ଚାଣକ୍ଯ ନୀତି - ସପ୍ତଦଶୋଽଧ୍ଯାଯଃ

Knowledge acquired solely from books without the guidance of a teacher does not shine in an assembly, much like a woman who carries the child of a lover (born out of wedlock) cannot maintain her dignity in public.

One should return a favor with a favor and a hostile act with a hostile act; there is no sin in behaving wickedly toward the wicked.

Whatever is distant, difficult to propitiate, or seemingly unreachable, can all be attained through penance, for there is nothing that cannot be overcome by ascetic discipline.

If one has greed, what is the need for other vices? If one has a malicious nature, what is the need for other sins? If one is truthful, what is the need for penance? If the mind is pure, what is the need for holy pilgrimages? If one has good character, what is the need for other virtues? If one has innate greatness, what is the need for ornaments? If one possesses true knowledge, what is the need for wealth? And if one has earned infamy, what is the need for death?

Even though the conch shell has the ocean as its father and the Goddess of Wealth (Lakshmi) as its sister, it is still forced to beg for its sustenance, proving that what was not given in one’s destiny cannot be obtained.

One who is weak behaves as a saint, a poor man acts as a celibate, a sick person turns into a devotee of God, and an old woman remains devoted to her husband.

There is no charity equal to the gift of food and water; there is no day as auspicious as the twelfth day (Dwadashi); there is no mantra superior to the Gayatri; and there is no deity greater than one's own mother.

The poison of a serpent lies in its fangs, the poison of a fly lies in its head, and the poison of a scorpion lies in its tail; but a wicked person is poisonous in their entire being.

A woman who observes fasts and religious vows without the permission of her husband diminishes his lifespan and herself goes to hell.

A woman is not purified by charity, nor by hundreds of fasts, nor by visiting holy places, as much as she is by the water used to wash the feet of her husband.

Water that is left over after washing one's feet, water left over after being drunk by another, or water left over after performing sandhya prayers is considered as impure as the urine of a dog; consuming such water necessitates the performance of the Chandrayana penance for purification.

The hand is adorned by charity, not by bracelets; the body is purified by bathing, not by smearing sandalwood paste; one finds contentment through receiving respect, not merely through eating; and one attains liberation through wisdom, not by shaving the head.

If a man gets a haircut at a barber's house, applies sandalwood paste on a stone, and views his reflection in water, he possesses such grace and discipline that he could diminish even the grandeur of Indra.

A child’s prattle immediately steals away one's intelligence, while the herb Vacha immediately enhances it; a woman immediately drains one's physical strength, while milk immediately restores it.

In the hearts of virtuous people who are ever wakeful to the needs of others, calamities are destroyed, and prosperity follows them at every step.

If one has a devoted wife, abundant wealth, and a son endowed with humility and virtues, and that son in turn has his own children, then what more is left to be desired even in the celestial city of the gods?

Eating, sleeping, fearing, and mating are common to both humans and animals. Wisdom is the special quality that distinguishes humans; those who are devoid of wisdom are no different from animals.

If a great elephant, blinded by its own ego, drives away the honey-bees seeking nectar with the flapping of its ears, it is only the elephant that suffers the loss of the adornment of its own cheeks, for the bees will simply move on to reside in a forest of blooming lotuses.

A king, a prostitute, the god of death, fire, a thief, a child, a beggar, and the village headman—these eight do not care for or understand the suffering of others.

O young maiden, why do you look down at the ground? What have you dropped there? O fool, do you not realize that your youth, which is like a precious pearl, has slipped away and is lost forever?

O Ketaki flower, even though you are the abode of snakes, deformed, thorny, crooked, born in mud, and difficult to approach, you are still dear to all beings because of your fragrance. Verily, a single virtue annihilates all faults.