SEVEN OUGHT TO BE AWAKENED?NOT AWAKENED, AND ON GRIAHASTHA

• SEVEN OUGHT TO BE AWAKENED/NOT AWAKENED
• The student, the servant, the traveller, the hungry person, the frightened man, the treasury guard, and the steward: these seven ought to be awakened if they fall asleep. (CNS:9.6).
• The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the small child, the dog owned by other people, and the fool: these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep. (CNS: 9.7).
  
• GRAHASTA (HOUSE HOLDER)
• He is a blessed grhasta (householder) in whose house there is a blissful atmosphere, whose sons are talented, whose wife speaks sweetly, whose wealth is enough to satisfy his desires, who finds pleasure in the company of his wife, whose servants are obedient, in whose house hospitality is shown, the auspicious Supreme Lord is worshiped daily, delicious food and drink is partaken, and who finds joy in the company of devotees. (CNS: 12.1).
• The house in which the lotus feet of brahmanas are not washed, in which Vedic mantras are not loudly recited, and in which the holy rites of svaha (sacrificial offerings to the Supreme Lord), is like a crematorium. (CNS: 12.10).
• 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. (CNS: 13.6).
• 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. (CNS: 15.11).
• What is there to be enjoyed in the world of Lord Indra 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? (CNS: 17.16).
  
• CONCLUSION
  The above presentation of a panoramic view of the maxims from the Chanakya Niti Sastra transpires that many gems of Chanakya’s wit and wisdom starting from the Vedic Lore to spiritualism and general code of conduct remain unfathomed by many among us, and, therefore, unappreciated and unevaluated for being implemented in our daily social life of worldly existence. The importance of these verses incorporating many weighty gems of wisdoms in these maxims is self-evident For example,

Should we not follow some of the nitis advised by Chanakya. like:

• ‘A man is great by deeds, not by birth’, ‘
• receive the highest knowledge (even) from a low born person’,
• "Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous”, ‘
• Do not reveal what you have thought upon doing, but by wise council keep it secret being determined to carry it into execution’, ‘it is good to be business-minded in public dealings’‘,
• Consider again and again the following: the right time, the right friends, the right place, the right means of income, the right ways of spending, and (right person) from whom you derive your power,’
• ‘Time perfects all living beings as well as kills them; it alone is awake when all others are asleep. Time is insurmountable’,’
• ‘the man who sings his own praises lowers himself in the estimation of others though he should be Indra,’ ‘a single excellence overcomes a multitude of blemishes’, and
• ‘there is no austerity equal to a balanced mind, and there is no happiness equal to contentment; there is no disease like covetousness, and no virtue like mercy’, are worth serious contemplation in the present Kaliyuga.
  REFERENCES
  SRI CHANAKYA NITI-SASTRA : THE POLITICAL ETHICS OF CHANAKYA PANDIT: Miles Davis (Patita Pavana dasa) , ISCKON (1981).
  ________________________________________________________________________
  Mr. V. P. Bhatia (Retd. Assistant Director from the GOI(Central Ministry) is an MBA(HRM), Life Member of the National Institute of Personnel Management(NIPM) Kalkata, and a Vedic scholar(student), doing research on ‘Vedic Ethics and Values’ with Dr. Ravi Prakash Arya,email:vpbhatia39@yahoo.com, blogspot: www.ethicalvaluesinvedas.blogspot.com, www.humanvaluesfrombhagwadgitamodernmanagement.blogspot.com

www.aglimpseof-vedicethicalvaluesinmanusamriti.blogspot.com.

www.ethicalvaluesinchanakyanitisastra.blogspot.com

________________________________________________________________________

SHOULD NOT REVEAL,ETC.

• SHOULD NOT REVEAL
• Do not reveal what you have thought upon doing, but by wise council keep it secret being determined to carry it into execution. (CNS: 2.7).
• A wise man should not reveal his loss of wealth, the vexation of his mind, the misconduct of his own wife, base words spoken by others, and disgrace that has befallen him. (CNS: 7.1).
• A wise man should not divulge the formula of a medicine which he has well prepared; an act of charity which he has performed; domestic conflicts; private affairs with his wife; poorly prepared food he may have been offered; or slang he may have heard. (CNS: 14.16.).
  Thus, the biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. It may affect your prospects of execution adversely.
  ON HAPPINESS

Ø He who gives up shyness in monetary dealings, in acquiring knowledge, in eating and in business, becomes happy. (CNS: 7.2).
Ø Those men are happy in this world, who are generous towards their relatives, kind to strangers, indifferent to the wicked, loving to the good, shrewd in their dealings with the base, frank with the learned, courageous with enemies, humble with elders and stern with the wife. (CNS: 12.3).
Ø He, whose actions are disorganized, has no happiness either in the midst of men or in a jungle -- in the midst of men his heart burns by social contacts, and his helplessness burns him in the forest. (CNS: 13.16).

