and invasion is your true brother in the real sense.”  

• “ Money comes and goes, and so is the youth. Life goes and goes the soul, nothing lasts forever. The only thing that stays firm is your faith.”

• “ Many a bad habit is developed through overindulgence, and many a good one by chastisement.” 

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

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

• “ For the moon, though one, dispels the darkness, which the stars, though numerous, can not.” 

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

• “ God dwells not in the wooden, or stone or earthen idols. His abode is in our feelings, and our thoughts. It is only through the feeling that we deem God existing in these idols.”

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

• “ 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.” 

• “ Once you start working on something don’t be afraid of failure and don’t abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.”

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

• “ God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your God. The soul is your temple.” 

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

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

• “ The disgrace of one’s people brings sorrow to the Nobel-minded.”

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

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

• “ Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown-up children are your best friends.” 

• “ Humbleness is at the root of self-control.”

• “ Till the enemy’s weakness is known, he should be kept on friendly terms.”

• “ Education beats the beauty and the youth.”

• “ Good behavior wins even an enemy.”

• “ Your feelings are your god.”

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

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

• “ Enemies strike at weak points.”

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

• “ An egoist can be won over by being respected, a crazy person can be won over by allowing him to behave insanely and a wise person can be won over by truth.”

• “ 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.”

• “ There is no disease so destructive as lust.”

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

• “ 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.”

• “ If a king is energetic, his subjects will be equally energetic.”

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

• “ 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. Hence wealth is certainly the best of relations.”

• “ One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth is in the possession of others can use neither his knowledge nor wealth when the need for them arises.”

• “ He whose son is obedient to him, whose wife’s conduct is by his wishes, and who is content with his riches, has his heaven here on earth.”

• “ 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.”

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

• “ 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.”

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

   Quotes by Chanakya:

• “ Egoism gets dissolved in the knowledge of the supreme soul, then wherever the mind goes there it meets the ultimate goal.”

• “ The human mind is indeed the cause of bondage and deliverance, the love of pleasure enslaves but detachments liberate.”

• “ As fragrance in a flower, oil in sesame seed, fire in wood, butter in milk, and sweetness in sugarcane one should seek the soul in a body.”

• “ He who has failed to attain either virtue, wealth, the satisfaction of desires or salvation, lives a useless life. Like nipple hanging on the neck of a goat.”

• “ Truth is my mother, knowledge is my father, virtue is my brother, compassion my friend, peace is my wife, forgiveness is my son, these six I keep as my kinsmen.”

• “ Of What Use is a noble family to men without education, A scholar even from a low family wins gods’ admiration.”

• “ They alone are sons who are devoted to their father, he is a father who nurtures his children, a friend is the one who is a repository of faith, A wife is she in whom the husband finds satisfaction.”

• “ Delicious food and the potency to eat, beautiful women and the potency to romance, wealth in abundance and the potency to give, these are not the rewards of ordinary penance.”

• “ She who is chaste, clever, soft-spoken, truthful, pleasing to the husband is a true wife.”

   

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

• “ He whose son is obedient to him, whose wife's conduct is by his wishes, and who is content with his riches, has his heaven here on earth.”

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

• “ 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.”

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

• “ There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth.”

• “ Once you start working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.”

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

• “ In trans-border relations, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies or even permanent borders. There are only permanent interests and everything should be done to secure these interests.”

• “ One who is in search of knowledge should give up the search of pleasure and the one who is in search of pleasure should give up the search of knowledge.”

• “ The one who betrays his own fraternity and seeks refuge with the enemy brings about his downfall like a kingdom without piety.”

• “ Low-class men desire wealth; middle-class men both wealth and respect; but the noble, honor only; hence honor is the noble man's true wealth.”

• “ A wicked wife, a false friend, a saucy servant, and living in a house with a serpent in it are nothing but death.”

• “ A permanent relationship is dependent on a particular purpose or wealth.”

