Chanakya Neethi - Chapter 17 - Grantha

The scholar who has acquired knowledge by studying innumerable books without the blessings of a bonafide spiritual master does not shine in an assembly of truly learned men just as an illegitimate child is not honoured in society.

𑌕𑍃𑌤𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌿𑌕𑍃𑌤𑌿𑌂 𑌕𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌿𑌂𑌸𑌨𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌿𑌹𑌿𑌂𑌸𑌨𑌮𑍍 ।
𑌤𑌤𑍍𑌰 𑌦𑍋𑌷𑍋 𑌨 𑌪𑌤𑌤𑌿 𑌦𑍁𑌷𑍍𑌟𑍇 𑌦𑍁𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌂 𑌸𑌮𑌾𑌚𑌰𑍇𑌤𑍍 ॥ 02 ॥

We should repay the favours of others by acts of kindness; so also should we return evil for evil in which there is no sin, for it is necessary to pay a wicked man in his own coin.

𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌦𑍂𑌰𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌦𑍁𑌰𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌯𑌚𑍍𑌚 𑌦𑍂𑌰𑍇 𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌵𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌿𑌤𑌮𑍍 ।
𑌤𑌤𑍍𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌤𑌪𑌸𑌾 𑌸𑌾𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌤𑌪𑍋 𑌹𑌿 𑌦𑍁𑌰𑌤𑌿𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌮𑌮𑍍 ॥ 03 ॥

That thing which is distant, that thing which appears impossible, and that which is far beyond our reach, can be easily attained through tapasya (religious austerity), for nothing can surpass austerity.

𑌲𑍋𑌭𑌶𑍍𑌚𑍇𑌦𑌗𑍁𑌣𑍇𑌨 𑌕𑌿𑌂 𑌪𑌿𑌶𑍁𑌨𑌤𑌾 𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌕𑌿𑌂 𑌪𑌾𑌤𑌕𑍈𑌃
𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌚𑍇𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌪𑌸𑌾 𑌚 𑌕𑌿𑌂 𑌶𑍁𑌚𑌿 𑌮𑌨𑍋 𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌤𑍀𑌰𑍍𑌥𑍇𑌨 𑌕𑌿𑌮𑍍 ।
𑌸𑍌𑌜𑌨𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌯𑌦𑌿 𑌕𑌿𑌂 𑌗𑍁𑌣𑍈𑌃 𑌸𑍁𑌮𑌹𑌿𑌮𑌾 𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌕𑌿𑌂 𑌮𑌂𑌡𑌨𑍈𑌃
𑌸𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌾 𑌯𑌦𑌿 𑌕𑌿𑌂 𑌧𑌨𑍈𑌰𑌪𑌯𑌶𑍋 𑌯𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌕𑌿𑌂 𑌮𑍃𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌨𑌾 ॥ 04 ॥

What vice could be worse than covetousness? What is more sinful than slander? For one who is truthful, what need is there for austerity? For one who has a clean heart, what is the need for pilgrimage? If one has a good disposition, what other virtue is needed? If a man has fame, what is the value of other ornamentation? What need is there for wealth for the man of practical knowledge? And if a man is dishonoured, what could there be worse in death?

𑌪𑌿𑌤𑌾 𑌰𑌤𑍍𑌨𑌾𑌕𑌰𑍋 𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌲𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍍𑌮𑍀𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌸𑌹𑍋𑌦𑌰𑌾 ।
𑌶𑌂𑌖𑍋 𑌭𑌿𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌾𑌟𑌨𑌂 𑌕𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌨 𑌦𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌮𑍁𑌪𑌤𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌠𑌤𑍇 ॥ 05 ॥

Though the sea, which is the reservoir of all jewels, is the father of the conch shell, and the Goddess of fortune Lakshmi is conch's sister, still the conch must go from door to door for alms (in the hands of a beggar). It is true, therefore, that one gains nothing without having given in the past.

𑌅𑌶𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁 𑌭𑌵𑍇𑌤𑍍𑌸𑌾𑌧𑍁-𑌰𑍍𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌚𑌾𑌰𑍀 𑌵𑌾 𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌧𑌨𑌃 ।
𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌧𑌿𑌤𑍋 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌭𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌶𑍍𑌚 𑌵𑍃𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌾 𑌨𑌾𑌰𑍀 𑌪𑌤𑌿𑌵𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌾 ॥ 06 ॥

When a man has no strength left in him he becomes a 𑌸𑌾𑌧𑍁 or a saint, one without wealth acts like a 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌚𑌾𑌰𑌿, a sick man behaves like a devotee of the Lord, and when a woman grows old she becomes devoted to her husband.