SATISFIED/NOT SATISFIED
Ø One should feel satisfied with the following three things; his own wife, food given by Providence and wealth acquired by honest effort; but one should never feel satisfied with the following three; study, chanting the holy names of the Lord (japa) and charity. (CNS: 7.4).

ON WICKED PERSON
Ø Those base men who speak of the secret faults of others destroy themselves like serpents who stray onto anthills. (CNS: 9.2).
Ø Those that are empty-minded cannot be benefited by instruction. Bamboo does not acquire the quality of sandalwood by being associated with the Malaya Mountain. (CNS: 10.8).
Ø Nothing can reform a bad man, just as the posteriors cannot become a superior part of the body though washed one hundred times. (CNS: 10.10).
Ø The wicked man will not attain sanctity even if he is instructed in different ways, and the nim tree will not become sweet even if it is sprinkled from the top to the roots with milk and ghee. (CNS: 11.6).
Ø A wicked man may develop saintly qualities in the company of a devotee, but a devotee does not become impious in the company of a wicked person. The earth is scented by a flower that falls upon it, but the flower does not contact the odour of the earth. (CNS: 12.7).
Ø The hearts of base men burn before the fire of other's fame, and they slander them being themselves unable to rise to such a high position. (CNS: 13.11).
Ø 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, keep them at a distance. (CNS: 15.3).
Ø Who is there who, having become rich, has not become proud? What licentious man has put an end to his calamities? What man in this world has not been overcome by a woman? Who is always loved by the king? Who is there who has not been overcome by the ravages of time? What beggar has attained glory? Who has become happy by contracting the vices of the wicked? (CNS: 16.4).(None).
Ø 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. (CNS: 17.2).
Ø There is poison in the fang of the serpent, in the mouth of the fly and in the sting of a scorpion; but the wicked man is saturated with it. (CNS: 17.8).

• ON DIETARY CODE OF CONDUCT
• According to the nature of our diet (sattva, rajas, or tamas) we produce offspring in similar quality. (CNS: 8.3).
• The earth is encumbered with the weight of the flesh-eaters, wine-bibblers, dolts and blockheads, who are beasts in the form of men. (CNS: 8.22).
• Nectar (amrita) is the best among medicines; eating good food is the best of all types of material happiness; the eye is the chief among all organs; and the head occupies the chief position among all parts of the body. (CNS: 9.4).
• Poverty is set off by fortitude; shabby garments by keeping them clean; bad food by warming it; and ugliness by good behaviour. (CNS: 9.14).
• ON PURITY/POLLUTED
• 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. (CNS: 7.20)
• Water seeping into the earth is pure; and a devoted wife is pure; the king who is the benefactor of his people is pure; and pure is the brahmana who is contented. (CNS: 8.17).
• Mental dirt cannot be washed away even by one-hundred baths in the sacred waters, just as a wine pot cannot be purified even by evaporating all the wine by fire. (CNS: 11.7).

O jackal! leave aside the body of that man at once, whose hands have never given in charity, whose ears have not heard the voice of learning, whose eyes have not beheld a pure devotee of the Lord, whose feet have never traversed to holy places, whose belly is filled with things obtained by crooked practices, and whose head is held high in vanity. Do not eat it, O jackal, otherwise you will become polluted. (CNS:12.4)

• ON CONTENTMENT
• There is no austerity equal to a balanced mind, and there is no happiness equal to contentment; there is no disease like covetousness, and no virtue like mercy. (CNS: 8.13).
• Anger is a personification of Yama (the demigod of death); thirst is like the hellish river Vaitarani; knowledge is like a kamadhenu (the cow of plenty); and contentment is like Nandanavana (the garden of Indra). (CNS: 8.14).

One should realize that all the happiness and everything one desires is in the hands of God. Therefore, one should learn contentment. (CNS: 13.14).
ON ORNAMENT

• Moral excellence is an ornament for personal beauty; righteous conduct, for high birth; success for learning; and proper spending for wealth. (CNS : 8.15).