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

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

• “ Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, What the results be, and Will I be successful? Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.”

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

• “ 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. Hence wealth is certainly the best of relations.”

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

• “ 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.”

• “ 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.”

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

• “ 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.”

• “ Love is indicated by deeds (and not by words).”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   Chanakya Niti Quotes on love, relationships, and marriage:

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

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

• “ Prosperity lasts long for one who acts after proper consideration.”

• “ How well you treat the wicked people, they do not give up their wickedness. They derive pleasure in hurting others. A serpent made to drink milk, it ejects poison only.”

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

• “ A permanent relationship is dependent on a particular purpose or wealth.”

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

• “ Low-minded people are fraudulent, wicked, and cheat. They should not be trusted. To have faith in low-minded ones is a mistake in policy and useless because they are not trustworthy. An administrator should not invite calamity by trusting the low-minded ones.”

• “ 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.”

• “ 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.”

• “ 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.”

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

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

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

• “ An egoist can be won over by being respected, a crazy person can be won over by allowing him to behave insanely and a wise person can be won over by truth.”

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

• “ We should always speak what would please the man of whom we expect a favor, like the hunter who sings sweetly when he desires to shoot a deer.”

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

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

• “ A learned man is honored by the people. A learned man commands respect everywhere for his learning. Indeed, learning is honored everywhere.”

• “ If a king is energetic, his subjects will be equally energetic.”

• “ 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.”

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

• “ Considering the forbearance of a person, Do not harass him.”

• “ 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.”

• “ He who looks at a woman who is not his wife as a mother; wealth that is not his as dust and all the men as himself... is a happy man. He, who sees all these things under a different light, is blind.”

• “ Time perfects men as well as destroys them.”

• “ One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth is in the possession of others can use neither his knowledge nor wealth when the need for them arises.”

• “ 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.”

   

  Best Chanakya Quotes / Thoughts:

• “ A good wife 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.”

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

• “ Knower of the means makes impossible tasks also possible.”

• “ What good can the scriptures do to a man who has no sense of his own? Of what use is a mirror to a blind man?”

• “ The fire of the forest burns trees to ashes. Even expensive sandalwood tree which is endowed with qualities of cooling and fragrance, cannot escape from burning. In the same way wicked cause harm to their benefactors also.”

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

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

• “ Charity puts an end to poverty; righteous conduct to misery; discretion to ignorance; and scrutiny to fear.”

• “ He who gives up shyness in monetary dealings, in acquiring knowledge, in eating and in business, becomes happy.”

• “ He whose son is obedient to him, whose wife's conduct is by his wishes, and who is content with his riches, has his heaven here on earth.”

• “ Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown-up children are your best friends.”

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

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

• “ 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.”

• “ Every relationship has one or the other motive behind it. Friendship or enmity is not purposeless. Oneness of motive is turned into friendship. While the diversity of motives causes enmity. Royal relationships also depend upon one or the other purpose. But such relations are mainly for the welfare of the state.”

• “ A person becomes great not by 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?”

• “ The one excellent thing that can be learned from a lion is that whatever a man intends to do should be done by him with a whole-hearted and strenuous effort.”

• “ 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.”

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

• “ 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.”

• “ A man attains greatness by his merits, not simply by occupying an exalted seat. Can we call a crow an eagle (garuda) simply because he sits on the top of a tall building?”

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

• “ For good days one should save money, women should be protected even if it takes the money saved. But for self-preservation, the money and the women should be sacrificed!!”

• “ The forest fire burns even trees like sandalwood.”

• “ 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.”

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

• “ What vice could be worse than covetousness? What is more sinful than slander? For one who is truthful, what need is there for austerity? For one who has a clean heart, what is the need for pilgrimage?”

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

• “ 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?”

• “ Even a captured enemy is not to be trusted.”

• “ 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.”

• “ People's Fury is above all the furies.”