𑌨𑌾𑌽𑌨𑍍𑌨𑍋𑌦𑌕𑌸𑌮𑌂 𑌦𑌾𑌨𑌂 𑌨 𑌤𑌿𑌥𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌦𑌶𑍀 𑌸𑌮𑌾 ।
𑌨 𑌗𑌾𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌃 𑌪𑌰𑍋 𑌮𑌂𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍋 𑌨 𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌦𑍈𑌵𑌤𑌂 𑌪𑌰𑌮𑍍 ॥ 0𑍭 ॥

No gift is better than the gift of rice and water, no date is better than the 𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌦𑌶𑍀 (the twelfth day of the lunar calendar); no Mantra is greater than the 𑌗𑌾𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍀-𑌮𑌂𑌤𑍍𑌰 and no God is greater than mother.

𑌤𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌕𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌵𑌿𑌷𑌂 𑌦𑌂𑌤𑍇 𑌮𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌿𑌕𑌾𑌯𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁 𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌕𑍇 ।
𑌵𑍃𑌶𑍍𑌚𑌿𑌕𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌵𑌿𑌷𑌂 𑌪𑍁𑌚𑍍𑌛𑍇 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌂𑌗𑍇 𑌦𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌜𑌨𑍇 𑌵𑌿𑌷𑌮𑍍 ॥ 0𑍮 ॥

For the serpent, the poison lies in the fangs, for the fly, it in the head, for the scorpion it is in the tail, but for the wicked person, there is poison in all parts of their body and full of it.

𑌪𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌰𑌾𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌨𑌾 𑌨𑌾𑌰𑍀 𑌹𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌪𑍋𑌷𑍍𑌯 𑌵𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌚𑌾𑌰𑌿𑌣𑍀 ।
𑌆𑌯𑍁𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌹𑌰𑌤𑍇 𑌭𑌰𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌃 𑌸𑌾 𑌨𑌾𑌰𑍀 𑌨𑌰𑌕𑌂 𑌵𑍍𑌰𑌜𑍇𑌤𑍍 ॥ 0𑍯 ॥

The woman who fasts and observes religious vows without the permission of her husband shortens his life, and goes to hell.

𑌨 𑌦𑌾𑌨𑍈𑌃 𑌶𑍁𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇 𑌨𑌾𑌰𑍀 𑌨𑍋𑌪𑌵𑌾𑌸𑌶𑌤𑍈𑌰𑌪𑌿 ।
𑌨 𑌤𑍀𑌰𑍍𑌥𑌸𑍇𑌵𑌯𑌾 𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌦𑍍𑌭𑌰𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌃 𑌪𑌦𑍋𑌦𑌕𑍈𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌥𑌾 ॥ 10 ॥

A woman does not become holy by offering by charity, by observing hundreds of fasts, or by sipping sacred water, as by sipping the water used to wash her husbands feet.

𑌪𑌾𑌦𑌶𑍇𑌷𑌂 𑌪𑍀𑌤𑌶𑍇𑌷𑌂 𑌸𑌂𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌶𑍇𑌷𑌂 𑌤𑌥𑍈𑌵 𑌚 ।
𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌨𑌮𑍂𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌸𑌮𑌂 𑌤𑍋𑌯𑌂 𑌪𑍀𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾 𑌚𑌾𑌂𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌣𑌂 𑌚𑌰𑍇𑌤𑍍 ॥ 11 ॥

The leftover water after washing one’s feet, the leftover water after drinking, and after completing the Sandhya Worship (worship conducted in the morning and evening, during the transitional phase of night to day and vice versa) should never be consumed as if is as abhorsome as the urine of dog. If one drinks it, one must perform the fast of 𑌚𑌾𑌂𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌣. [The crux of the aphorism is that water ideally should be consumed directly from the source and not the one that is left over after performing some activity. 𑌚𑌾𑌂𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌣 𑌵𑍍𑌰𑌤𑍍𑌰 means keeping fast the whole day and having food and water only after seeing the moon.]

