There is no treasure like knowledge, no enemy like ignorance, and no friend like truth.
49+ Best Chanakya Quotes & Wishes
Updated: October 2026
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A debt should be paid off completely; even a small fire, a small debt, and a small disease should never be ignored.
Whores depend on a man's wealth, subjects on the king, and birds on a tree full of fruits; so everybody looks to his own interest.
The world's biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman.
It is better to have only one son endowed with good qualities than a hundred devoid of them; for the moon, though one, dispels the darkness everywhere, but the multitude of stars do not.
As a tree laden with fruits bends down, so noble men bow in prosperity; but dry trees and fools never bend.
As a single withered tree, if set aflame, causes a whole forest to burn, so does a wicked son destroy a whole family.
He who is prepared for the future, and he who deals cleverly with any situation that may arise, are both happy; but the fatalistic man who wholly depends on luck is ruined.
Do not inhabit a country where you cannot earn a livelihood, have no friends, and cannot acquire knowledge.
A king is honoured only in his own country, but a learned man is honoured everywhere.
A wicked wife, a false friend, a saucy servant, and living in a house with a serpent in it are nothing but death.
Foolishness is painful, and youth is painful, but most painful of all is living in another person's house.
He who has no money is poor, but he who has no knowledge is the poorest of all.
By rubbing, cutting, heating and beating, gold is tested; by renunciation, conduct, qualities and actions, a man is proven.
Drop by drop, the water in a pot is filled. This is the cause of all science, dharma, and wealth accumulation.
Once you start working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.
Test a servant in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.
Time perfects all living beings as well as kills them; it alone is awake when all others are asleep. Time is insurmountable.
Even a learned man comes to grief by giving instruction to a foolish disciple, by maintaining a wicked wife, and by excessive familiarity with the miserable.
A man is great by deeds, not by birth.
Do not put your trust in rivers, men who carry weapons, beasts with claws or horns, women, and members of a royal family.
The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, time and ability.
Charity puts an end to poverty; righteous conduct to misery; discretion to ignorance; and scrutiny to fear.
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.
Wealth, a friend, a wife, and a kingdom may be regained; but this body, when lost, may never be acquired again.
Do not reveal what you have thought upon doing, but by wise counsel keep it secret, being determined to carry it into execution.
Learning is like a cow of desire. Like her, it yields in all seasons. Like a mother, it feeds you on your journey. Hence learning is a hidden treasure.
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.
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 no disease so destructive as lust, no enemy like infatuation, no fire like wrath, and no happiness like spiritual knowledge.
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.
The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all directions.
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.
One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth is in the possession of others can use neither his knowledge nor his wealth when the need arises.
A learned man is honoured by the people. A learned man commands respect everywhere for his learning. Indeed, learning is honoured everywhere.
Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous.
There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interest. This is a bitter truth.
The biggest guru-mantra is: never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you.
Treat your child like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend.
The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the small child, another man's dog, and the fool — these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep.
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.
There is no austerity equal to a balanced mind, and no happiness equal to contentment; there is no disease like covetousness, and no virtue like mercy.
A man is born alone and dies alone, and he experiences the good and bad consequences of his karma alone.
God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple.
Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person.
Before you start any work, ask yourself three questions: Why am I doing it? What might the results be? Will I be successful? Only when you find satisfactory answers, go ahead.
As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it.
A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first, and honest people are hurt first.
Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats beauty and youth.