|| चाणक्य नीति शास्त्र ||
धनहीनो न हीनश्र्च धनिकः स सुनिश्र्चयः |
विद्यारत्नेन हीनो यः स हीनः सर्ववस्तुषु ||
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. 10.1
दृष्टिपूतं न्यसेत्पादं वस्त्रपूतं पिबेज्जलम् |
शास्त्रपूतं वेदद्वाक्यः मनःपूतं समाचरेत् ||
We should carefully scrutinize 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
scriptures. And we should do that act which we have carefully
considered. 10.2
सुखार्थी चेत्यजेद्विद्यां विद्यार्थी चेत्यजेत्सुखम् |
सुखार्तिनः कुतो विद्या सुखं विद्यार्थिनः कुतः ||
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? 10.3
कवयः किं न पश्यन्ति किं न भक्ष्यन्ति वायसः |
मद्यपः किं न जल्पन्ति किं न कुर्वन्ति योषितः ||
What is it that escapes the observation of poets? What is that act which
women are incapable of doing? What will drunken people not prate? What
will not a crow eat? 10.4
रङ्कं करोति राजानं राजानं रङ्कमेव च |
धनिनं निर्धनं चैव निर्धनं धनिनं विधिः ||
धनिनं निर्धनं चैव निर्धनं धनिनं विधिः ||
Fate makes a beggar a king and a king a beggar. He makes a rich man poor and a poor man rich. 10.5
लुब्धानां याचकः शत्रुर्मुर्खानां बोधको रिपुः |
जारस्त्रिणां पतिः शत्रुश्र्चौराणां चन्द्रमा रिपुः ||
जारस्त्रिणां पतिः शत्रुश्र्चौराणां चन्द्रमा रिपुः ||
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. 10.6
येषां न विद्या न तपो न दानं
ज्ञानं न शीलं न गुणो न धर्मः |
ते मर्त्यलोके भुविभारभूता
मनुष्यरूपेण मृगश्र्चरन्ति ||
ज्ञानं न शीलं न गुणो न धर्मः |
ते मर्त्यलोके भुविभारभूता
मनुष्यरूपेण मृगश्र्चरन्ति ||
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. 10.7
अन्तः सारविहीनानामुपदेशो न जायते |
मलयाचलसंसर्गान्न वेणुश्र्चन्दनायते ||
मलयाचलसंसर्गान्न वेणुश्र्चन्दनायते ||
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. 10.8
यस्य नास्ति स्वयं प्रज्ञा शास्त्रं तस्य करोति किम् |
लोचनाभ्यां विहीनस्य दर्पणः किं करिष्यति ||
लोचनाभ्यां विहीनस्य दर्पणः किं करिष्यति ||
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? 10.9
दुर्जनं सज्जनं कर्तुमुपायो नहि भूतले |
अपानं शातघा धौतं न श्रेष्ठमिन्द्रियं भवेत् ||
अपानं शातघा धौतं न श्रेष्ठमिन्द्रियं भवेत् ||
Nothing can reform a bad man, just as the posterious cannot become a superior part of the body though washed one hundred times. 10.10
आप्तद्वेषाद्भवेन्मृत्युः परद्वेषाद्धनक्षयः |
राजद्वेषाद्भवेन्नाशो ब्रह्मद्वेषात्कुलक्षयः ||
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. 10.11
वरं वनं व्याघ्रगजेन्द्रसेवितं
दृमालयं पत्रफ़लाम्बुसेवनम् |
तृणेषु शय्या शतजीर्णवल्कलं
न बन्धुमध्ये धनहीनजीवनम् ||
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. 10.12
विप्रो वृक्षस्तस्य मूलं च संध्या
वेदः शाखा धर्मकर्माणि पत्रम् |
तस्मान्मूलं यत्नतो रक्षणीयं
छिन्ने मूले नैव शाखा न पत्रम् ||
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. 10.13
माता च कमला देवी पिता देवो जनार्दनः |
बान्धवा विष्णुभक्ताश्र्च स्वदेशो भुवनोत्रायम् ||
बान्धवा विष्णुभक्ताश्र्च स्वदेशो भुवनोत्रायम् ||
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. 10.14
एकवृक्षसमारूढा नानावर्णा विहङ्गमाः |
प्रभाते दिक्षु दशसु यान्ति का तत्र वेदना ||
प्रभाते दिक्षु दशसु यान्ति का तत्र वेदना ||
(Through the night) a great many kinds of birds sit and rest 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). 10.15
बुद्धिर्यस्य बलं तस्य निर्बुद्धेश्र्च कुतो बलम् |
वने सिंहो यदोन्मत्तः मशकेन निपातितः ||
वने सिंहो यदोन्मत्तः मशकेन निपातितः ||
He who possesses intelligence is strong; how can the man that is
unintelligent be powerful? The lion 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 Panchatantra
compiled by the pandit Vishnusharma 2500 years ago). 10.16
का चिन्ता मम जीवने यदि हरिर्विश्वम्भरो गीयते
नो चेदर्भकजीवनाय जननीस्तन्यं कथं नेर्ममे |
इत्यालोच्य मुहुर्मुहुर्यदुपते लक्ष्मीपते केवलं
त्वत्पादाम्बुजसेवनेन सततं कालो मया नीयते ||
नो चेदर्भकजीवनाय जननीस्तन्यं कथं नेर्ममे |
इत्यालोच्य मुहुर्मुहुर्यदुपते लक्ष्मीपते केवलं
त्वत्पादाम्बुजसेवनेन सततं कालो मया नीयते ||
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. 10.17
