By: Tuhin Sarwar: 
Who was
Chanakya, what did he do, and why is he such a renowned figure? Most of us are
familiar with him. We often hear politicians say things like "India
operates according to Chanakya's principles" or "India's foreign
policy follows Chanakya's guidelines." We've read many articles about him
in newspapers and magazines. Therefore, I won't delve too deeply into his
background. I will only provide a brief overview.
Chanakya was
a distinguished economics, politics, social policy, and diplomacy teacher in
our subcontinent. At the same time, he served as the Prime Minister of the
Mauryan Empire. Around twenty-three centuries ago, he carried out his teachings
and activities on this land. Even as Prime Minister, he lived in a cremation
ground; he encouraged local kings to free their lands from foreign control and
led the battles himself.
Pseudonyms
also knew him; he was referred to as Kautilya or Vishnugupta. For those of us
who write under pseudonyms on blogs or Facebook, he can be considered a mentor.
What he started twenty-three centuries ago, we are still doing today. Surely,
even back then, there were people searching for his head and putting it in the
right place?
The main
purpose of my writing is not to promote him; rather, I aim to highlight his
timeless teachings which are just as relevant and true today, twenty-three
centuries later
Essence of
Chanakya's Principles:
1. A king
who cannot comprehend the movements of his enemies and merely complains about
being stabbed in the back should be dethroned.
2. All
endeavors depend on money.
Therefore,
the greatest attention should be given to the treasury. There are forty methods
of embezzling funds.
Just as one
cannot taste sweetness with poison on the tip of the tongue, it is equally
impossible for a royal official to avoid embezzling even a small portion of the
king's revenue.
Just as the
movement of fish underwater cannot be determined without seeing them drink or
not drink water, it is similarly impossible to observe the embezzlement of a
royal treasury.
The flight
of a bird can be observed even from the highest sky, but understanding the
secret activities of a royal official is equally impossible.
3. It is
appropriate to accept nectar from poison, gold from dirty places, knowledge
from lowly individuals, and a virtuous wife from a humble family.
4. Desires
of the mind should not be suppressed. These desires should be utilized like the
humming of a song.
5. For the
diligent, nothing is impossible to achieve. For an educated person, no land is
foreign. Sweet-tongued people have no enemies.
6. Even
among a vast herd of animals, the young one finds its mother. Similarly, work
always follows the one who performs it.
7. It is
meaningless to go to a sacred place with a pure mind.
What do you
understand? These are the teachings from twenty-three centuries ago! Has even
one of them been disproven today? Or have they become even more relevant in our
lives?
Now let's
discuss his various verses or teachings
Chanakya
Verses
1. Faults
cannot be concealed in excessive familiarity.
2. The lower
class seeks wealth, the middle class seeks wealth and
honor, while
the superior class seeks only honor. Honor is the wealth of the great.
3. Many
study the four Vedas and religious texts but do not know the self, just as a
cooking pot does not know the taste of cooking.
4. Advising
the empty-headed yields no result;
bamboo does
not turn into sandalwood by being near Malaya Mountain.
5. Neglect
destroys work, excessive eating ruins family, begging leads to loss of respect,
and poverty destroys intellect.
6. Knowledge
without practice, eating without digestion, wasting time in the company of the
poor, and a young wife for an old man are like poison.
7. There is
no enemy like arrogance.
8. The
movement of a bird flying in the sky can be known, but the activities of a
concealed worker cannot be known.
9. There are
many faults in giving affection, and many virtues in disciplining. Therefore,
it is necessary to discipline sons and disciples, not to give them affection.
10. The
certain path of disaster is the indulgence of the senses; the path to
prosperity is conquering them, and each person follows the path they desire
Source: MEDIUM
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