Read these powerful Chanakya quotes, sayings, and proverbs that are timeless and very relevant to life, love, leadership, money, and more.
These deep and insightful sayings are curated from his famous work Artha-shastra and Chanakya Niti which will make you successful and are very impactful.
Acharya Chanakya was an ancient Indian polymath who was active as a teacher, author, strategist, philosopher, economist, jurist, and royal advisor.
Who was Chanakya?
Chanakya, also called Kautilya or Vishnugupta, Hindu statesman and philosopher who wrote a classic treatise on polity, Artha-shastra (“The Science of Material Gain”) and Chanakya Niti, a collection of aphorisms written by Chanakya
Artha-shastra is a compilation of almost everything that had been written in India up to his time regarding “artha” (property, economics, or material success).
He was born into a Brahman family and received his education at Taxila. Chanakya assisted the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta in his rise to power and is widely credited for having played an important role in the establishment of the Maurya Empire.
Also See: Words Of Wisdom
Chanakya is regarded as a great thinker and diplomat in India. His wise words are full of wisdom, life experiences, and strategies that will help you be successful in all aspects of life.
Chanakya served as the chief advisor to both emperors Chandragupta and his son Bindusara.
Also, read our post on the Art of War quotes and 48 Laws of Power quotes for daily positive reminders to start your day!
Top 10 Chanakya Quotes From Chanakya Niti
- “A man is great by deeds, not by birth.” – Chanakya
quotes of chanakya
- “One who can’t determine his goals; cannot win.” – Chanakya
- “Till the enemy’s weakness is known, he should be kept on friendly terms.” – Chanakya
- “Those base men who speak of the secret faults of others destroy themselves like serpents that stray onto ant hills.” – Chanakya
- “Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife is misfortune.” – Chanakya
- “The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the directions of the wind. But, the goodness of a person spreads in all directions.” – Chanakya
- “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.” – Chanakya
- “Avoid him who talks sweetly before you but tries to ruin you behind your back, for he is like a pitcher full of poison with milk on top.” – Chanakya
- “Once you start working on something don’t be afraid of failure and don’t abandon it . People who work sincerely are the happiest.” – Chanakya
- “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.” – Chanakya
Best Chanakya Quotes For Wisdom
Chanakya was blessed with extreme intelligence and great intellect. He is still famous for his mental strength, plans, and strategies that made him win battles with his brain.
Also See: Clever Quotes
His famous work is translated into many languages including English, and Hindi with PDF versions to enlighten everyone with insightful perspectives about love, life, and power.
- “Humbleness is at the root of self-control.” – Chanakya
- “Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous.” – Chanakya
quotes from chanakya
- “Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person.” – Chanakya
- “Skills are called hidden treasure as they save like a mother in a foreign country.” – Chanakya
- “God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your God. The soul is your temple.” – Chanakya
- “Never settle for anything less than what you deserve. It’s not pride, it’s self-respect.” – Chanakya
famous chanakya quotes
- “The biggest guru-mantra is: never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you.” – Chanakya
chanakya quotes success
- “Even if a gem be placed on the foot and a mirror on the head, Still, the gem will not lose its value.” – Chanakya
- “A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and honest people are screwed first.” – Chanakya
Best Chanakya Quotes
- “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.” – Chanakya
- “Don’t judge the future of a person based on his present conditions, because time has the power to change black coal to shiny diamond.” – Chanakya
- “The happiness and peace attained by those satisfied by the nectar of spiritual tranquility is not attained by greedy persons restlessly moving here and there.” – Chanakya
- “God dwells not in the wooden, or stone or earthen idols. His abode is in our feeling, our thoughts. It is only through the feeling that we deem God existing in these idols.” – Chanakya
- “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.” – Chanakya
- “A person who is aware of future troubles, and fight against them with his intelligence will be always happy. And a person who remains inactive (without working ) waiting for good days to come will destroy his own life.” – Chanakya
Famous Chanakya Quotes For Success
- “The wealth earned by unjust means will perish for sure.” – Chanakya
- “A person who cannot decide his goal, simply cannot win.” – Chanakya
- “It is the mind of man alone that is the cause of his bondage or freedom.” – Chanakya
