Chanakya is One of the greatest figures of wisdom and knowledge in Indian history. Chanakya is touted as the "Pioneer Economist of India". History records that Chanakya not only carved out a massive empire for his pet disciple Chandragupta but also created such an awareness in the general masses that they began to talk about a 'Rashtra' or 'Nation' instead of a 'State' or a Rajya'. Chanakya was the Chief advisor of Emperor Chandra Gupta. Chanakya was a professor at the University of Takshila (located in present-day Pakistan) and was an expert in commerce, warfare, economics, etc. His famous works include 'Chanakya Neeti', 'Arthashastra' and 'Neetishastra'. Chanakya is also known by the name of Kautilya and Vishnugupta. His famous work called Arthashastra is a classical example of statecraft and politics. It basically consists of the principles of politics and how the state works. An able ruler has to be a ruthless leader to make sure that the state works smoothly and efficiently. The legends associated with Chanakya are very interesting and provide a testimony of his greatness. Chanakya is one of those few great persons whose greatness enhances with the passage of time.
'Chanakya Niti' is, in fact, this great thinker's pithy observation to impart practical wisdom to the people of his time. But these teachings are so fundamental relevance is almost everlasting. Sometimes Chanakya even contradicts his own, earlier observations, perhaps to reveal the fundamental truth by sheer contradiction. Although Chanakya is painted as a scheming manipulator who could stoop to even the meanest level to serve his purpose.
Chanakya's brand of wisdom is ageless and immutable. Chanakya expounds his views with amazing foresight and charity. It has a large smattering of pithy observations on Women, Family Life, Friendship, Human Relationships, Moral Conduct and Spirituality. His startling prophecies, meaningful reflections on everyday living and heard-headed axioms!!
Chanakya's brand of wisdom is ageless and immutable. Chanakya expounds his views with amazing foresight and charity. It has a large smattering of pithy observations on Women, Family Life, Friendship, Human Relationships, Moral Conduct and Spirituality. His startling prophecies, meaningful reflections on everyday living and heard-headed axioms!!
Chanakya Neeti For Woman
1. To liberate himself from the clutches of this mirthless world, Man must worship God with pure devotion. To attain the pleasures of celestial life, he must adhere strictly to ethical and scriptural instructions. If this is impossible, then he must at least take care not to be captivated by womanly graces. Those who do not do any of the above, dissipate precious energy, and dawdle away their youth!
2. It is always essential to save money. A man can attract a woman, only if he has wealth. But he must never lose sight of the fact, that they are both fickle in nature. Both money and woman can deceive him at any moment!
3. A man must give particularly careful consideration to marriage, for any decision taken in haste can ruin his life forever. He must always marry into a family which enjoys an equal status in society. A girl may have no illustrious lineage, then he must not hesitate to marry her, for beauty is merely skin deep. But even if a girl is a ravishing beauty, if she belong to a unworthy family, he must not accept her as his wife!
4. A woman is believed to be more delicate than a man. But a woman is four times more brazen than a man. She also has six times his courage and eight times his strength of passion!
5. A man must show great regard for his queen, his mother in-law, and the wives of his friend and his master. Those men who form, or approach women with the intention of forming illicit relationships with them, are the most morally depraved persons. In each religion women are treated with great respect. They are the adored one!
6. The thread of love is extremely strong. Bhoinra and the capacity to cut through wood. But after entering the lotus he was unable to come out, even after attempting to piece its petals. A powerful bond of love existed between the petals and the flower. The world has seen no stronger ties than those of love!
7. When a man is deceived by the notion that a woman has fallen in love with him, he is unaware of the fact that he has become a mere puppet in her hands!
8. A woman who observes fasts without the tacit consent of her husband reduces his longevity. She is condemned to eternal hell!
9. Duplicity, abrupt displays courage, coquetry, deception, greed, profligacy and quarrelsomeness are the natural characteristics of a woman. One must not feel confounded, seeing her behave this way!
10. Only a chaste, astute, virtuous and mellifluous woman, who remains faithful to her husband, truly deserves his patronage. Such a wife is a godsend to any man. Blessed, is the man, who has found such a woman to be his wife!
