Chanakya

Chanakya

23 quotes

Chanakya, a Semi-legendary adviser of Chandragupta Maurya, combined accomplishment with the ability to express hard-won truths in unforgettable language. Whether reflecting on Happiness or Good, Chanakya brought uncommon clarity to every subject. 38 of Chanakya's sharpest quotes live here, spanning themes of Happiness, Good, Fear, Work, and Truth. Readers often gravitate to this one: "If one has a good disposition, what other virtue is needed? If a man has fame, what is the value of other ornamentation?"

“Once you start a working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.”

— Chanakya

Failure

All Quotes by Chanakya

“There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth.”

— Chanakya

Friendship

“One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth is in the possession of others, can use neither his knowledge nor wealth when the need for them arises.”

— Chanakya

Knowledge

“If one has a good disposition, what other virtue is needed? If a man has fame, what is the value of other ornamentation?”

— Chanakya

Good

“The world's biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman.”

— Chanakya

Beauty

“The life of an uneducated man is as useless as the tail of a dog which neither covers its rear end, nor protects it from the bites of insects.”

— Chanakya

Life

“Once you start a working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.”

— Chanakya

Failure

“A man is born alone and dies alone and he experiences the good and bad consequences of his karma alone and he goes alone to hell or the Supreme abode.”

— Chanakya

Alone

“The happiness and peace attained by those satisfied by the nectar of spiritual tranquillity is not attained by greedy persons restlessly moving here and there.”

— Chanakya

Happiness

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

— Chanakya

Knowledge

“As a single withered tree, if set aflame, causes a whole forest to burn, so does a rascal son destroy a whole family.”

— Chanakya

Family

“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.”

— Chanakya

Fear

“Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness.”

— Chanakya

Friendship

“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.”

— Chanakya

Work

“The earth is supported by the power of truth it is the power of truth that makes the sun shine and the winds blow indeed all things rest upon truth.”

— Chanakya

Power

“A good wife is one who serves her husband in the morning like a mother does, loves him in the day like a sister does and pleases him like a prostitute in the night.”

— Chanakya

Good

“A man is great by deeds, not by birth.”

— Chanakya

Great

“Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends.”

— Chanakya

Best

“As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it.”

— Chanakya

Fear

“Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth.”

— Chanakya

Beauty

“He who is overly attached to his family members experiences fear and sorrow, for the root of all grief is attachment. Thus one should discard attachment to be happy.”

— Chanakya

Family