Chanakya's Chant Quotes
"In the happiness of his subjects lies the king's happiness, and in their welfare, his welfare."
"A ruler's duties are three. Raksha—protecting the state from external aggression; palana—maintenance of law and order within; and yogakshema—welfare of the people."
"It is the power of punishment alone, when exercised impartially in proportion to the guilt, and irrespective of whether the person punished is the crown prince or an enemy slave, that protects this world and the next."
"The root of wealth is economic activity, and lack of it brings material distress."
"A man who opens his mouth too often may end up meeting a tragic end, either from indigestion or execution!"
"We shall win because we're in the third stage of our four-stage struggle."
"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."
"The king doesn’t need the truth. What he most needs is something that he can tell the people."
"If we want people to have respect for the law, then we must first make the law respectable."
"Politics is war without bloodshed and war is simply politics with bloodshed."
"You can do much more with a kind word and a gun than a kind word alone."
"Character is what you are. Reputation is what people think you are."
"God will forgive me. That’s his job after all!"
"Negotiation must always be done from a position of strength, not weakness."
"The best person to advise one on how to protect a bank is a thief."
"The early bird gets the worm but it’s the second mouse that gets the cheese!"
"Ahimsa means non-violence. It takes a very brave man to face blows head-on."
"A free society is one where it’s safe to be unpopular."
"Who made you into a paper-pushing police commissioner, eh? You should have been a minister."
"Lord Rama renounced his kingdom and became the most powerful king in the land. Buddha renounced the world and the world fell at his feet. Please do not believe that renunciation is to forsake power. Rather, it's the very means to power!"
"It's foolish men who die for their country. The intelligent ones make others die for their country instead. Remember, he who plans and runs away, lives to fight another day."
"If ants are observed carrying boiled rice through the floor cracks of an uninhabited house, it must mean that there is cooked food beneath the floor."
"My guru is not one who can teach you about the renunciation of power, but he can certainly teach you about the power of renunciation!"
"The only difference being that you have your own lake!"
"Very often, one does not need to act, but simply give the impression that one is acting."
"I am humbled by your love. I am honoured by your respect. I am blessed by your support. I am energised by your enthusiasm."
"When you’re holding a man by the balls, his heart and mind will follow."
"Battles are won or lost before they are ever fought."
"Why should we battle one another, O Alexander? It is evident to me that you do not wish to rob us of our food or water, the only two necessities of life for which intelligent men will feel compelled to fight."
"Never interrupt the enemy while he's in the process of making a mistake."
"Ten soldiers wisely led will beat a hundred without a head."
"Between two evils you should always pick the one that you haven’t yet tried."
"Everyone leaves the world a better place, some merely by leaving."
"Never make the mistake of choosing from a suboptimal pool."
"A little inaccuracy sometimes saves a ton of explanation."
"The lesson for today, dear Rakshas, is that between two evils you should always pick the one that you haven’t yet tried."
"If a war-like situation persists, public sentiment will be with the government of the day. It always happens."
"War is all about deception. Direct force is a poor solution to any problem."
"I believe that information is like money. Better to retain it like a bank balance than spend it unwisely."
"Politicians are like diapers—they need to be changed frequently!"
"The winning side, my girl, the winning side."
"I don’t care. All that I want is for him to finalise his party’s candidate list for Uttar Pradesh."
"There’s always a war if you look closely enough."
"There’s no such thing as public opinion. There’s only published opinion and we must ensure that it’s in our favour."
"In politics there are no permanent friends or enemies."
"We simply need to treat Paurus as one would a beautiful woman."
"Remember that it’s often easier to get forgiveness rather than permission!"
"We shall not kill Phillipos. We shall merely identify his worst enemies and provide them with just cause to assassinate him!"
"Sometimes, to score a goal you have to kick the ball away from the goalpost."
"Bravery is simply being the only one who knows that you’re afraid."
"I need your help in winning without a fight."
"The true value of a person is not in what they own, but in their character and actions."
"Sometimes, the most powerful moves are those made in silence and secrecy."
"In the world of politics, appearances often mask the true intentions."
"One must be adaptable to survive in a constantly changing world."
"Trust is a fragile thing, easily broken and difficult to repair."
"In the pursuit of power, one must be willing to make sacrifices."
"Even in darkness, there can be light and hope."
"The past shapes us, but it is our choices that define us."
"By insulting us you have brought the wrath of Shiva upon you."
"If a snake isn’t poisonous, all the more reason that it should pretend to be so."
"Worry is like a rocking chair; it keeps you in motion, but gets you nowhere."
"Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer."
"Sometimes, kneeling keeps us in good standing."
"Political power hopes to control the economic resources of the country. Economic power hopes to control the politicians."
"Birds don’t build nests on fruitless trees, whores have no love for poor men, and citizens don’t obey a powerless king."
"It’s always the straight trees that are cut down while the crooked ones are left standing."
"Getting a will probated in India can take a few years."