chanakya quotes images
- “Accumulated wealth is saved by spending just as incoming fresh water is saved by letting out stagnant water.” – Chanakya
- “Give your wealth only to the worthy and never to others. The water of the sea received by the clouds is always sweet.” – Chankya
- “Wealth, a friend, a wife, and a kingdom may be regained, but this body when lost may never be acquired again.” – Chanakya
- “Sometimes You have to suffer in life, not because You were bad but because You didn’t realize where to stop being good.” – Chanakya
- “Do not inhabit a country where you are not respected, cannot earn your livelihood, have no friends, or cannot acquire knowledge.” – Chanakya
- “Time perfects men as well as destroys them. Time is in nobody’s hand. Nobody is friend or enemy to none. Time makes everyone friend and enemy.” – Chanakya
- “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.” – Chanakya
- “Just like a tree laden with scented flowers spreads fragrance in the whole forest. Similarly, a worthy son brings glory to the whole family, community, and the country.” – Chanakya
- “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.” – Chanakya
- “Once a man’ ambition is kindled, nothing can stop him. For a businessman, no country can be too far. For a wise man, there is no such thing as a foreign land. He is at home wherever he goes.” – Chanakya
- “Before you start some work always ask yourselves three questions why I am doing it, what the results might be and will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.” – Chanakya
- “Just as a mirror reflects as a mans face his personality is reflected in his choice of friends. One must always be careful in forming friendships and acquaintances, for one’s friends, are in a way, an extension of one’s inner inclinations and tendencies.” – Chanakya
Popular Quotes By Chanakya On Knowledge
- “No one can defeat a powerful mind.” – Chanakya
chanakya quotes
- “We return evil for evil, in which there is no sin, for it is necessary to pay a wicked man in his coin.” – Chanakya
- “There are three gems upon this earth, food, water, and pleasing words — fools consider pieces of rocks as gems.” – Chanakya
- “Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth.” – Chanakya
- “A wise person grooms his child carefully because only an educated person with high morale is given true respect in society.” – Chanakya
- “The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, time and ability.” – Chanakya
- “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.” – Chanakya
- “You can guess the origin of a person through his behavior, his native place via his tone, and his food intake by looking at the size of his belly.” – Chanakya
- “A guru who shows his disciple the path of righteousness leaves a huge debt. It cannot be paid back as none of the physical objects is so precious.” – Chanakya
- “A learned man is honored by the people. A learned man commands respect everywhere for his learning. Indeed, learning is honored everywhere.” – Chanakya
- “Knowledge is like holy kamdhenu and is like a tree that bears fruit in every season. In unknown territories, it provides protection and brings you rewards.” – Chanakya
- “Knowledge is lost without putting it into practice; a man is lost due to ignorance; an army is lost without a commander; and a woman is lost without a husband.” – Chanakya
- “One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth is in the possession of others can use neither knowledge nor wealth when the need for them arises.” – Chanakya
- “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, which the stars, though numerous, do not.” – Chanakya
- “One small chain is enough to control a large elephant. A small lamp is enough to erase the darkness. A Thunderbolt is enough to crush a large mountain. Your body, shape, size, beauty are not important. Only your strength and confidence are important…” – Chanakya
Chanakya Quotes On Love & Relationship
- “There is no disease so destructive as lust.” – Chanakya
- “A true son is obedient, a true father is loving, and a true friend is honest.” – Chanakya
- “Drop the idea that attachment and love are one thing. They are enemies. It is attachment that destroys all love.” – Chanakya
Chanakya Quotes on love
- “As a single withered tree, if set aflame, causes a whole forest to burn, so does a rascal son destroy a whole family.” – Chanakya
- “There are two ways to deal with thorns and wicked people. One is to crush them, and the other is to stay away from them.” – Chanakya
- “There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth.” – Chanakya
- “Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness.” – Chanakya
- “He who befriends a man whose conduct is vicious whose vision impure, and who is notoriously crooked, is rapidly ruined.” – Chanakya
- “It is imprudent to advise a fool, care for a woman with bad character and to be in the company of a lethargic and unhappy person.” – Chanakya
- “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.” – Chanakya
