Chanakyaniti – Rules to live by – Chapter 8

Chanakyaniti is rules to live by. Chanakya niti outline the guideline about how to behave in different scenarios.

Those who desire only wealth belong to lowest class of people. Who desire wealth and respect are above them. The men who desire honor and respect are superior to all.
Like a lamp consumes darkness and produces soot, in similar manner the offspring of a person reflect the kind of food consumed by him. (Money must be earned from right sources )
O God, wealth must go in hands of good people. Water in sea is saline, but the water in cloud gives life to all living creatures. In same way the money in hands of good person brings happiness to others, while in hands of wicked ….
One foreign invader is filthy as a thousand scavengers.
One must take bath thoroughly after oil massage, hair cut, sex and attending funeral to become pure.
Education will be useless until it is not put to some practical use. The life of an uneducated person is a total waste. Similar is the case with an army without commander and a wife without husband.
It is a great tragedy to a man whose wife passes in old age, whose money is taken by relative, and who lives on food of others.
Studying Vedas without performing Yajna is useless and performing Yajna without charity is also useless. Person’s spirit must be fully committed while performing religious acts.

Idol of God made of wood, stone or metal must be worshiped as if God is really present in it. God blesses according to the faith you have in him.
God is not present in idols and stones. God resides in soul of all people. Where people pray with full devotion God exists there.
No blessing is bigger than peace. No joy is bigger than contentment.There is no religion bigger than mercy. For a man greed is the worse disease.
Anger is like death. Feeling of revenge is like river of agony. Education provides everything to a man and, feeling contentedness is a great blessing.
Good qualities enhance the beauty of a person, genteelness adds to glory of ones family. practical implementation is the biggest tribute to education, and wise expenditure is a great tribute to ones wealth.
A man with beauty, but no talent is useless. A person with ill-manners brings shame to family. Like money not spent wisely is a waste, so is the education that cannot be applied.
Following are considered pious; water coming from ground, an honest wife, a king caring for his subjects, and a Brahmin without greed.
Following are most likely to destroy themselves; a greedy Brahmin, a contented (inactive) king, a coy prostitute, and shameless woman.

A great dynasty is not great if it lacks the presence of educated members. If a person of low birth has knowledge and wisdom then he must be respected like/by nobles.
Everyone respects wise men. They are rewarded with honor and money. A person can attain everything through knowledge. It is worshiped everywhere.
The Earth is in great pains as it is being crushed by animals (humans) like drunkards, idiots and uneducated.
Those Yajnas (religious acts) are like enemy which empty food coffers of a nations, are performed by priests not knowing the meaning of sacred verses, and by organizers who don’t do charity.