The hand is not so well adorned by ornaments as by charitable offerings;… and salvation is not attained by self-adornment as by cultivation of spiritual knowledge. (CNS: 17.12).
SPOILED/ RUINED

• Beauty is spoiled by an immoral nature; noble birth by bad conduct; learning, without being perfected; and wealth by not being properly utilised. (CNS: 8.16).
• The unthinking spender, the homeless urchin, the quarrel monger, the man who neglects his wife and is heedless in his actions -- all these will soon come to ruination. (CNS: 12.19).
• 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. (CNS: 13.7).
• Indolent application ruins study; money is lost when entrusted to others; a farmer who sows his seed sparsely is ruined; and an army is lost for want of a commander. (CNS: 5.7).

Ved Prakash

February 05,09

www.ethicalvaluesinvedas.blogspot.com

LEARN FROM THESE TWENTY

• LEARN FROM(ANIMALS/BIRDS) THESE TWENTY
• Learn one thing from a lion; one from a crane; four from a cock; five from a crow; six from a dog; and three from an ass. (CNS: 6.15).
• The one excellent thing that can be learned from a lion is that whatever a man intends doing should be done by him with a whole-hearted and strenuous effort. (CNS: 6.16).
• The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, time and ability. (CNS: 6.17).
• To wake at the proper time; to take a bold stand and fight; to make a fair division (of property) among relations; and to earn one's own bread by personal exertion are the four excellent things to be learned from a cock. (CNS: 6.18).
• Union in privacy (with one's wife); boldness; storing away useful items; watchfulness; and not easily trusting others; these five things are to be learned from a crow. (CNS: 6.19).
• Contentment with little or nothing to eat although one may have a great appetite; to awaken instantly although one may be in a deep slumber; unflinching devotion to the master; and bravery; these six qualities should be learned from the dog. (CNS: 6.20).
• Although an ass is tired, he continues to carry his burden; he is unmindful of cold and heat; and he is always contented; these three things should be learned from the ass (CNS: 6.21).
• He who shall practice these twenty virtues shall become invincible in all his undertakings. (CNS: 6.22).

Ved Prakaash

February05,09

www.ethicalvaluesinvedas.blogspot.com

ON PROVIDENCE/FATE AND ON COCILIATION

• ON PROVIDENCE/FATE
• Even as the unborn baby is in the womb of his mother, these five are fixed as his life destiny: his life span, his activities, his acquisition of wealth and knowledge, and his time of death. (CNS: 13.4).
• As is the desire of Providence, so functions one's intellect; one's activities are also controlled by Providence; and by the will of Providence one is surrounded by helpful people. (CNS: 6.6).
• Perhaps nobody has advised Lord Brahma, the creator, to impart perfume to gold; fruit to the sugarcane; flowers to the sandalwood tree; wealth to the learned; and long life to the king. (CNS: 9.3).
• Fate makes a beggar a king and a king a beggar. He makes a rich man poor and a poor man rich. (CNS: 10.5).
• What fault of spring that the bamboo shoot has no leaves? What fault of the sun if the owl cannot see during the daytime? Is it the fault of the clouds if no raindrops fall into the mouth of the chatak bird? Who can erase what Lord Brahma has inscribed upon our foreheads at the time of birth? (CNS: 12.6).(Obviously, none).
• We should not fret for what is past, nor should we be anxious about the future; men of discernment deal only with the present moment. (CNS: 13.2).
  ON CONCILIATION
• Conciliate a covetous man by means of a gift, an obstinate man with folded hands in salutation, a fool by humouring him, and a learned man by truthful words. (CNS:6.12).
• Conciliate a strong man by submission, a wicked man by opposition, and the one whose power is equal to yours by politeness or force. (CNS: 7.10).
• 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. (CNS: 15.2).

