Chanakya Neeti slokas are useful slokas composed by Chanakya (Kautalya), for our day-to-day

life and environment. These slokas give us very valuable insight into society and political life.
Even today these slokas have exactly the same value and meaning in our life as it was more
than 2000 years back.

vidvata.n cha nRRipata.n cha naiva tulya.n kadaachana

svadeshe puujyate raajaa vidvaan sarvatra puujyate

Scholar and king are never comparable. King is worshipped in his country, but scholar is
worshipped everywhere.

....... .......

paaNDite cha guNaaH sarve muurkhe doShaa hi kevalam

tasmaanmuurkhasahasreShu praadnyaa eko vishiShyate

Noble people have all good qualities and fools have only bad qualities. So, people respect only
one noble person instead of a thousand fools.

....... .......

maatRRivatparadaareShu paradraveShu loShtravat

aatmavatsarvabhuuteShu yaH pashyati saH paNDitaH

He who looks at other's wife as mother, treats others' wealth as stone, and treats everyone as
himself, is really noble.

....... .......

: -

chalaa lakshmiishchalaaH praaNaashchala.n jiivita-yauvanam

chalaachale cha sa.nsaare dharma eko hi nishchalaH

Wealth comes and goes, life and youth goes from the living, in this world of coming and going,
'dharma' alone is firm.

....... .......

varameko guNii putro na cha muurkhashaataanyapi

ekashchandrastamo hanti na cha taaragaNo.apicha

One good and noble son is better than a hundred fool sons. Only one moon lights the sky,
where as thousand stars do not. Similarly one noble son brings fame and respect to family than
hundred fools.

....... .......

duurataH shobhate muurkho lambashaaTapaTaavRRitaH

taavachcha shobhate muurkho yaavatkiJNchinna bhaaShate

Wearing expensive dresses a fool looks like a scholar from a distance. But, when he opens his
mouth his ignorance comes out.

....... .......

utsave vyasane chaiva durbhikshe raaShTraviplave

raajadvaare shmashaane yatiShThati cha sa vaandhavaH

He who stands with, in good times, bad times, draught, riot, war, king's court and after death;
is a real friend.

....... .......

parokshe kaaryahantaara.n pratakshe priyavaadinam

varjayettaadRRisha.n mitra.n viShakumbha.n payomukham

The friend who talks sweet in front and does harm in the back, such friend must be left just like
a pot of poison with cream of milk on top.
....... .......

jaaniiyaat preShaNe bhRRityaan vaandhavaan vyasanaagame

mitra.n chaapadi kaale bhaarya.n cha vibhavakshNe

Revealed is truth of servant's loyality in time of work, friend's friendship in time of danger and
bad time and wife's love in time of loss of wealth.

....... .......

durjanaH priyavaadii cha naiva vishvaakaaraNam

madhu tiShThati jihvaagre hRRidaye tu halaahalam

An evil person must never be trusted even if talks sweet. Because an evil person has sweet on
tounge, but has a heart filled with poision.

....... .......

sarpah kruuraH khalaH kruuraH sarpaat kruurataraH khalaH

mantrauShadhivashaH sarpaH khalaH kena nivaaryate

Snake is cruel and an evil person is also cruel, but an evil person is more cruel than a snake.
Snake can be controlled by mantra and medicine, but how can an evil person be controlled?

....... .......

hastii hastasahasreNa shatahastena vaajinaH

shRRiN^giNo dashahastena sthaanatyaagena durjanaH

A distance of a thousand hands in case of elephant, hundred hands for a horse, and ten hands
for a cattle should be maintained. But, in case of an evil person one must leave the place.

....... .......


hastii a.mkushamaatreNa vaaji hastena taaDayate

shruN^gii laguDahastena khaDgahastena durjanaH

An elephant is controlled with a goud, a horse by beating with hand, a cattle with a stick, and
an evil person with a sword strike.

....... .......

:
: :

adhanaa dhanamichchhanti vaacha.n chaiva chatuShpadaaH

maanavaaH svargamichchhanti mokshamichchhanti devataaH

Poor people desire wealth, power of speech animals wish for, humans desire heaven, Gods
wish for 'mokshya'.

