svāmini guṇāntarajñe guṇavati bhṛtye’nuvartini kalaye |
suhṛdi nirantara-citte nivedya duḥkhaṁ sukhī bhavati ||
(Pañcatantra: Mitra-bheda, 110)
“By expressing one’s troubles to a master cognizant of one’s special qualities, a qualified servant, a devoted wife, or a faithful-hearted [alt., steady-minded] friend, one becomes content [i.e., one feels relief from one’s troubles].”
mūrkhā yatra na pūjyante dhānyaṁ yatra susañcitam |
dāmpatyo kalahaṁ nāsti tatra śrīḥ svayam āgataḥ ||
(Cāṇakya-nīti: 3.12)
“Where fools are not worshiped [i.e., given power, regarded as role-models, etc.],
Where grain is well-stored,
And where there is no quarrel in marital relationships,
There Śrī [i.e., Lakṣmī, prosperity] comes of her own accord.”
tyaja durjana-saṁsargaṁ bhaja sādhu-samāgamam |
kuru puṇyam aho rātraṁ smara nityam anityatām ||
(Cāṇakhya-nīti-darpaṇam: 14.20)
“Abandon the association of wicked persons.
Honor the association of virtuous persons.
Perform meritorious action day and night.
And always remember the impermanence
[of everything of the world].”
na hṛṣyaty ātma-sammāne nāvamānena tapyate |
gāṅgo hrada ivākṣobhyo yaḥ sa paṇḍita ucyate ||
(Mahābhārata: Udyoga-parva, Vidura-nīti, 27)
“One who does not delight in praise of oneself, is not troubled by dishonor, and is imperturbable like a lagoon on the Gaṅgā is said to be a wise person (paṇḍita).”
yathā hy ekena cakreṇa na rathasya gatir bhavet |
tathā puruṣakāreṇa vinā daivaṁ na siddhyati ||
(Hitopadeśa: Maṅgalācaraṇa, 30)
“As no movement shall occur of a chariot with only one wheel, so destiny does not accomplish anything without a person’s endeavor.”
udyamena hi sidhyanti kāryāṇi na manorathaiḥ |
na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ ||
(Hitopadeśa: Maṅgalācaraṇa, 36; Pañcatantra: Mitra-samprāpti)
“Tasks are accomplished verily by industriousness, and not just by desires. Animals do not enter the mouth of a sleeping lion.”
kāka-tāIīyavat prāptaṁ dṛṣṭvāpi nidhim agrataḥ |
na svayaṁ daivam ādatte puruṣārtham apekṣate ||
(Hitopadeśa: Maṅgalācaraṇa, 35)
“Destiny itself does not grant [one possession of] a jewel even after it has been seen present in the fore like the palm and the crow [i.e., by chance]. A person’s effort is [also] required [for one to obtain it].”
gatānugatiko lokaḥ kuṭṭanīm upadeśinīm |
pramāṇayati no dharme yathā goghnam api dvijam ||
(Hitopadeśa: Mitra-lābha, 10)
“People, who are imitative [lit., ‘goers after that which has gone,’ i.e., just followers of what those before them have done], do not accept an advising procuress [i.e., a procuress who gives good advice] as a source of knowledge in regard to dharma as they do even a cow-killing twice-born [i.e., a highly sinful brāhmaṇa who severely transgresses the dharma or behaves in a way that clearly demonstrates he is ignorant of it].”
kva kasya karma saṁvīkṣya karoty anyo’pi garhitam |
gatānugatiko loko na lokaḥ pāramārthikaḥ ||
(Pañcatantra: 373)
“After observing the contemptible act of someone somewhere, another also does it. People are imitative [lit., they just follow, that is, blindly copy, those who have gone before them]. People are not seekers of a higher object [alt., the ultimate attainment, i.e., they do not really care for virtue, truth, ideals, or a spiritual end].”
yathā caturbhiḥ kanakaṁ parīkṣyate
nigharṣaṇa-cchedana-tāpa-tāḍanaiḥ |
tathā caturbhiḥ puruṣaḥ parīkṣyate
tyāgena śīlena guṇena karmaṇā ||
(Cāṇakya-nīti-darpaṇa)
“As gold is to be examined in four ways—by rubbing, cutting, heating, and hitting, so a person is to be examined in four respects: renunciation, character, qualities, and actions.”