Ved Prakash

February 5,09

www.ethicalvaluesinchanakyanitisastra.blogspot.com

CODE OF CONDUCT IN GENERAL

• CODE OF CONDUCT, IN GENERAL
• Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune. (CNS: 11.1).
• He is a true friend who does not forsake us in time of need, misfortune, famine, or war, in a king's court, or at the crematorium (smasana). (CNS: 1.12).
• Even from poison extract nectar, wash and take back gold if it has fallen in filth, receive the highest knowledge from a low born person; so also a girl possessing virtuous qualities (stri-ratna) even if she be born in a disreputable family. (CNS: 1.16).
• Avoid him who talks sweetly before you but tries to ruin you behind your back, for he is like a pitcher of poison with milk on top. (CNS: 2.5). Do not put your trust in a bad companion nor even trust an ordinary friend, for if he should get angry with you, he may bring all your secrets to light. (CNS:2.6)
• Separation from the wife, disgrace from one's own people, an enemy saved in battle, service to a wicked king, poverty, and a mismanaged assembly: these six kinds of evils, if afflicting a person, burn him even without fire. (CNS: 2.14).
• He who befriends a man whose conduct is vicious, whose vision impure, and who is notoriously crooked, is rapidly ruined. (CNS: 2.19).
• Friendship between equals flourishes, service under a king is respectable, it is good to be business-minded in public dealings, and a handsome lady is safe in her own home. (CNS: 2.20).
• In this world, whose family is there without blemish? Who is free from sickness and grief? Who is forever happy? (CNS: 3.1).(Obviously ,none).
• A man's descent may be discerned by his conduct, his country by his pronunciation of language, his friendship by his warmth and glow, and his capacity to eat by his body. (CNS: 3.2).
• What is too heavy for the strong and what place is too distant for those who put forth effort? What country is foreign to a man of true learning? Who can be inimical to one who speaks pleasingly? (CNS: 3.13). (Obviously, none).
• Residing in a small village devoid of proper living facilities, serving a person born of a low family, unwholesome food, a frowning wife, a foolish son, and a widowed daughter burn the body without fire. (CNS 4.8).
• The house of a childless person is a void, all directions are void to one who has no relatives, the heart of a fool is also void, but to a poverty stricken man all is void. (CNS: 4.14).
• Scriptural lessons not put into practice are poison; a meal is poison to him who suffers from indigestion; a social gathering is poison to a poverty stricken person; and a young wife is poison to an aged man. (CNS: 4.15).
• That man who is without religion and mercy should be rejected. A guru without spiritual knowledge should be rejected. The wife with an offensive face should be given up, and so should relatives who are without affection. (CNS: 4.16).
• Constant travel brings old age upon a man; a horse becomes old by being constantly tied up; lack of sexual contact with her husband brings old age upon a woman. (CNS: 4.17).
• Consider again and again the following: the right time, the right friends, the right place, the right means of income, the right ways of spending, and (right person) from whom you derive your power. (CNS: 4.18).
• Agni is the worshipable person for the twice-born; the brahmana for the other castes; the husband for the wife; and the guest who comes for food at the midday meal for all. (CNS: 5.1).
• As gold is tested in four ways by rubbing, cutting, heating and beating -- so a man should be tested by these four things: his renunciation, his conduct, his qualities and his actions. (CNS: 5.2).
• A thing may be dreaded as long as it has not overtaken you, but once it has come upon you, try to get rid of it without hesitation. (CNS: 5.3).
• He whose hands are clean does not like to hold an office; he who desires nothing cares not for bodily decorations; he who is only partially educated cannot speak agreeably; and he who speaks out plainly cannot be a deceiver. (CNS: 5.5).
• Charity puts an end to poverty; righteous conduct to misery; discretion to ignorance; and scrutiny to fear. (CNS: 5.11).
• There is no disease (so destructive) as lust; no enemy like infatuation; no fire like wrath; and no happiness like spiritual knowledge. (CNS: 5.12).
• Rain which falls upon the sea is useless; so is food for one who is satiated; in vain is a gift for one who is wealthy; and a burning lamp during the daytime is useless. (CNS: 5.16).
• Time perfects all living beings as well as kills them; it alone is awake when all others are asleep. Time is insurmountable. (CNS: 6.7).
• A man who encounters the following three is unfortunate; the death of his wife in his old age, the entrusting of money into the hands of relatives, and depending upon others for food. (CNS: 8.9).
• He who neither rouses fear by his anger, nor confers a favour when he is pleased can neither control nor protect. What can he do? (CNS: 9.9).(Obviously, nothing).
• The serpent may, without being poisonous, raise high its hood, but the show of terror is enough to frighten people -- whether he be venomous or not. (CNS: 9.10).
• Generosity, pleasing address, courage and propriety of conduct are not acquired, but are inbred qualities. (CNS: 11.1).
• The elephant has a huge body but is controlled by the ankusha (goad): yet, is the goad as large as the elephant? A lighted candle banishes darkness: is the candle as vast as the darkness? A mountain is broken even by a thunderbolt: is the thunderbolt therefore as big as the mountain? No, he whose power prevails is really mighty; what is there in bulk? (CNS: 11.3).
• The man who remains a fool even in advanced age is really a fool, just as the Indra-Varuna fruit does not become sweet no matter how ripe it might become. (CNS: 12.23).
• There are three gems upon this earth; food, water, and pleasing words -- fools (mudhas) consider pieces of rocks as gems. (CNS: 13.21).
  v Poverty, disease, sorrow, imprisonment and other evils are the fruits borne by the tree of one's own sins. (CNS: 14.1).
• If a man should feel before, as he feels after, repentance -- then who would not attain perfection? (CNS: 14.6).
• We should always speak what would please the man of whom we expect a favour, like the hunter who sings sweetly when he desires to shoot a deer. (CNS: 14.9).
• He is a pandit (man of knowledge) who speaks what is suitable to the occasion, who renders loving service according to his ability, and who knows the limits of his anger. (CNS:14.14).
• 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). (CNS: 15.7).
• 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. (CNS: 15.8).
• 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. (CNS: 15.9).
• 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). (CNS: 15.17).
• Although sandalwood, when cut, 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. (CNS: 15.18).
• A man attains greatness by his merits, not simply by occupying an exalted seat. Can we call a crow an eagle (garuda) simply because he sits on the top of a tall building. (CNS: 16.6).
• The man who is praised by others as great is regarded as worthy, though he may be really void of all merit. But the man who sings his own praises lowers himself in the estimation of others though he should be Indra (the possessor of all excellences). (CNS: 16.8).
• If good qualities should characterise a man of discrimination, the brilliance of his qualities will be recognised just as a gem which is essentially bright really shines when fixed in an ornament of gold. (CNS: 16.9).
• Even one who by his qualities appears to be all knowing suffers without patronage; the gem, though precious, requires a gold setting. (CNS: 16.10).
• All charities and sacrifices (performed for fruitive gain) bring only temporary results, but gifts made to deserving persons and protection offered to all creatures shall never perish. (CNS: 16.14).
• 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. (CNS: 16.16).All the creatures are pleased by loving words; and therefore we should address words that are pleasing to all, for there is no lack of sweet words. (CNS: 16.17).
• O ketki flower! 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. (CNS:17.21).
• Oil on water, a secret communicated to a base man, a gift given to a worthy receiver, and scriptural instruction given to an intelligent man spread out by virtue of their nature. (CNS: 14.4).
  The importance of these verses incorporating many weighty gems of wit and wisdom is self-evident. For example, maxims like "A man is great by deeds, not by birth", "Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness," "Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous" are worth serious contemplation in the present Kaliyuga.