- “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.” – Chanakya
- “We have to make people soft who are hard, to attract those who are far, if they do bad for us then even considering our aim we should always love them.” – Chanakya
- “A good wife is one who serves her husband in the morning like a mother does, loves him in the day like a sister does and pleases him like a prostitute in the night.” – Chanakya
- “Treat your kid 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. Your grown-up children are your best friends.” – Chanakya
- “Physically beautiful woman can give you pleasure to only one night. But mentally beautiful woman gives you pleasure for lifetime. It’s a good idea to accept the person who is beautiful from the mind.” – Chanakya
Chanakya Quotes On Politics And Power
- “The enemy’s enemy is a friend.” – Chanakya
chanakya neeti quotes english
- “There is no present and future of the lazy.” – Chanakya
- “As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it.” – Chanakya
chanakya quotation
- “The world’s biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman.” – Chanakya
- “Learn from the mistakes of others….. you can’t live long enough to make them all yourselves.” – Chanakya
chanakya sayings
- “Never reveal what you have thought upon doing, but by wise council keep it secret being determined to carry it into execution.” – Chanakya
- “There are only two ways of dealing with the evil persons or thorns. Crush them under your boot or stay far away from them.” – Chanakya
- “A person or a ruler who executes his plans (of Public Welfare) after due consideration, The prosperity stands with him for a longer period.” – Chanakya
- “Of a rascal and a serpent, the serpent is the better of the two, for he strikes only at the time he is destined to kill, while the former at every step.” – Chanakya
- “The earth is supported by the power of truth, it is the power of truth that makes the sunshine and the winds blow, indeed all things rest upon truth.” – Chanakya
- “We should always speak what would please the man of whom we expect a favor, like the hunter who sings sweetly when he desires to shoot a deer.” – Chanakya
- “You can win over a greedy by offering money, a proud person by covering before him. You can win a foolish by agreeing with him and you can win a scholar by truth only.” – Chanakya
- “A man shouldn’t live in a place where people are not afraid of the law, are shameless, and there is no clever man, where people lack in kindness, and where exists no creativity or art.” – Chanakya
- “Too much beauty got Sita kidnapped, too much ego got Ravana killed and too much charity got Raja Bali in deep trouble. So too much of anything is bad. One should refrain from ‘too much’.” – Chanakya
- “If you were to choose between an evil person and a snake to keep company with, opt for the snake. Because the snake will bite you only in self defense but the evil person will put a bite for any reason and any time or always.” – Chanakya
Words Of Wisdom By Chanakya
- “For the moon, though one, dispels the darkness, which the stars, though numerous, can not.” – Chanakya
- “Many a bad habit is developed through over indulgence, and many a good one by chastisement.” – Chanakya
- “Sinfully acquired wealth may remain for ten years; in the eleventh year it disappears with even the original stock.” – Chanakya
- “Whoever helps you at the time of illness, misfortune, famines, and invasion is your true brother in the real sense.” – Chanakya
- “It is better to die than preserve life by incurring disgrace. The loss of life only pains a moment, but disgrace every day of one’s life.” – Chanakya
- “Money comes and goes, so is the youth. Life goes and goes the soul, nothing lasts forever. The only thing that stays firm is your faith.” – Chanakya
- “As long as your body is healthy and under control and death is distant, try to save your soul; when death is immanent what can you do?” – Chanakya
- “Moral excellence is an ornament for personal beauty; righteous conduct, for high birth; success for learning; and proper spending for wealth.” – Chanakya
- “A man who has mercy and compassion for all creatures is religious for sure. He does not require any religious symbol or sign to prove his religiousness.” – Chanakya
- “A man is born alone and dies alone; and he experiences the good and bad consequences of his karma alone; and he goes alone to hell or the Supreme abode.” – Chanakya
What Is Chanakya’s Philosophy?
According to Chanakya, a leader (king) is the face of a nation. He is a reflection of society since he is responsible for everything that is happening to society. The welfare of the people must be the ultimate goal of a king, who should strive for attaining this.
There are a lot of books, TV series, and movies made on Chanakya, and his popular book Chanakya Niti inspires leaders, entrepreneurs, and students to date with meaningful life lessons.
Don’t forget to read self-inspirational quotes and self-motivational quotes for daily positive reminders to start your day!
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