• “ Whoever imposes severe punishment becomes repulsive to the people; while he who awards mild punishment becomes contemptible. But whoever imposes punishment as deserved becomes respectable.”

• “ The earth is supported by the power of truth; it is the power of truth that makes the sunshine and the winds blow; indeed all things rest upon truth.”

• “ He who wears unclean garments, has dirty teeth, is a glutton, speaks unkindly, and sleeps after sunrise - although he may be the greatest personality - will lose the favor of Lakshmi.”

• “ Everybody tries not to reveal his weaknesses, so that he may not be ridiculed, especially before the enemy. One's weak points should not be revealed. Because he can strike on those to ruin us. So one should remain strong before the enemy.”

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

• “ He is a pandit (man of knowledge) who speaks what is suitable to the occasion, who renders loving service according to his ability, and who knows the limits of his anger.”

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

• “ The low-minded peoples should never be trusted.”

• “ 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.”

• “ 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.”

• “ One who is to be pardoned should not be harassed.”

• “ 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.”

• “ Save your wealth against future calamity. Do not say, 'What fear has a rich man of calamity?' Wealth sometimes vanishes away and large accumulations perish.”

• “ 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.”

• “ The cuckoos remain silent for a long time (for several seasons) until they can sing sweetly (in the Spring) to give joy to all.”

• “ 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.”

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

• “ 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.”

• A wise man should not divulge the formula of medicine that he has well prepared; an act of charity which he has performed; domestic conflicts; private affairs with his wife; poorly prepared food he may have been offered; or slang he may have heard.”

• Sometimes coincidentally an unintelligent person can accomplish a task but that does not mean that he is a knower of means and devices or is experienced. A ruler should be careful enough to designate other tasks to such persons.”

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

     Chanakya Quotes and Sayings:

• “ 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.”

• “ 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.”

• “ 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.”

   Chanakya Quotes:

• “ He who nurtures benevolence for all creatures within his heart overcomes all difficulties and will be the recipient of all types of riches at every step.”

• “ All types of riches should be amassed by all means.”

• “ 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.”

• “ The demerits of our own people bring infirmity. Their disgrace is our own disgrace. That is why the infamy of such people hurts. It is desirable that the ruler or the administrator may work in a way that such disgraceful conduct may not occur.”

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

• “ 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.”

• “ 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.”

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

• “ For the protection of the state and welfare of the people, a ruler should collect all types of wealth. By using devices of sama, dama, danda, and bheda, he should increase the income of the state, strong administration helps in collecting different types of taxes from the exchequer.”

• “ 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.”

• “ The man who is praised by others is regarded as worthy though he may be really void of all merit. But the man who sings his own praises becomes disgraced though he should be Indra, the possessor of all excellencies.”

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

• “Using hearing one understands dharma, malignity vanishes, knowledge is acquired, and liberation from material bondage is gained.”

• “ The happiness and peace attained by those satisfied by the nectar of spiritual tranquility is not attained by greedy persons restlessly moving here and there.”

• “ Even as the unborn baby 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.”

• “ 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 the grass and to wear the ragged barks of trees than to live amongst one's relations when reduced to poverty.”

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

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

• “ He who has wealth has friends.”

• “ 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.”

• “ Education beats the beauty and the youth.”

• “ If the bees which seek the liquid oozing from the head of a lust-intoxicated elephant are driven away by the flapping of his ears, then the elephant has lost only the ornament of his head. The bees are quite happy in the lotus-filled lake.”

• “ 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.”

• “ Who realizes all the happiness he desires? Everything is in the hands of God. Therefore one should learn contentment.”

• “ 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.”

• “ The Goddess of wealth is unsteady, 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.”

• “ 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.”

• “ Fire, even if put on the head, burns only.”

• “ If people of one's own side have good conduct, it adds power to oneself. The misconduct on the contrary renders one powerless. The enemy takes advantage of it. A skilled statesman never allows the enemy to win over.”

