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.”
sarva-dravyeṣu vidyaiva dravyam āhur anuttamam |
ahāryatvād anarghatvād akṣayatvāc ca sarvadā ||
(Hitopadeśa: Maṅgalācaraṇa, 4)
“Among all objects, knowledge alone is said to be the superlative object because of [its] always being inexhaustible, invaluable, and non-stealable.”
jāḍyaṁ hrīmati gaṇyate vrata-rucau dambhaḥ śucau kaitavaṁ
śūre nirghṛṇatā munau vimatitā dainyaṁ priyālāpini |
tejasviny avaliptatā mukharatā vaktary aśaktiḥ sthire
tat ko nāma guṇo bhavet sa guṇināṁ yo durjanair nāṅkitaḥ ||
(Nīti-śatakam: 54)
“They [i.e., those prone to fault-finding] ascribe folly to the modest,
Pretension to those who have affinity for rites,
Deceit to the honest,
Cruelty to the brave,
Stupidity to the sagacious,
Poverty to those of pleasing speech,
Arrogance to the powerful,
Garrulity to the eloquent,
And inability to the steadfast.
Is there any virtue in a virtuous person which shall not be maligned by the wicked?”
pradīpaḥ sarva-vidyānām upāyaḥ sarva-karmaṇām |
āśrayaḥ sarva-dharmānāṁ vidyoddeśe prakīrtitā ||
(Vātsyāyana’s Nyāya-bhāṣya on Gautama’s Nyāya-sūtra: 1.1.1)
“Ānvīkṣikī [i.e., logic (nyāya)] is stated in the enumeration of sciences [i.e., fields of knowledge] to be the lamp of all sciences (vidyās), the means for [accomplishing] all karmas, and the basis of all dharmas.”
yasyāsti vittaṁ sa naraḥ kulīnaḥ
sa paṇḍitaḥ sa śrutavān guṇajñaḥ |
sa eva vaktā sa ca darśanīyaḥ
sarve guṇāḥ kāñcanam āśrayanti ||
(Nīti-śatakam: 1.41)
“One who has wealth is noble person.
He is wise.
He is learned and expert.
He is eloquent, and he is handsome.
All qualities take shelter in gold [i.e., wealth].”
sarpaḥ krūraḥ khalaḥ krūraḥ sarpāt krūrataraḥ khalaḥ |
mantraoṣadhi-vaśaḥ sarpaḥ khalaḥ kena nivāryate ||
(Cāṇakya-nīti)
“A snake is cruel, and the wicked are cruel. The wicked [however] are even more cruel than a snake. A snake can be controlled by mantras and medicinal herbs, but how are the wicked subdued? [i.e., They cannot be subdued by anything].”
ādeyasya pradeyasya kartavyasya ca karmaṇaḥ |
kṣipram akriyamāṇasya kālaḥ pibati tad-rasam ||
(Hitopadeśa: Sandhi, 101)
“That which is to be accepted, that which is to be given, and actions that are to be performed but which are not attended to quickly—time drinks away their essence.”
vācyaṁ śraddhā-sametasya pṛcchateś ca viśeṣataḥ |
proktaṁ śraddhā-vihīnasya araṇya-ruditopamam ||
(Pañcatantra: 1.424)
“Advice should be given to one who has trust [in you] and who has asked in particular [for it]. Speaking to someone who has no trust is like crying in the forest [i.e., it is futile].”
upadeśo na dātavyo yādṛśe tādṛśe nare |
(Pañcatantra: 1.421)
“Advice should not be given to any sort of person [i.e., it should not be given to anyone indiscriminately without consideration regarding what is suitable for that person in particular].”
svabhāvo nopadeśena śakyate kartum anyathā |
sutaptam api pānīyaṁ punar gacchati śītalam ||
yadi syac chītalo vahniḥ śītāṁśur dahanātmakaḥ |
na svabhāvo’tra martyānāṁ śakyate kartum anyathā ||
(Hitopadeśa: Mitra-bheda, 280–281)
“The svabhāva cannot be changed by instructions. Although [it may be made] very hot [for a certain period of time], water again [inevitably] goes cold. [Even] If fire were to become cold, and the moon [lit. ‘that which has cool rays’] were to become fiery, [still] the svabhāvas of mortal beings in this world could not be changed.”