𑌦𑌾𑌨𑍇𑌨 𑌪𑌾𑌣𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌨 𑌤𑍁 𑌕𑌂𑌕𑌣𑍇𑌨
𑌸𑍍𑌨𑌾𑌨𑍇𑌨 𑌶𑍁𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌨 𑌤𑍁 𑌚𑌂𑌦𑌨𑍇𑌨 ।
𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍇𑌨 𑌤𑍃𑌪𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌨 𑌤𑍁 𑌭𑍋𑌜𑌨𑍇𑌨
𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌨𑍇𑌨 𑌮𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌨 𑌤𑍁 𑌮𑍁𑌂𑌡𑌨𑍇𑌨 ॥ 12 ॥

The hand is not so well adorned by ornaments as by charitable offerings; one does not become clean by smearing sandalwood paste upon the body as by taking a bath; one does not become so much satisfied by dinner as by having respect shown to him; and salvation is not attained by self-adornment as by cultivation of spiritual knowledge.

𑌨𑌾𑌪𑌿𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌗𑍃𑌹𑍇 𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍌𑌰𑌂 𑌪𑌾𑌷𑌾𑌣𑍇 𑌗𑌂𑌧𑌲𑍇𑌪𑌨𑌮𑍍 ।
𑌆𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌜𑌲𑍇 𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌨𑍍 𑌶𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌪𑌿 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌯𑌂 𑌹𑌰𑍇𑌤𑍍 ॥ 13 ॥

Getting a haircut done by going to a barber's house, applying sandalwood paste to a stone will reduce the grace for even Indra, the king of Devas.

𑌸𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌹𑌰𑌾 𑌤𑍁𑌂𑌡𑍀 𑌸𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌕𑌰𑍀 𑌵𑌚𑌾 ।
𑌸𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌃 𑌶𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌹𑌰𑌾 𑌨𑌾𑌰𑍀 𑌸𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌃 𑌶𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌕𑌰𑌂 𑌪𑌯𑌃 ॥ 14 ॥

The eating of 𑌤𑍁𑌂𑌡𑍀 fruit deprives a man of his sense, while the 𑌵𑌚𑌾 root administered revives his reasoning immediately. A woman at once robs a man of his vigour while milk at once restores it.

𑌪𑌰𑍋𑌪𑌕𑌰𑌣𑌂 𑌯𑍇𑌷𑌾𑌂 𑌜𑌾𑌗𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌹𑍃𑌦𑌯𑍇 𑌸𑌤𑌾𑌮𑍍 ।
𑌨𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌂𑌤𑌿 𑌵𑌿𑌪𑌦𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍇𑌷𑌾𑌂 𑌸𑌂𑌪𑌦𑌃 𑌸𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌃 𑌪𑌦𑍇 𑌪𑌦𑍇 ॥ 15 ॥

He who nurtures benevolence for all creatures within his heart overcomes all difficulties and will be the recipient of all types of riches at every step.

𑌯𑌦𑌿 𑌰𑌾𑌮𑌾 𑌯𑌦𑌿 𑌚 𑌰𑌮𑌾 𑌯𑌦𑌿 𑌤𑌨𑌯𑍋 𑌵𑌿𑌨𑌯𑌗𑍁𑌣𑍋𑌪𑍇𑌤𑌃 ।
𑌤𑌨𑌯𑍇 𑌤𑌨𑌯𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌪𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌃 𑌸𑍁𑌰𑌵𑌰𑌨𑌗𑌰𑍇 𑌕𑌿𑌮𑌾𑌧𑌿𑌕𑍍𑌯𑌮𑍍 ॥ 16 ॥

What is not there to be enjoyed in the world for one whose wife is loving and virtuous, who possesses wealth, who has a well-behaved son endowed with good qualities, and who has a grandchildren born of his children?

𑌆𑌹𑌾𑌰𑌨𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌭𑌯𑌮𑍈𑌥𑍁𑌨𑌾𑌨𑌿
𑌸𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌿 𑌚𑍈𑌤𑌾𑌨𑌿 𑌨𑍃𑌣𑌾𑌂 𑌪𑌶𑍂𑌨𑌾𑌮𑍍 ।
𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌨𑌂 𑌨𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌾𑌮𑌧𑌿𑌕𑍋 𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍇𑌷𑍋
𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌨𑍇𑌨 𑌹𑍀𑌨𑌾𑌃 𑌪𑌶𑍁𑌭𑌿𑌃 𑌸𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌃 ॥ 1𑍭 ॥

Men have eating, sleeping, fearing and mating in common with the lower animals. That in which men excel the beasts is discretionary knowledge; hence, indiscreet men who are without knowledge should be regarded as beasts.

