।। चाणक्य नीति शास्त्र ।।
यस्य चित्तं द्रवीभूतं कृपया सर्वजन्तुषु ।
तस्य द्न्यानेन मोक्षेण किं जटाभस्मलेपनैः ।।१।।
1. For one whose heart melts with compassion for all creatures; what is
the necessity of knowledge, liberation, matted hair on the head, and
smearing the body with ashes.
एकमप्यक्षरं यस्तु गुरुः शिष्यं प्रबोधयेत् ।
पृथिव्यां नास्ति तद्द्रव्यं यद्दत्त्वा सोऽनृणी भवेत् ।।२।।
2. There is no treasure on earth, the gift of which will cancel the debt
a disciple owes his guru (spiritual teacher) for having taught him even
a single letter ( that leads to Krishna consciousness).
खलानां कण्टकानां च द्विविधैव प्रतिक्रिया ।
उपानन्मुखभङ्गो वा दूरतो वा विसर्जनम् ।।३।।
3. There are two ways to get rid of thorns and wicked persons; using
footwear in the first case and in the second, shaming them so that they
cannot raise their faces again, thus keeping them at a distance.
कुचैलिनं दन्तमलोपधारिणं
बव्हाशिनं निष्ठुरभाषिणं च ।
सूर्योदये चास्तमिते शयानं
विमुञ्चति श्रीर्यदि चक्रपाणिः ।।४।।
4. Following persons loose favour of Lakshmi (godess of fortune) :
a. One who wears unclean garments,
b. One who has dirty teeth,
c. One who speaks unkindly words,
d. One who sleeps after sunrise,
although he may be the greatest personality. (He will loose his fortune !!!)
त्यजन्ति मित्राणि धनैर्विहीनं
पुत्राश्र्च दाराश्र्च सुह्रज्जनाश्र्च ।
तमर्थवन्तं पुनराश्रयन्ति
अर्थो हि लोके मनुष्यस्य बन्धुः ।।५।।
5. He who loses his money is forsaken by his friends, his wife, his
servants and his relations. भet when he regains his riches, those who
have forsaken him come back to him. Hence wealth is certainly the best
of relations.
अन्यायोपार्जितं द्रव्यं दश वर्षाणि तिष्ठति ।
प्राप्ते चैकादशे वर्षे समूलं तद्विनषश्यति ।।६।।
6. Sinfully acquired wealth may remain for ten years; but in the
eleventh year it totally disappears with even the original stock.
अयुक्तं स्वामिनो युक्तं युक्तं नीचस्य दूषणं ।
अमृतं राहवे मृत्युर्विषं शङ्करभूषणं ।।७।।
7. A bad action committed by a great man is not censured (as there is
none that can reproach him), and a good action performed by a low-class
man comes to be condemned (because none respects him). Just see: the
drinking of nectar is excellent, but it became the cause of Rahu's
demise; and the drinking of poison is harmful, but when Lord Shiva (who
is exalted) drank it, it became an ornament to his neck (nila-kanta).
तद्भोजनं यद्द्विजभुक्तशेषं
तत्सौह्रदं यत्क्रियते परस्मिन् ।
सा प्राद्न्यता या न करोति पापं
दम्भं विना यः क्रियते स धर्मः ।।८।।
8. True Meal : A true meal is that which consists of the remnants left after a brahmana's meal.
True Love : Love which is shown to others is true love, not that which is cherished for one's own self.
True Wisdom : To abstain from sin is true wisdom.
True Charity : That is an act of charity which is performed without ostentation.
मणिर्लुण्ठति पादाग्रे काचः शिरसि धार्यते ।
क्रयविक्रयवेलायां काचः काचो मणिर्मणि ।।९।।
9. For want of discernment the most precious jewels lie in the dust at
the feet of men while bits of glass are worn on their heads. But we
should not imagine that the gems have sunk in value, and the bits of
glass have risen in importance. When a person of critical judgement
shall appear, each will be given its right position.
अनन्तशास्त्रो बहुलाश्च विद्याः
स्वल्पश्च कालो बहुविघ्नता च ।
यत्सारभूतं तदुपासनीयां
हंसो यथा क्षिरमिवाम्बुमध्यात् ।।१०।।
10. Scriptural knowledge is unlimited, and the arts to be learned are
many; the time we have is short, and our opportunities to learn are
beset with obstacles. Therefore select for learning that which is most
important, just like the swan drinks only the milk in water.
