Chanakya

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

Do not be very upright in your dealings for you would see by going to the forest that straight trees are cut down while crooked ones are left standing.

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

Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.

O wise man! Give your wealth only to the worthy and never to others. The water of the sea received by the clouds is always sweet.

Do not reveal what you have thought upon doing, but by wise council keep it secret being determined to carry it into execution.

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.

There is poison in the fang of the serpent, in the mouth of the fly and in the sting of a scorpion; but the wicked man is saturated with it.

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.

The one excellent thing that can be learned from a lion is that whatever a man intends doing should be done by him with a whole-hearted and strenuous effort.

Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person.

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.

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.

Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous.

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

The biggest guru-mantra is: never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you.

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.

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

He who lives in our mind is near though he may actually be far away; but he who is not in our heart is far though he may really be nearby.

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.