11. When an exceptionally bewitching woman with perfect, chiseled features, is a bag of flesh, blood and bones after all. Yet man, maddened and intoxicated by his youth and love, drown himself in a maelstrom of endless pain and suffering!
12. What is man's greatest fascination? It is the woman. She is the hub around which his mind revolves. A man is powerfully influenced by her captivating, coquettish ways. She soon succeeds in confining him to a prison of passion and irrational behavior!
13. To abstain from a woman's enchanting ways, is the greatest virtue. "You old hag! what are you looking for? Have you lost something?" "Oh stupid man! I am looking for my lost my youth." pat came the reply from the old hag!
14. Even as a woman gets older, she continues to cling to the illusory notion that she is younger than her age. She endeavors to look as captivating as possible, in an effort to prolong her youth indefinitely!
15. Often a man is immeasurably aroused by a woman's graceful form and bewitching allure. Since man is by nature polygamous, he craves for sexual relations with a variety of women. In this mad pursuit, he becomes blind to the fact that all women are physically and sexually similar. It is not proper for a man to have carnal affairs with more than one woman!
16. Sagacious people never act upon a woman's advice women are the cause of all domestics disputes. They are also solely responsible for instigating all felonious wars and sinful deeds. This is why saintly people refrain from even viewing the reflection of a woman!
17. When the Lord of the three worlds was unsuccessful in resisting the charms of woman, than how can one denounce an ordinary human being for being deluded by her? A woman is an enchanting, alluring and gratifying sight, and she wields more power than God in enticing mankind.
18. A frivolous woman who prattles incessantly, pays a great deal of attention to the gestures of others, and constantly muses over other persons, cannot maintain her fidelity. She is bound to indulge in sexual affairs with other men.
19. Even if a woman gives away everything that has been bestowed upon her, observes various fasts, lives a life of abstinence, and visits all the places of pilgrimage, she cannot become pure of heart. But she is definitely cleansed of all sins, if she worships at the feet of her husband.
20. How can one reproach the ordinary man, when even the Gods, and eminent persons with a profound knowledge of Sanskrit, avidly seek to taste the elixir of life on a woman's lips? A woman is a truly powerful obsession.
21. A man must not copulate with his wife during her period of menstruation. Indulging in copulation during this period will decrease the duration of his life.
22. A woman in possession of desirable womanly qualities will serve a man as a mother in the hours of dawn, and be as affectionate as a sister during the day. As the day turns into night, she metamorphosis into the perfect mistress to please him sexually. Such a woman will satisfy her husbands needs completely, and she will gain his trust. It is immaterial whether she is captivating or ugly, for she has the power to control her husband in all possible ways.
23. A frivolous woman who prattles incessantly, pays a great deal of attention to the gestures of others, and constantly muses over other persons, cannot maintain her fidelity. She is bond to indulge in sexual affairs with other men.
24. Even if a women gives away everything that has been bestowed upon her, observes various fasts, lives a life of abstinence, and visits all the places of pilgrimage, she cannot become pure of heart. But she is definitely cleansed of all sins, if she worships at the feet of her husband.
25. How can one reproach the ordinary man, when even the Gods, and eminent persons with a profound knowledge of Sanskrit, avidly seek to taste the elixir of life on a woman's lips?. A woman is a truly powerful obsession.
26. Why has a man merely to behold a woman's graceful form and winsome charm, to have his passion ignited? Women are intrinsically similar, and there is little variation, even in the sexual satisfaction that man derives from them.
27. A woman is by nature her courageous deceitful, foolish, greedy, impious and cruel. These are the innate attributes of a woman.
28. A man must not copulate with his wife during her period of menstruation. Indulging in copulation during this period will decrease the duration of his life.
29. Staying close to the king, fire, the Guru and woman yield disastrous result but staying far away from them do not produce any good result either. So we must chose the mean position, i.e. we shouldn't be very far off from or very near to them. [Proximity with the king might give some occasional benefit but the situation would expose one to the royal wrath consequence might be disastrous. The same is true with fire, woman and the Guru.]