दूरागतं पथि श्रांतं वृथा च गृहमागतम् ।
अनर्चियत्वा यो भुङते स वै चाण्डाल उच्यते ।।
11. That person is called "Chandala" (dog-eater) who eats his dinner
without entertaining the stranger, who has come to his house quite
accidentally having travelled a long distance and is wearied.
पठन्ति चतुरो वेदान्धर्मशास्त्राण्यनेकशः ।
आत्मानं नैव जानन्ति दर्वी पाकरसं यथा ।।१२।।
आत्मानं नैव जानन्ति दर्वी पाकरसं यथा ।।१२।।
12. One may know the four Vedas and the Dharma-sastras, yet if he has no
realisation of his own spiritual self, he can be said to be like the
ladle which stirs all kinds of foods but knows not the taste of any.
धन्या द्विजमयी नौका विपरीता भवार्णवे ।
तरन्त्यधोगताः सर्वे उपरिष्ठाः पतन्त्यधः ।।१३।।
तरन्त्यधोगताः सर्वे उपरिष्ठाः पतन्त्यधः ।।१३।।
13. Those blessed souls are certainly elevated who, while crossing the
ocean of life, take shelter of a genuine brahmana, who is likened unto a
boat which crosses the ocean of material existence. They are not like
passengers aboard an ordinary ship which runs the risk of sinking.
अयममृतनिधानं नायकोऽप्योषधीनाम्
अमृतमयशरीरः कान्तियुक्तोऽपि चन्द्रः ।
भवतिविगतरश्मिर्मण्डलं प्राप्य भानोः
परसदननिविष्टः को लघुत्वं न याति ।।१४।।
अमृतमयशरीरः कान्तियुक्तोऽपि चन्द्रः ।
भवतिविगतरश्मिर्मण्डलं प्राप्य भानोः
परसदननिविष्टः को लघुत्वं न याति ।।१४।।
14. The moon, who is the abode of nectar and the presiding deity of all
medicines, although immortal like amrita and resplendent in form, loses
the brilliance of his rays when he repairs to the abode of the sun (day
time). Therefore will not an ordinary man be made to feel inferior by
going to live at the house of another ?
अलिरयं नलिनीदलमध्यगः
कमलिनीमकरन्दमदालसः ।
विधिवशात्परदेशमुपागतः
कुटजपुष्परसं बहु मन्यते ।।१५।।
कमलिनीमकरन्दमदालसः ।
विधिवशात्परदेशमुपागतः
कुटजपुष्परसं बहु मन्यते ।।१५।।
15. This humble bee, who always resides among the soft petals of the
lotus and drinks abundantly its sweet nectar, is now feasting on the
flower of the ordinary kutaja. Being in a strange country where the
lotuses do not exist, he is considering the pollen of the kutaja to be
nice.
पीतः क्रुद्धेन तातश्र्चरणतलहतो वल्लभो येन रोषा
दाबाल्याद्विप्रवर्यैः स्ववदनविवरे धार्यते वैरिणी मे ।
गेहं मे छेदयन्ति प्रतिदिवसमुमाकान्तपूजानिमित्तं
तस्मात्खिन्ना सदाहं द्विजकुलनिलयं नाथ युक्तं त्यजामि ।।१६।।
दाबाल्याद्विप्रवर्यैः स्ववदनविवरे धार्यते वैरिणी मे ।
गेहं मे छेदयन्ति प्रतिदिवसमुमाकान्तपूजानिमित्तं
तस्मात्खिन्ना सदाहं द्विजकुलनिलयं नाथ युक्तं त्यजामि ।।१६।।
16. (Lord Visnu asked His spouse Lakshmi why She did not care to live in
the house of a brahmana. Then She replied), "O Lord, a rishi named
Agastya drank up My father (the ocean) in anger; Brighu Muni kicked You;
brahmanas pride themselves on their learning having sought the favour
of My competitor Sarasvati; and lastly they pluck each day the lotus
which is My abode, and therewith worship Lord Shiva. Therefore, O Lord, I
fear to dwell with a brahmanas.
17. There are many ways of binding by which one can be dominated and
controlled in this world, but the bond of affection is the strongest.
For example, take the case of the humble bee which, although expert at
piercing hardened wood, becomes caught in the embrace of its beloved
flowers (as the petals close at dusk).
18. Although sandalwood be cut, it does not forsake its natural quality
of fragrance; so also the elephant does not give up sportiveness though
he should grow old. The sugarcane does not cease to be sweet though
squeezed in a mill; so the man of noble extraction does not lose his
lofty qualities, no matter how pinched he is by poverty.