𑌦𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥𑌿𑌨𑍋 𑌮𑌧𑍁𑌕𑌰𑌾 𑌯𑌦𑌿 𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌣𑌤𑌾𑌲𑍈𑌰𑍍𑌦𑍂𑌰𑍀𑌕𑍃𑌤𑌾𑌃
𑌦𑍂𑌰𑍀𑌕𑍃𑌤𑌾𑌃 𑌕𑌰𑌿𑌵𑌰𑍇𑌣 𑌮𑌦𑌾𑌂𑌧𑌬𑍁𑌦𑍍𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾 ।
𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯𑍈𑌵 𑌗𑌂𑌡𑌯𑍁𑌗𑍍𑌮𑌮𑌂𑌡𑌨𑌹𑌾𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍇𑌷𑌾
𑌭𑍃𑌂𑌗𑌾𑌃 𑌪𑍁𑌨𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌕𑌚𑌪𑌦𑍍𑌮𑌵𑌨𑍇 𑌵𑌸𑌂𑌤𑌿 ॥ 1𑍮 ॥

If the bees which seek the liquid oozing from the head of a lust- intoxicated elephant are driven away by the flapping of his ears, then the elephant has lost only the ornament of his head. The bees are quite happy in the lotus filled lake.

𑌰𑌾𑌜𑌾 𑌵𑍇𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌾 𑌯𑌮𑌶𑍍𑌚𑌾𑌗𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌕𑌰𑍋 𑌬𑌾𑌲𑌯𑌾𑌚𑌕𑍌 ।
𑌪𑌰𑌦𑍁𑌃𑌖𑌂 𑌨 𑌜𑌾𑌨𑌂𑌤𑌿 𑌅𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌮𑍋 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌮𑌕𑌂𑌟𑌕𑌃 ॥ 1𑍯 ॥

A king, a prostitute, Lord Yamaraja, fire, a thief, a young boy, and a beggar cannot understand the suffering of others. The eighth of this category is the tax collector.

𑌅𑌧𑌃 𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌸𑌿 𑌕𑌿𑌂 𑌬𑌾𑌲𑍇 𑌪𑌤𑌿𑌤𑌂 𑌤𑌵 𑌕𑌿𑌂 𑌭𑍁𑌵𑌿 ।
𑌰𑍇 𑌰𑍇 𑌮𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌖 𑌨 𑌜𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌸𑌿 𑌗𑌤𑌂 𑌤𑌾𑌰𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌯𑌮𑍌𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌕𑌮𑍍 ॥ 20 ॥

O lady, why are you gazing downward? Has something of yours fallen on the ground? (She replies) O fool, can you not understand the pearl of my youth has slipped away?

𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌲𑌾𑌶𑍍𑌰𑌯𑌾𑌪𑌿 𑌵𑌿𑌕𑌲𑌾𑌪𑌿 𑌸𑌕𑌂𑌟𑌕𑌾𑌪𑌿
𑌵𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌪𑌿 𑌪𑌂𑌕𑌿𑌲𑌭𑌵𑌾𑌪𑌿 𑌦𑍁𑌰𑌾𑌸𑌦𑌾𑌪𑌿 ।
𑌗𑌂𑌧𑍇𑌨 𑌬𑌂𑌧𑍁𑌰𑌸𑌿 𑌕𑍇𑌤𑌕𑌿 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌜𑌂𑌤𑌾
𑌰𑍇𑌕𑍋 𑌗𑍁𑌣𑌃 𑌖𑌲𑍁 𑌨𑌿𑌹𑌂𑌤𑌿 𑌸𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌦𑍋𑌷𑌾𑌨𑍍 ॥ 21 ॥

O 𑌕𑍇𑌤𑌕𑌿 flower (of fragrant crew Pine)! Serpents live in your midst, you bear no edible fruits, your leaves are covered with thorns, you are crooked in growth, you thrive in mud, and you are not easily accessible. Still for your exceptional fragrance you are as dear as a kinsmen to others. Hence, a single excellence overcomes a multitude of blemishes.

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