• “ 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.”

 Chanakya Quotes which describe the       reality of life:

• “ The rainwater enlivens all living beings of the earth both movable (insects, animals, humans, etc.) and immovable (plants, trees, etc.), and then returns to the ocean its value multiplied a millionfold.”

• “ 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 plow and an ox.”

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

• “ 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.”

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

• “ Learning is like a cow of desire. It, like her, yields in all seasons.”

• “ If a king is energetic, his subjects will be equally energetic. If he is reckless, they will not only be reckless likewise but also eat into his works.”

• “ 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.”

• “ Fate being unfavorable( or without god's grace, even an easy task becomes difficult to accomplish).”

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

   Quotes from Chanakya:

• “ Task performed by an unintelligent person should not be rated high.”

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

• “ It is natural for the enemy to attack on the weaker side of the adversary.”

• “ Includes in itself the whole subject, officials and ministers. If there is something wrong with the conduct of these people, it would be damaging to the state. An administrator should strictly deal with it.”

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

• “ The ruler should employ a person in tasks according to their abilities because Knowers ( or the means ) and efficient employees make impossible tasks also possible.”

• “ 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.”

• “ The disgrace of one's people brings sorrow to the Nobel-minded.”

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

• “ 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.”

• “ As long as your body is healthy and under control and death is distant, try to save your soul; when death is  imminent what can you do?”

• “ 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.”

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

• “ 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.”

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

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

Also Read:

Bad Parenting      Teenage Parenting   Best Parenting    Mental Health   Mother-Child

Husband    Husband-Wife Love    Husband-Wife Relation    Mom    Family    Family Quotes

Letting Go of Your Grown Child    Children Leaving Home   Missing Home Quotes   Missing Hostel

Baby Names    Mom And Dad   Brother and Sister Love    God Quotes  Strong Women   Family Love

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj   Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj    Chanakya    Swami Vivekananda

FAQ's:

Q.   What are the four life rules of Chanakya?

A.   Four life rules of Chanakya are:

• There is no eye(vision) equal to learning
•  there is no tapas (penance) equal to truth
•  there is no sorrow equal to desire or attachment
•  there is no happiness equal sacrifice.

Q.   What is the concept of Chanakya Niti?

A.   Chanakya Niti is a collection of sayings,  ideas, and statements that give valuable tips on how to lead the best and productive life even in this day and age.

Q.   What are the three rules of success by Chanakya?

A.   Three rules of success by Chanakya are:

• Success by counsel. 
• Success by might.
•  Success by energy.

Q.   Which Chanakya Niti book is good?

A.   Famous Chanakya Niti books are:

• Complete Chanakya Niti-  Jain, R.P.'s Authoritative Compilation of Chanakya's Wisdom and Teachings R.P. Jain. 
• Arthashastra 2.0-  Incompetent posterity makes present science A future superstition! Suyash Ratna Dewangan. 
• Arthashastra- The Science of Wealth Thomas R. Trautmann.

Q.   How to become successful by Chanakya?

A.   Continuous learning: According to Chanakya, learning should be a lifelong pursuit because knowledge is the key to power and success. He advised continuous learning, gaining knowledge from various sources, and staying updated with the latest trends and information in one's field.

Q.   How to raise a child according to Chanakya?

A.   According to Chanakya:

• Chanakya emphasizes the importance of parenting in raising a child. 
• He advises parents to be kind, patient, and understanding with their children.
• He suggests parents be firm but fair and lead by example to implant good values in their children.

Q.   How to live life by Chanakya?

A.   Life lessons by Chanakya:

• Stay focused on goals, avoiding distractions and temptations. 
•  Surround yourself with positive attitude people. 
• Don't aim at showing, think to resolve a problem.
•  Don't fear failure, try and try until you succeed.
•  Listen carefully before reacting.

Q.   What Chanakya said about education?

A.   Chanakya's thoughts about education:

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