Chanakya’s wisdom

Chanakya Pandit is a pioneer in the field of economics and political thought in the Indian subcontinent. He was an adviser to the royal rulers, and his wisdom can be gleaned from his statements—like these:

Those who speak of others’ faults destroy themselves like the serpents in anthills.

A man devoid of wealth isn’t necessarily destitute, but a man devoid of learning is!

There’s no disease as destructive as lust.

It’s better to have only one son endowed with good qualities than a hundred devoid of them. For the moon, though one, dispels the darkness, which the stars, though numerous, do not.

A man is made great by his deeds, not by birth.

The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind—but, the goodness of a person spreads in all directions.

There’s poison in a serpent’s fangs or a scorpion’s sting—but, a wicked man is saturated with it!

The life of an uneducated man is as useless as the tail of a dog that neither covers its rear end nor protects it from the bites of insects!

Give your wealth only to the worthy.

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

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