Lessons from Chanakya: Part II

Chanakya/kautilya/Vishnu Sharma/Vishnugupta has many pearls of wisdom relevant even after 2200 yrs. Some are given below... This is two part series. Read Part I here.

• In a state where the ruler lives like a common man, the citizens live like kings do. And in the state where the ruler lives like a king, the citizens live like beggars do
• Jealousy is another name for failure
• Never go on a long journey alone
• Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness
• Once you start working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest
• One who is in search of knowledge should give up the search of pleasure and the one who is in search of pleasure should give up the search of knowledge
• The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you
• The four greatest enemies of a man are - the father who has taken a loan, the characterless mother, the beautiful but promiscuous wife and the stupid child
• The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all directions
• The world's biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman
• There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth
• A woman is four times as shy, six times as brave and eight times as lusty as a man
• An egoist can be won over by being respected, a crazy person can be won over by allowing him to behave in an insane manner and a wise person can be won over by truth
• As centesimal droppings will fill a pot so also are knowledge, virtue and wealth gradually obtained
• As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it
• Avoid him who talks sweetly before you but tries to ruin you behind your back, for he is like a pitcher of poison with milk on top