....... .......

arthanaasha.n manastaapa.n gRRihe dushcharitaani cha

vaJNchana.n chaapamaana.n cha matimaan na prakaashyet

Wise people do not talk about - loss of wealth, sadness in heart, family scandal, getting
cheated, and insult.

....... .......

dhanikaH shrotriyo raaja nadii vaidyastu paJNcjamaH

paJNcha yatranavidyante tatra vaasa.n na kaarayet

Wealthy people, scholars, king, river and doctor; where these five are not there, one should
not live in that place.

....... .......

yasmin deshe na sammaana.n na priitirna cha vaandhavaaH
na cha vidyaagamaH kashchit ta.n desha.n pairovarjjayet

The country where people do not have respect or friends or love and where there are no
scholars; one should leave that country.

....... .......

manasaa chintita.n karma vachasaa na prakaashayet

anyalakshitakaaryasya yataH siddhirna jaayate

One should not reveal work that has been planned in mind. Because if others know about the
plan they will try to create problems in that.

....... .......

bRRithaa bRRiShTiH samudreShu bRRithaa tRRipteShu bhojanam

bRRithaa daana.n dhanaaDheShu bRRithaa diipo divaa.api cha

Rain over ocean is meaningless, meaningless is feeding a well fed person, charity to a rich
person is meaningless, meaningless is lighting lamp in daylight.

....... .......

duShTaa bhaaryaa shaTha.n mitra.n bhRRityashchottaradaayakaH

sasarpe cha gRRihe vaaso mRRityureva na sa.nshayaH

The perosn who has a bad wife, a betrayer as a friend, a servant who answers, and a snake in
house; undoubtly will die before time.

....... .......

RRiNasheShashchaagnisheSho vyaadhisheShastathaiva cha

punashcha varddhate yasmaattasmaachchheSha.n na rakshayet

Loan should be completely paid back, fire should be removed completely, and root of illness
should be completely removed. Otherwise these three again grow up.

....... .......

naa.asti meghasama.n toya.n naa.asti chaatmasama.n balam

naa.asti chakshuHsams.n tejo naa.asti dhaanyasama.n priyam

No drink is better than rain water, no power is equal to will power, no light is brighter that
vision of eyes, no wealth is more satisfying than food.

....... .......

kokilaanaa.n svaro ruupa.n naariiruupa.n pativrataa

vidyaaruupa.n kuruupaaNaa.n khsamaaruupa.n tapasviinaam

Cookoo's beauty is her voice, wife's beauty is her husband, knowledge is the beauty of ugly
looking people and forgiveness is beauty of noble people. In other words external beauty is not
the real beauty; inner beauty is the real beauty.

....... .......

ashochyaH nirddhanaH praadnyo.ashochyaH paNDitavaandhavaH

ashochyaa vidhavaa naarii putrapautrapratiShThitaa

Wise person does not regret even if he is poor, there is no reason to regret if friend is a wise
one, a widow has no reason to regret if she has sons and grandsons. Because these people will
alwyas live in happiness.

....... .......

atidarpe hataa laN^kaa atimaane cha kauravaaH

atidaane valirbaddhaH sarvamatyantagarhitam

Lanka was destroyed because of too much pride of Ravana; Kaurabas were destroyed due to
too much pride; Bali was bound because of too much giving; too much of everything is bad.

....... .......

satyena dhaaryate pRRithivi satyena tapate ravi

satyena vaati vaayushcha sarva.n satye pratiShThitam

By truth is held earth in its place, by truth is sun shining, by truth is air blown, everything is
held by truth.

....... .......

daaridryanaasanan daanan shilan durgatinaashanam

adnyaananaashini pradnyaa bhaavana bhayanaashiini

Charity destroys poverty, good behavior destroys trouble, intelligence removes ignorance,
worshipping God removes fear.

....... .......

janmamRRityu hi yatyeko bhuvanaktyekaH shubhaa.ashubham

narakeShu patatyeka eko yaati paraa.n gatim

A person comes to this world alone, he gets rewarded for good deeds alone, he alone gets
punished for his wrong doings, and he departs this world all alone.

....... .......

bitena rakshyate dharmo vidhyaa yogena rakshyate

mRRitunaa bhuupaH sastriiyaa rakshyate gRRiham
'Dharma' is protected by money, education by practice, king is protected by politeness, home
by good women.