Ved Prakash

February 5,09

www.ethicalvaluesinchanakyanitisastra.blogspot.com

ON DEPENDANCE AND ON KINGS

ON DEPENDANCE AND ON KINGS

1. ON DEPENDANCE
2. Foolishness is indeed painful, and verily so is youth, but more painful by far than either is being obliged in another person's house. (CNS: 2.8).
3. There is no water like rainwater; no strength like one's own; no light like that of the eyes; and no wealth more dear than food grain. (CNS: 5.17).

• It is better to live under a tree in a jungle inhabited by tigers and elephants, to maintain oneself in such a place with ripe fruits and spring water, to lie down on grass and to wear the ragged barks of trees than to live amongst one's relations when reduced to poverty. (CNS: 10.12).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? (CNS: 15.14).
  ON KINGS
• Trees on a river bank, a woman in another man's house, and kings without counsellors go without doubt to swift destruction. (CNS: 2.15). Kings gather round themselves men of good families, for they never forsake them either at the beginning, the middle or the end. (CNS: 3.4).
• A brahmana's strength is in his learning, a king's strength is in his army, a vaishya's strength is in his wealth and a shudra's strength is in his attitude of service. (CNS: 2.16). The power of a king lies in his mighty arms; that of a brahmana in his spiritual knowledge; and that of a woman in her beauty youth and sweet words. (CNS: 7.11).
• The subject has to fosake a king that cannot defend him, the birds a tree that bears no fruit, and the guests a house after they have finished their meals. (CNS: 2.17).
• Kings speak for once, men of learning once, and the daughter is given in marriage once. All these things happen once and only once.(CNS:4.11).
• The king is obliged to accept the sins of his subjects; the purohit (priest) suffers for those of the king; a husband suffers for those of his wife; and the guru suffers for those of his pupils. (CNS: 6.10).
• It is better to be without a kingdom than to rule over a petty one; better to be without a friend than to befriend a rascal; better to be without a disciple than to have a stupid one; and better to be without a wife than to have a bad one. (CNS 6.13). How can people be made happy in a petty kingdom? What peace can we expect from a rascal friend? What happiness can we have at home in the company of a bad wife? How can renown be gained by instructing an unworthy disciple? (CNS: 6.14).
• He who forsakes his own community and joins another perishes as the king who embraces an unrighteous path. (CNS: 11.2).
• If the king is virtuous, then the subjects are also virtuous. If the king is sinful, then the subjects also become sinful. If he is mediocre, then the subjects are mediocre. The subjects follow the example of the king. In short, as is the king so are the subjects. (CNS: 13.8).
• It is ruinous to be familiar with the king, fire, the religious preceptor, and a woman. To be altogether indifferent of them is to be deprived of the opportunity to benefit ourselves, hence our association with them must be from a safe distance. (CNS: 14.10).
• We should always deal cautiously with fire, water, women, foolish people, serpents, and members of a royal family; for they may, when the occasion presents itself, at once bring about our death. (CNS: 14.11).
• 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. (CNS: 17.19).

