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].”
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.”
varaṁ na rājyaṁ na kurāja-rājyaṁ
varaṁ na mitraṁ na kumitra-mitram |
varaṁ na śiṣyo na kuśiṣya-śiṣyo
varaṁ na dārā na kudāra-dāraḥ ||
(Cāṇakya-nīti-darpaṇa: 6.13)
“Better no kingdom than a kingdom with a bad king. Better no friend than a friend who is a bad friend. Better no disciple than a disciple who is a bad disciple. Better no wife than a wife who is a bad wife.”
śaile śaile na māṇikyaṁ mauktikaṁ na gaje gaje |
sādhavo na hi sarvatra candanaṁ na vane vane ||
(Cāṇakya-nīti-darśana: 2.9)
“A ruby is not on every mountain. A pearl is not on every elephant. Sādhus are not everywhere. Sandalwood is not in every forest.”
pustakasthā tu yā vidyā para-hasta-gataṁ dhanam |
kārya-kāle samutpanne na sā vidyā na tad-dhanam ||
(Cāṇakhya-nīti-darpaṇa: 16.20)
“Knowledge situated in a book is not knowledge, and wealth held in the hand of another is not wealth, when the time of need arises.”
āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca
sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām |
dharmo hi teṣām adhiko viśeṣo
dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ ||
(Hitopadeśa: Maṅgalācaraṇam, 25)
“Eating, sleeping, fearing, and mating—these on the part of humans are common with animals. Dharma is their [i.e., humans’] greater, distinguishing quality. Those who are devoid of dharma are the same as animals.”
ekākṣara-pradātāraṁ yo guruṁ nābhivandate |
śvāna-yoni-śataṁ gatvā cāṇḍāleṣv abhijāyate ||
(Cāṇakya-nīti-darpaṇa: 13.20)
“One who does not respect a guru who has taught [even] a single syllable will undergo one hundred births as a dog and then be born among cāṇḍālas.”
tyajed ekaṁ kulasyārthe grāmasyārthe kulaṁ tyajet |
grāmaṁ janapadasyārthe svātmārthe pṛthivīṁ tyajet ||
(Cāṇakya-nīti-darpaṇa: 3.10; Hitopadeśa: 1.143; Pañcatantra: 1.386)
“Give up an individual for the sake of a family. Give up a family for the sake of a village and a village for the sake of a nation. Give up [however] the earth for the sake of one’s self.”
na viśvaset kumitre ca mitre cāpi na viśvaset |
kadācit kupitaṁ mitraṁ sarvaṁ guhyaṁ prakāśayet ||
(Cāṇakya-nīti-darpaṇa: 2.6)
“Do not trust a bad friend, and do not trust even a [good] friend either. When provoked, a friend may reveal all [your] secrets.”
āture vyasane prāpte durbhikṣe śatru-saṅkaṭe |
rājā-dvāre śmaśāne ca yas tiṣṭhati sa bāndhavaḥ ||
(Cāṇākhya-nīti-darpaṇa: 1.12)
“One who stays [with you] in illness, in adversity, in famine, while surrounded by enemies, at the gate of the king, and at the crematorium, is a friend.”
