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All types of riches should be amassed by all means.

Chanakya

It is better to die than to preserve this life by incurring disgrace. The loss of life causes but a moment’s grief, but disgrace brings grief every day of one’s life.
CHANAKYA

Better Death Grace Grief Life Loss Moments Oneself Pain Respect
Virtuous persons and fruit-laden trees bow, but fools and dry sticks break because they do not bend.
CHANAKYA

Break Fools Fruit Person Stupidity Tree Virtual
Enemies strike at weak points.
CHANAKYA

Attack Enemy One Liner Weakness
Do not put your trust in rivers, men who carry weapons, beasts with claws or horns, women, and members of a royal family.
CHANAKYA

Animal Carry Family Man River Royal Trust Weapon Woman
If a king is energetic, his subjects will be equally energetic.
CHANAKYA

Affect Energy King Subject
One’s weakness should not ever be revealed.
CHANAKYA

Oneself Reveal Weakness
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.
CHANAKYA

Animal Children Dog Fools King People Sleep
The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction.
CHANAKYA

Character Direction Flower Fragrance Goodness Person Wind
Purity of speech, of the mind, of the senses, and of a compassionate heart are needed by one who desires to rise to the divine platform.
CHANAKYA

Compassionate Divine Heart Mindset Need Purity Rise Talk
A wise man should marry a virgin of a respectable family even if she is deformed. He should not marry one of a low-class family, through beauty. Marriage in a family of equal status is preferable.
CHANAKYA

Beautiful Choice Equality Family Man Marriage Respect Status Wisdom
The low minded are fond of deception the nature of low-minded people never changes.
CHANAKYA

Change Mindset Nature People Standard
A man is great by deeds, not by birth.
CHANAKYA

Action Born Greatness Man
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

Question Reason Satisfaction Start Success Thinking Work Yourself
Low class men desire wealth;middle class men both wealth and respect; but the noble, honour only; hence honour is the noble man’s true wealth.
CHANAKYA

Desire Difference Man Noble Respect Standard True Wealth Worth
As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it.
CHANAKYA

Attack Courage Destroy Fear Fight
A still-born son is superior to a foolish son endowed with a long life. The first causes grief for but a moment while the latter like a blazing fire consumes his parents in grief for life.
CHANAKYA

Born Consumption Fire Fools Grief Life Moments Parents Son
Knowledge is lost without putting it into practice; a man is lost due to ignorance; an army is lost without a commander; and a woman is lost without a husband.
CHANAKYA

Army Husband Ignorance Knowledge Leadership Lost Man Practice Woman
Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.
CHANAKYA

Difficult Fortune Friendship Judgement Relationship Servant Service Trouble Wife
The poor wish for wealth; animals for the faculty of speech; men wish for heaven; and godly persons for liberation.
CHANAKYA

Animal God Heaven Liberty Man Person Wealth
What good can the scriptures do to a man who has no sense of his own? Of what use is as mirror to a blind man?
CHANAKYA

Goodness Man Scripture Waste
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

Attachment Deep Experience Family Fear Grief Happiness Oneself Sorrow Wisdom
A wicked wife, a false friend, a saucy servant and living in a house with a serpent in it are nothing but death.
CHANAKYA

Animal Death Fake Friendship Live Servant Wife
Time perfects all living beings as well as kills them; it alone is awake when all others are asleep. Time is insurmountable.
CHANAKYA

Alone Kill Perfection Sleep Time
Those born blind cannot see; similarly blind are those in the grip of lust. Proud men have no perception of evil; and those bent on acquiring riches see no sin in their actions.
CHANAKYA

Action Born Control Evil Lust Man Proud Rich See Sin
The learned are envied by the foolish; rich men by the poor; chaste women by adulteresses; and beautiful ladies by ugly ones.
CHANAKYA

Adult Beautiful Fools Jealous Learning Ugly Woman
It is better to live under a tree in a jungle inhabited by tigers and elephants, to maintain oneself in such a place with ripe fruits and spring water, to lie down on grass and to wear the ragged barks of trees than to live amongst one’s relations when reduced to poverty.
CHANAKYA

Better Choice Live Nature Oneself Place Poor Poverty Relationship Tree Water
A person becomes great not be sitting on some high seat, but through higher qualities. Can a crow become an eagle by simply sitting on the top of a palatial building?
CHANAKYA

Animal Greatness Person Quality Simplicity Standard

All types of riches should be amassed by all means.

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All types of riches should be amassed by all means.

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