ON WOMEN/WIFE AND SONS

ON WOMEN/WIFE

• ON WOMEN/WIFE
• A wicked wife, a false friend, a saucy servant and living in a house with a serpent in it are nothing but death. (CNS: 1.5).
• A wise man should marry a virgin of a respectable family even if she is deformed. He should not marry one of a low-class family, through beauty. Marriage in a family of equal status is preferable. (CNS: 1.14).
• Give your daughter in marriage to a good family, engage your son in learning, see that your enemy comes to grief, and engage your friends in dharma.( CNS: 3.3)
• When one is consumed by the sorrows of life, three things give him relief: offspring, a wife, and the company of the Lord's devotees.( CNS:4.10)
• She is a true wife who is clean (suci), expert, chaste, pleasing to the husband, and truthful. (CNS:4.13)
• What is it that escapes the observation of poets? What is that act women are incapable of doing? What will drunken people not prate? (CNS: 10.4) (None).
• One single object (a woman) appears in three different ways: to the man who practices austerity it appears as a corpse, to the sensual it appears as a woman, and to the dogs as a lump of flesh. (CNS: 14.15).
• 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? (CNS:17.20)
• If we take Chanakya’s maxim ‘What is that act women are incapable of doing?’in a positive spirit, for the woman, probably ‘the sky is the limit’.
  
• ON SONS
• He whose son is obedient to him, whose wife's conduct is in accordance with his wishes, and who is content with his riches, has his heaven here on earth. (CNS: 2.3).
• They alone are sons who are devoted to their father. He is a father who supports his sons. He is a friend in whom we can confide, and she only is a wife in whose company the husband feels contented and peaceful. (CNS: 2.4).
• Wise men should always bring up their sons in various moral ways, for children who have knowledge of niti-sastra and are well-behaved become a glory to their family. (CNS: 2.10).
  v Those parents who do not educate their sons are their enemies; for as is a crane among swans, so are ignorant sons in a public assembly. (CNS: 2.11).
• Many a bad habit is developed through overindulgence, and many a good one by chastisement, therefore beat your son as well as your pupil; never indulge them. ("Spare the rod and spoil the child.") (CNS: 2.12).
• As a whole forest becomes fragrant by the existence of a single tree with sweet-smelling blossoms in it, so a family becomes famous by the birth of a virtuous son. (CNS: 3.14). (Similarly) as a single withered tree, if set aflame, causes a whole forest to burn, so does a rascal son destroy a whole family. (CNS: 3.15).
• As night looks delightful when the moon shines, so is a family gladdened by even one learned and virtuous son. (CNS: 3.16). What is the use of having many sons if they cause grief and vexation? It is better to have only one son from whom the whole family can derive support and peacefulness. (CNS: 3.17). A single son endowed with good qualities is far better than a hundred devoid of them. For the moon, though one, dispels the darkness, which the stars, though numerous, cannot. (CNS: 4.6).
• Fondle a son until he is five years of age, and use the stick for another ten years, but when he has attained his sixteenth year treat him as a friend. (CNS: 3.18).
• What good is a cow that neither gives milk nor conceives? Similarly, what is the value of birth of a son if he becomes neither learned nor a pure devotee of the Lord? (CNS: 4.9).

Probably, we should not have any reservations for treating our kids like a darling for the first five years, discipline them up to their age fifteen, and treat them like a friend after sixteen. No doubt, if you have disciplined them very well and discharged your initial ‘bringing up’ responsibility effectively, your grown up children are your best friends.