चाणक्य नीति पंद्रहवां अध्याय:Chanakya Niti chapter 15.
(अध्याय पंद्रहवां)
यस्य चितं द्रवीभूतं कृपया सर्वजन्तुषु ।
तस्य ज्ञानेन मोक्षेण किं जटाभस्मलेपनैः ।।१।।
Meaning– For one whose heart melts with compassion for all creatures; what is the necessity of knowledge, liberation, matted hair on the head, and smearing the body with ashes.
पृथिव्यां नास्ति तद्द्रव्यं यद् दत्त्वा चानृणी भवेत् ।।२।।
Meaning– There is no treasure on earth the gift of which will cancel the debt a disciple owes his guru for having taught him even a single letter ( that leads to Krishna consciousness).
उपानद् मुखभङ्गो वा दूरतैव विसर्जनम् ।।३।।
Meaning– There are two ways to get rid of thorns and wicked persons; using footwear in the first case and in the second shaming them so that they cannot raise their faces again thus keeping them at a distance.
सूर्योदये वाऽस्तमिते शयानं विमुञ्चति श्रीर्यदि चक्रपाणिः ।।४।।
Meaning– He who wears unclean garments, has dirty teeth, as a glutton, speaks unkindly and sleeps after sunrise — although he may be the greatest personality — will lose the favour of Lakshmi.
तं चार्थवन्तं पुनराश्रयन्ते ह्यर्थो हि लोके पुरुषस्य बन्धुः ।।५।।
Meaning– He who loses his money is forsaken by his friends, his wife, his servants and his relations; yet when he regains his riches those who have forsaken him come back to him. Hence wealth is certainly the best of relations.
प्राप्ते एकादशे वर्षे समूलं च विनश्यति ।।६।।
Meaning– Sinfully acquired wealth may remain for ten years; in the eleventh year it disappears with even the original stock.
अमृतं राहवे मृत्युर्विषं शंकरभूषणम् ।।७।।
Meaning– A bad action committed by a great man is not censured (as there is none that can reproach him), and a good action performed by a low-class man comes to be condemned (because none respects him). Just see: the drinking of nectar is excellent, but it became the cause of Rahu’s demise; and the drinking of poison is harmful, but when Lord Shiva (who is exalted) drank it, it became an ornament to his neck (nila-kanta).
तत्सौहृदं यत्क्रियते परस्मिन् ।
सा प्राज्ञता या न करोति पापं
दम्भं विना यः क्रियते पापं
दम्भं विना यः क्रियते स धर्मः ।।८।।
Meaning– A true meal is that which consists of the remnants left after a brahmana’s meal. Love which is shown to others is true love, not that which is cherished for one’s own self. to abstain from sin is true wisdom. That is an act of charity which is performed without ostentation.
क्रय विक्रयवेलायां काचः काचो मणिर्मणिः ।।९।।
Meaning– For want of discernment the most precious jewels lie in the dust at the feet of men while bits of glass are worn on their heads. But we should not imagine that the gems have sunk in value, and the bits of glass have risen in importance. When a person of critical judgement shall appear, each will be given its right position.
यत्सारभूतं तदुपासनीयं, हंसो यथा क्षीरमिवम्बुमध्यात् ।।१०।।
Meaning– Sastric knowledge is unlimited, and the arts to be learned are many; the time we have is short, and our opportunities to learn are beset with obstacles. Therefore select for learning that which is most important, just as the swan drinks only the milk in water.
अनर्चयित्वा यो भुङ्क्ते स वै चाण्डाल उच्यते ।।११।।
अर्थ– वह आदमी चंडाल है जो एक दूर से अचानक आये हुए थके मांदे अतिथि को आदर सत्कार दिए बिना रात्रि का भोजन खुद खाता है.
Meaning– He is a chandala who eats his dinner without entertaining the stranger who has come to his house quite accidentally, having travelled from a long distance and is wearied.
आत्मानं नैव जानन्ति दवी पाकरसं यथा ।।१२।।
Meaning– One may know the four Vedas and the Dharma-sastras, yet if he has no realisation of his own spiritual self, he can be said to be like the ladle which stirs all kinds of foods but knows not the taste of any.
तरन्त्यधोगताः सर्वे उपरिस्थाः पतन्त्यधः ।।१३।।
Meaning– Those blessed souls are certainly elevated who, while crossing the ocean of life, take shelter of a genuine brahmana, who is likened unto a boat. They are unlike passengers aboard an ordinary ship which runs the risk of sinking.
अमृतमयशरीरः कान्तियुक्तोऽपि चन्द्रः ।।
भवति विगतरश्मिर्मण्डलं प्राप्य भानोः ।
परसदननिविष्टः को लघुत्वं न याति ।।१४।।
Meaning– The moon, who is the abode of nectar and the presiding deity of all medicines, although immortal like amrta and resplendent in form, loses the brilliance of his rays when he repairs to the abode of the sun (day time). Therefore will not an ordinary man be made to feel inferior by going to live at the house of another.
विधिवशात्परदेशमुपागतः कुटजपुष्परसं बहु मन्यते ।।१५।।
Meaning– This humble bee, who always resides among the soft petals of the lotus and drinks abundantly its sweet nectar, is now feasting on the flower of the ordinary kutaja. Being in a strange country where the lotuses do not exist, he is considering the pollen of the kutaja to be nice.
दाबाल्याद्विप्रवर्यैः स्ववदनविवरे धार्यते वैरिणी में ।
गेहं मे छेदयन्ति प्रतिदिवसमुमाकान्तपूजानिमित्तं
तस्मात्खिन्नासदात्हंद्विजकुलनिलयं नाथ युक्तं त्यजामि ।।१६।।
Meaning– (Lord Visnu asked His spouse Lakshmi why She did not care to live in the house of a brahmana, when She replied) ” O Lord a rishi named Agastya drank up My father (the ocean) in anger; Brighu Muni kicked You; brahmanas pride themselves on their learning having sought the favour of My competitor Sarasvati; and lastly they pluck each day the lotus which is My abode, and therewith worship Lord Shiva. Therefore, O Lord, I fear to dwell with a brahmana and that properly.
दारुभेदनिपुणोऽपिषण्डघ्निर्निष्क्रियोभवति पंकजकोशे ।।१७।।
Meaning– There are many ways of binding by which one can be dominated and controlled in this world, but the bond of affection is the strongest. For example, take the case of the humble bee which, although expert at piercing hardened wood, becomes caught in the embrace of its beloved flowers (as the petals close at dusk).
वृध्दोऽपि वारणपतिर्न जहाति लीलाम् ।
यंत्रार्पितो मधुरतां न जहाति चेक्षुः
क्षीणोऽपि न त्यजति शीलगुणान् कुलीनः ।।१८।।
Meaning– Although sandalwood be cut, it does not forsake its natural quality of fragrance; so also the elephant does not give up sportiveness though he should grow old. The sugarcane does not cease to be sweet though squeezed in a mill; so the man of noble extraction does not lose his lofty qualities, no matter how pinched he is by poverty.
तेन त्वांदिवि भूतले च ससतं गोवर्धनी गीयसे ।
त्वां त्रैलोक्यधरं वहामि कुचयोरग्रेण तद् गण्यते
किंवा केशव भाषणेन बहुनापुण्यैर्यशो लभ्यते ।।१९।।