....... .......

vidyaa mitra.n pravaseShu bhaaryaa mitra.n gRRiheShu cha

vyaadhitasyauShadha.n mitra.n dharmo mitra.n mRRitasya cha

Knowledge is a person's friend in foreign land, at home wife is the best friend, medicine is a
sick person's friend, 'dharma' is the only friend after death.

....... .......

durllabha.n prakRRita.n durllabhaH kshemakRRit sutaH

durllabhaa sadRRishii bhaaryaa durllabhaH svajanapriyaH

Rare is truth and loving words, rare is a noble and respecting son, rare is a wife with same
characters as self, and rare is a well wishing friend.

....... .......

shaile shaile na maaNikya.n mauktika.n na gaje gaje

saadhavo nahi sarvatra chandana.n na vane vane

Not all mountains contain gems in them, nor does every elephant has pearl in it. noble people
are not found everywhere, nor is sandlewood found in every forest.

....... .......

durvalasya vala.n raajaa vaalaanaa.n rodana.n valam

vala.n muurkhasya maunitva.n chauraaNaamanRRita.n valam

King is the power of powerless, crying is the power of children, silence is the power of fool and
lie is power of thives.
....... .......

svadeta.n marddita.n chaiva rajjubhiH pariveShTitam

mukta.n dvaadashibhirvaShaiH prakRRiti.n gatam

Massaging dog's tail with oil, keeping it straight with rope around it for twelve years does not
make it straight. Similarly a persons natural behavior and characteristics can not be changed.

....... .......

na cha vidyaa samo bandhurna cha vyaadhisamo ripuH

na chaapatyasamsH sneho na cha daivaatpara.n valam

There is no friend like knowledge, no enemy like desease, no love like love for son, and no
power like God's power.

....... .......

shaantitulya.n tapo naasti na santoShatpara.n sukham

na tRRiShNaayaaH paro vyaadhirna cha dharmo dayaaparaH

There is no penance better than peace, no happiness better than satisfaction, there is no
desease worse than greed, and no better dharma than kindness.

....... .......

:
:

yathaa chaturbhiiH kanaka.n nigharShaNachchhedanataapataaDanauH

tathaa chaturbhiH pariikshyate shilena guNena karmaNaa

The way gold's purity is tested by rubbing, cutting, heating and pounding, similarly, a person's
quality is tested by gentleness, manners, habits and deeds.
....... .......

abhyaasadhhcaaryate biddyaa kula.n shilena dhaaryate

guNena dnyaayate tvaaryaH kopo nethena gamyate

Knowledge is maintained through practice, family's name by its credentials, a noble person is
known by his good qualities, and a person's anger from his eyes.

....... .......

raajaa tasShTrakRRIta.n bhu.nkte raadnyaH paapa.n purohitaH

bhartaa cha striikRRita.n paapa.n siShyapaapa.n guuruustathaa

King is responsible for wrong doing of it's subjects, precepter for the wrong doings of the king,
husband is responsible for his wife's faults, teacher for the disciple's fault.

....... .......

shunaH puchchhmiva vyartha jivita.n vidyayaa vinaa

na guhyagopane shakta.n na da.nshanivaaraNe

Life without education is as worthless as a dog's tail. It can neither hide dog's private parts nor
can it ward off flies.

....... .......

na pashyati cha janmaandhaH kaamaandhau naiva pashyati

na pashyati madomato hyaarthi doShaam na pashyati

A blind person can not see, nor can a person blinded by lust; person blinded by wealth can not
see, nor does an arrogant see his faults.

....... .......


adhamaa dhnamishshhanti dhana.n maana.n cha madhyamaaH

uttamaa maanamichchhanti mane hi mahataa.n dhanam

Evil people wish for only wealth, whereas average people wish for wealth and fame. noble
people wish for fame as only fame is their wealth.

....... .......

One should be satisfied with three things that he already has - own wife, food and wealth. One
should not be satisfied with three things - gaining knowledge, penance and charity.

....... .......

puShpe gandha.n tile taila.n kaaShThe.agni.n payasi ghRRitam

ikshau giDa.n tathaa dehe pashyaatmaana.n vivekataH

Scent in flower, oil in seed, fire in wood, ghee in milk, sugar in sugarcan, and soul in body are
not seen from outside.

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