30. (True) woman wife is she who is pious and deft (in her work), who is faithful to her husband, who loves her husband and who is truthful to her husband. [ Chanakya lists five qualities for an ideal wife: she ought to be pious, deft, faithful, loving and truthful to her husband.]
31. (In comparison to a man) A woman has double of appetite, four times more shyness, six times more courage and eight times more the sexual desire.
32. Women have a knack of talking to one man, casting an askew glance at other and loving secretly a third man. They can't devotedly love just one man.
33. A wise-man shouldn't hesitate marrying an un beautiful girl. If she happens to be belonging to a reputed, good family. But even if a girl be extremely beautiful, the wiser-man shouldn't marry her if she be from a lowly, ill-reputed family, for matrimonial alliance is best established between the families of equal status.
34. The same object-the body of a woman-may be viewed differently by three different persons. The lecher sees it as the source of sexual gratification, the Yogi (A person who practices yoga, and is considered to have reached an advanced spiritual state)) as a filthy, foul smelling corpse and the dogs as luscious meat. Chanakya says that the viewed object creates different impressions in different observers according to their basic nature. It all depends on how one looks at it. The lecher, ever intent upon having his sexual lust gratified looks at a woman's body, through dead with sexually starved eyes. The Yogi, ever searching for dead would look at it as an object helping him in consummating his worship and a dog, ever-hungry for meat, looks at it as a luscious food. [Chanakya subtly hints that the value of the viewed object, like beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.]
35. Even the wise suffer grief by preaching a dunce pupil, supporting a vile woman and associating themselves with the melancholic persons. [Instructing a dunce is a futile effort, for he has no capacity to assimilate whatever he is taught. Supporting a vile woman means creating a danger for the entire society. Association with the melancholic people is infectious as it would cause sadness in the person who even tries to console them. Of course, one may sympathize with them but association with them is imprudent.]
36. Wicked wife, roguish friend, imprudent servant and stay in a snake infested house cause death. There is no doubt about it. [Since all the condition are self evident, they do not need separate explanations.]
37. Rivers, weapon-weilders (having weapon in their hands), animals (beasts) with horn and paws, women and the members of the royal family should never be taken for granted. [One should never attempt to cross the river without assessing its depth and width, its current strength, etc. Similarly those having weapon in their hand should never be taken for granted, for even the slightest suggestion of the provocation is enough to make them use their weapon. He has no preparation to make, the weapon is already in his hand. The same is true with the animals with horn and paws-a little carelessness are fickle by their nature; hence one can't be sure about their behavior. Those who take these for granted suffer the adverse consequences.]
38. The servant is tested when he is sent on an important mission, the kith and kin are tested in one's own distress, a friend at the hour of need or emergency and the wife when one one's wealth.
39. The excessive beauty caused Sita to be eloped, the excessive arrogance caused Ravan's slaughter and excessive charitable disposition cause the king Bali to be duped. Hence excess is band everywhere. [First two references are quite well known. The king Bali was the famous demon king who was deceived by Lord Vishnu himself in the vaman form. Chanakya says even the good qualities becomes bad in excessive measure let alone the bad ones. Excess of everything is bad.]
40. It is better not to have a king than have a king who is tyrant; not to have a friend than have a wicked friend; not to have a wife than have an unfaithful wife. [A tyrant king, a wicked friend, a bad disciple and an unfaithful wife should not be acceptable, it is better to go without them, for in such cases their absence ensures more peace and happiness than their presence.]
41. A woman staying in other's house cannot maintain her chastity and the firmness of her character for long and soon she will have to compromise.
42. A man, recklessly spend-thrift, shelter-less, cantankerous, coveting for women of every caste indiscriminately soon perish. [Obviously such a man has no chance of faring in any different manner!]
43. Women don't have worldly wisdom and moral ethics.
44. Shyness is the jewel of women.
45. Never increase intimacy with a woman who works in a royal palace.
46. Never have sex with women other than yours.
47. Redemption can not be achieved if one falls in love w ith women.
48. Women are the roots of all evils.
49. Women are fickled minded.
50. The foolish man who under the infatuation believes that a particular beautiful woman has fallen for him verily dances to her tune as though he is her plaything!
