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Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Wisdom of Chanakya

Chanakya (Famous Indian Politician, Strategist and Writer, 350 BC-283 BC) was an adviser and a prime minister to the first Maurya Emperor Chandragupta (340-293 BC), and architect of his rise to power. Kautilya and Vishnugupta, the names by which the political treatise Artha´shastraidentifies its author, are traditionally identified with Chanakya. Some scholars consider Chanakya to be "the pioneer economist of the world" and the "the Indian Machiavelli". Chanakya was a professor at Taxila or Takshashila) University and is widely believed to be responsible for the first Indian empire.

Works: Three books are attributed to Chanakya's Arthashastra, Nitishastra and Chanakya Niti. TheArthashastra discusses monetary and fiscal policies, welfare, international relations, and war strategies in detail. Many of his nitis or policies have been compiled under the book title Chanakya Niti. Nitishastra is a treatise on the ideal way of life, and shows Chanakya's in-depth study of the INDIAN WAY OF LIFE.

A judicious application of Chanakya's wisdom has taught to separate milk from water. His teachings are like the confronting hand of a mother like a raft to save you from floundering in the ocean of life.

Chanakya is a strong character and great teacher. His message is ageless in quality inspiring both for individuals and nations.

Chanakya's wisdom contains enough illustrations to prove his farsightedness, keenness of perception and infallibility which is important for an astrologer!!

1. Unheated metal does not coalesce with metal

One of the precepts of life is that unlike types do not unite. Unheated metal cannot combine with heated metal. Similarly, a person who is fired with ambition and the desire to achieve would not be able to function properly with one who is passive and lacks the drive to do much in life. It should always be remembered that when establishing a force, a team or an army, the leaders would always look for people with similar temperaments or backgrounds. This would ensure that there would be least disparity, conflict and everyone be able to exist in harmony with one another.

While there is no doubt about the fact that each individuals has his own unique qualities, there is also, the fact that in a team, if everyone is starkly different from each other, the result would be chaos and discord, Hence, to ensure balance and co-operation, similar attributes should be tapped to form successful and high achieving teams, thereby strengthening the belief that unheated metal does not coalesce with metal.

2. An unbaked vessel on colliding with another unbaked vessel gets destroyed.

When two equally unprepared and unsuitable opponents clash with each other, both would be destroyed in the ensuing battle. It is essential that out of the two parties, at least one should be prepared well and able to take on the other.

The saying that an unbaked vessel on colliding with another unbaked vessel gets destroyed holds true in every situation. Battles have been fought since time immemorial; however, if these battles weren't between a superior and an unequal, they wouldn't have been successful.

Even when competing against each other, if the competitors are not prepared for the competition, it would make little sense for them to participate. One should always be prepared properly before entering into any kind of rivalry or fight with another.

3. One should not wear provocative clothes.

If one does not want to be the recipient of unwanted and undesirable attention, one should take care to dress in a sober and conservative manner. "Clothes makes a man." This saying has great truth in it. A man is known by the kind of clothes he wears and therefore, should take care in dressing with sensibility and modesty. Fashion may be followed but not at the cost of offending the sensibilities of other members of society. By wearing provocative clothes, one attracts unnecessary attention and incurs problems of various sorts. Both men and women must practice prudence while selecting their attire and conveying an impression of tradition and purity.

Clothes carry an immense significance in man's life and therefore, should be worn intelligently. It is, indeed, possible for one to be stylish yet sensible. One can wear any kind of clothes as long as they are not offensive for others.

Since man is an integral unit of society, he does need to pay heed to what would be appreciated by his society. He should place his tastes, preferences and comfort first, yet he should not ignore the norms and modes of his society as well. All in all, he should be able to make a distinction and use his attire to impress and not to offend.

4. Advancement and decay are dependent on oneself.

Whether one progresses or declines in life is largely dependent upon one's own self. No one is responsible for your success or failure and if people blame fate, destiny or other people, they are merely being escapists. One should be graceful enough to accept one's success and failure alike as one's own doing. Life presents us with a variety of opportunities. It is in our hands to make use of these chances and take the most out of them.

