CHANAKYA was undoubtedly ancient India's finest Political Strategist and Thinker. The teaching of Chanakya are the real nourishment of life.
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, Human Relationships, Moral Conduct and Spirituality. His startling prophecies, meaningful reflections on everyday living and heard headed axioms.
1. Life is a priceless opportunity that God has granted one. Robust health is a blessing that must be fully appreciated. Before one's death,one must do something meritorious, both, for one's benefit, and for the benefit of mankind. The icy grip of Death will leave one totally paralysed and helpless. One can never control Fate!
2. Certain people hold Agni (Fire) to be the most sacred God. Others see their God in stone idols, and therefore worship them. But one who is blessed with unprejudiced vision, sees God in each particle of dust around him. Such wise men feel God's virtue, wherever they go!
3. Man is a fickle creature. All his relationships are fleeting; all earthly prosperity is transient. Life is here today, and gone tomorrow. In such an unstable world, only Truth is indestructible. Only Truth is eternal. Everything else is illusory. Let this be emblazoned on your mind. Always perform your duty, and act in accordance with the ethical principles laid down in the holy scriptures!
4. If one wishes to be emancipated and erudite, then one must acquire listening skills. Only through listening can one come upon Truth, and knowledge of the self. A listener will abandon all evil. Through listening one acquires immense power. It exerts a positive influence on one's temperament!
5. One's life is per-ordained. Whatever will be, will be. Destiny exercises powerful control over a man's intellect and behavior. His stars govern and influence his life. Nobody is liable for the course that another's life may take. It is written in the stars!
6. I can proclaim confidently that God is the preserver of life.That is why I am quiet and unruffled. The birth of a child is probably the greatest proof of God's existence. There is milk for him in his mother's breast, even before he has been placed in the haven of her arms. What a marvel! My salutations to the Lord! As long as his blessings are upon us, we can live without fear and worry!
7. If one's heart is tainted by immorality and sin, then one cannot profit from regular visits to pilgrim centers. The heart of a debauched man has no salvation. Whatever the means employed, a wine container can never be purified!
8. Gossiping during a meal is strictly forbidden. It is virtuous to maintain silence while eating. If, for an entire year, one observes silence during mealtimes, one will attain longevity and eternal bliss!
9. The human body is destructible. Affluence, too, is unreliable. Therefore, one should waste little time in earthly frivolities. One should perform virtuous deeds, and aim for a spiritual life, for therein lies true prosperity. A man's spiritual self will not only help him cop with earthly life, but will also guide him after death, into his next life!
10. A man can be reservoir of virtue. He may possess many sterling qualities, but the basic question is, how to utilize these qualities for optimum benefit!
11. The age, perseverance, knowledge, education, prosperity and death of a man are determined by Nature, as he lies nestled in his mother's womb. Man is a mere puppet in the hands of Fate. He dances to Destiny's nature!
12. Once a man has acquired knowledge of the self, his Ego just melts away. Subsequently to the destruction of the Ego, man transcends earthly life, and achieves oneness with the Supreme Being!
13. Life is ironical. Man's desires remain unfulfilled; his achievements remain unrealistic. Since everything is in Kamdev's (Cupid) hands, one must learn to be content with one's lot. This is the sole way to achieve happiness!
14. Man is enslaved by his five sensory organs ( eye, ear, nose, tongue and skin), and his Karmendriyas (i.e. hand, feet, mouth, penis, and anus). If a man wishes to go beyond earthly life, then he must gain full control over these senses. Once he manages to do so, he cultivates a spiritual identity that separates him from earthly life. This enables him to transcend birth and death!
15. If one has a heart which is full of compassion for one's fellow beings, then there is no need to grow one's hair and smear ash on one's body, like a Sadhu!
16. If a man is slothful, unhygienic, and profane, then Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth will most certainly forsake him!
17. The spoon that stirs the delicious food, remains unaware of its taste. Similarly, a man who goes through the Scriptures, without any apparent diligence or devotion, will never know Eternal Truth!
