Chanakyaniti – Rules to live by – Chapter 13

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

Chapter 12 – List of Chapters – Chapter 14

  1. It is better to live a small life (three quarters of an hour) doing good deeds than living a sinful life for thousands of years. It is your acts that count, not your life span.
  2. One must not be afraid of future, nor shall regret upon past. Wise men concentrate on utilizing the present to frame a brighter future.
  3. Good people, your deity, and your father will not be demanding anything from you. You can satisfy your kith and kins by offering good food, and for satisfying a learned men a few polite words of wisdom will do the job.
  4. The nature of noble people is quite strange i.e. instead of acting arrogant upon attaining wealth they bow down in humility and act more modestly and respectfully.
  5. One must give up infatuation in order to remain happy and to gain control on life. Infatuation is the root cause of many troubles and worries.
  6. One who plans and prepares himself to face challenges and difficulties is most likely to succeed against them. On the other hand, if a man leaves everything on luck then he will perish for sure.



  7. If a king is religious then his subjects will also be religious, if a king is sinful then his subjects will also be sinful. Also, the subjects of a careless king will also be careless. The conclusion is that “As a king will be, so will be his subjects”
  8. A man without religion is living dead, while a religious man lives even after his death. [Also, to be noted that Chanakya said that “The greatest religion is of humanity”]
  9. Like the udders on neck of a goat are useless. In same manner, the life of a person is totally useless; if he has no wealth, no love, and is devoid of religion with no hope of salvation.
  10. It is characteristic of lowly people that they enjoy belittling successful people and envy them.
  11. The attitude of a person plays very significant role in his life. At instances he finds himself bound by the worldly desires and with a slight change in state-of-mind he can also set himself free.
  12. It is not possible to fulfill each and every desire. Your fate will not be able to serve them all. The solution is that the man must feel satisfied with whatever possessions he has. [Must not confuse it with state of inaction and feeling contented]
  13. Even in the herd of thousands, the calf finds its mother. In save way the acts of a person follow him i.e. you can’t run from your deeds.



  14. A disorganized person finds no peace no matter where he goes. In civilized society he faces the criticism of others and in the forest he feels lonely.
  15. Like you get water on digging, in same way on serving/comforting your guru you will gain knowledge. [There is a difference between preacher, teacher and Guru]
  16. Each individual gets rewarded as per his deeds. This is why wise men think about the outcome before indulging themselves into any task.
  17. One who don’t show respect to God, takes hundred births in yoni of a dog and then is born as a charlatan.
  18. In the end the mighty sumeru mountain will be uprooted from its base and the land will be wiped away by the sea. Even then the superior people will be stand firm on their resolve to fulfill their promises.



Chapter 12 – List of Chapters – Chapter 14