5. One addicted to gambling does not accomplish anything.

The habit of gambling has been known as the worst habit since ancient times. Rulers have lost their kingdoms due to gambling. It is the one habit which would most certainly take its addict to ruin and despair.

6. One addicted to vices does not accomplish task.

An individual who is addicted to bad habits-smoking, drinking, drugs, gambling, would not be able to achieve his goals and targets. He would waste away his time, energy and resources in satiating these habits and wouldn't be in a position to move ahead in life. He would leave work undone and not take on anything new and challenging. It is essential that one stay away from all vices and lead a life of hard work and virtue so as to achieve all of one's goals and reach a worthy position.

7. One should not imitate the ways of God's.

Man is man and can never be God. Therefore, he should not try and copy the ways of God. Man should not try to become the maker or destroyer of people's lives and destinies. He should always keep utmost faith in the power of the Almighty and never should he try to don the mantle of being all-powerful omnipotent.

There is a supreme power above us all and this is the power that governs the earth, the universe and all the beings, therein.

8. The strong one tries to get what has not been attained.

A person who is not scared of failure, hardship and suffering would have the physical and mental strength to endure all circumstances and achieve one's goal, no matter how difficult it may seem.

9. One who is affectionate in difficulties is the friend. In the acquisition of allies one develops strength.

One who would stand by us during our times of distress and difficulty. One who would see us through the good and the bad times is surely one who is a true friend and not a fair weather one. Such a friend is to be cherished and honored. He deserved our love and loyalty.

10. One wheel does not move.

Man needs other beings in order to survive, to work, to prosper. He cannot function in isolation. In every situation that man faces he needs the help and guidance from others. We need them so that we can continue to exist as normal, successful, social human beings.

11. With wisdom one can prosper.

The secret of prosperity lies not in how much of money does a person have but in how wise and intelligent is he. What eventually determines the fortune of a person is how much sense he shows in making his fortune work for him. One should, therefore, strive to acquire as much knowledge and education as possible from diverse spheres and by interacting with people from all walks of life, and apply all that one learns to one's own life and experiences and it would soon, be seen that it become easy to achieve targets and goals. Needless to say that when this happens, prosperity automatically would be your companion and fortune would smile upon you always.

12. Victory over senses is the root of states.

How would one attain an ideal state of mind? The answer is simply by attaining control over one's senses. The five main senses of man rule and define his existence on this Earth and in this World. How and what he sees, hears, tastes, feels and touches define his state of mind. If he sees pleasing and happy sights, his state of mind would be one of peace and contentment. If he sees the opposite, he would feel the opposite.

  • When there are many enemies, treaty should be entered into with one.
  • One's security should be guarded from the enemy.
  • The weak should seek refuge in the strong.
  • Refuge in the weak results in sorrow.
  • A ruler should be approached like fire.
  • When two persons quarrel, one should maintain an attitude of duplicity.
  • Even one with a fourfold army is destroyed if he is a slave of the senses.
  • The lust ridden cannot perform his task.
  • Prosperity abandons one who is satisfied with wealth.
  • A little effort accomplishes the task.
  • A man is great by deeds, not by birth.
  • We should not fret for what is past, nor should we be anxious about the future, men of discerment deal only with the present moment.
  • Never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy it.
  • As soon as the fear approaches near, attach and destroy it.
  • Righteousness is the root of happiness.
  • The state is the root of wealth.
  • Humility is the root of sense control.
  • Worship of elders is the root of humility.
  • Wisdom results from the worship of elders.
  • The prosperous one becomes the victorious one.
  • Economic prosperity creates prosperity for the people.
  • If the people are prosperous even a leaderless state can be governed.
  • To be without a master is better than having an arrogant master.
  • After equipping oneself fully, one should seek an ally.
  • Defection to the enemy takes place due to negligence.
  • Ministerial advice should be kept secret from all quarters.Getting what has not been got, guarding it, developing it and then distributing it-these four constitute state policy.
  • Friendship and enmity results from some cause.
  • The one who is facing defeat should make peace.
  • Power is the cause of alliances.
  • One should not fight with a superior or equal.
  • A task in which an expedient is used is not difficult to achieve.