Chanakya

Chanakya (4th Century BC) is the more popular name of Kautilya or Vishnugupt, the mentor, counselor, and later prime minister of Chandragupta Maurya. He is known for his unscrupulousness. He wrote a treaties on statecraft called Arthasastra, ie the Science of Statecraft, the only work which is attributed to him. This political thinker of the ancient India was a seasoned politician, who successfully manoeuvred the politics of the time and brought Chandragupta in power. He practised a tactics which is known as "Chanakya Niti". This very much tactics resemble the tactics of Machiavelli several centuries later, which is now popularly known as Machiavellian tactics.

Wisdom & Quotes

* The king's pious vow is readiness in action,
His sacrifice, the discharge of his duty.
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In the happiness of his subject lies the king's happiness,
In the welfare of his subjects, his welfare,
The King's good is not that which pleases him,
But that which pleases his subject.

Therefore, the king should be ever active,
And should strive for prosperity,
For prosperity depends on effort,
And failure on the reverse.
- Arthashastra

• Just as it is impossible to know when a swimming fish is drinking water, so it is impossible to find out when a government servant is stealing money.

- Arthshastra

• Every neighbouring state is an enemy and the enemy’s enemy is a friend.

- Arthshastra

• Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.

- Arthshastra

• Dharma is law in its widest sense—spiritual, moral, ethical and temporal. Every individual, whether the ruler or the ruled, is governed by his or her own dharma. To the extent that society respected dharma, society protected itself; to the extent society offended it, society undermined.

- Arthshastra

• Don't judge the future of a person based on their present condition, because time has the power to change black coal into a shiny diamond.

- Arthshastra

• A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and honest people are screwed first.

- Arthshastra

• Till the enemy's weakness is known, he should be kept on friendly terms.

- Arthshastra

• The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the small child, the dog owned by other people, and the fool: these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep.

- Arthshastra

• Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, comes of Her own accord where fools are not respected, grain is well stored up, and the husband and wife do not quarrel.

- Arthshastra

• There is no disease so destructive as lust.

- Arthshastra

• The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, time and ability.

- Arthshastra

• The arrow shot by the archer may or may not kill a single person. But stratagems devised by wise men can kill even babes in the womb.
• We should not fret for what is past, nor should we be anxious about the future; men of discernment deal only with the present moment.
• Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth.
• The life of an uneducated man is as useless as the tail of a dog which neither covers it’s rear end, nor protects it from the bites of insects.
• Do not reveal what you have thought upon doing, but by wise council keep it secret being determined to carry it into execution.
• Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness.
• God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple.
• Righteousness is the root of happiness.
• The contented have no fear of death.
• The wicked have no friends.

Aristippus