Well-spoken verses — timeless aphorisms from Sanskrit literature on virtue, knowledge, and the art of living.
अभिमानो धनं येषां चिरं जीवन्ति ते जनाः । अभिमानविहीनानां किं धनेन किमायुषा ॥
Those whose wealth is self-respect truly live long. For those who lack self-respect, what use is wealth, or even long life?
आचार्यात् पादमादत्ते पादं शिष्यः स्वमेधया । पादं सब्रह्मचारिभ्यः पादं कालक्रमेण च ॥
A quarter of knowledge is acquired from the teacher, a quarter from one's own intelligence, a quarter from fellow seekers, and the remaining quarter is taught by time in due course.
आदानस्य प्रदानस्य कर्तव्यस्य च कर्मणः । क्षिप्रमक्रियमाणस्य कालः पिबति तद्रसम् ॥
Debts to be collected, gifts to be given, duties to be performed: if not done promptly, time itself drinks away their essence.
आदौ संघटयेद् राष्ट्रं ततः कांक्षेत् समुन्नतिम् । संघशक्तिं विना राष्ट्रं कुतो वा कुत उन्नतिः ॥
First organize the nation, then aspire for progress. Without the strength of unity, where is the nation, and where is progress?
अधमा धनमिच्छन्ति धनं मानं च मध्यमाः । उत्तमा मानमिच्छन्ति मानो हि महतां धनम् ॥
The inferior desire only wealth; the middling seek wealth and honor both; the best desire only honor, for honor is the true wealth of the great.
अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम् । विविधाश्च पृथक्चेष्टा दैवं चैवात्र पञ्चमम् ॥
The seat of action, the doer, the various instruments, the many kinds of effort, and the divine will as the fifth: these are the five factors of action.
आदित्यस्य नमस्कारं ये कुर्वन्ति दिने दिने । जन्मान्तरसहस्रेषु दारिद्र्यं नोपजायते ॥
Those who salute the sun everyday will not inherit poverty over thousands of births. People who are punctual in their duties like the sun will never be poor.
अद्यापि दुर्निवारं स्तुतिकन्या वहति नाम कौमारम् । सद्भ्यो न रोचते सा असन्तः अपि अस्यै न रोचन्ते ॥
Even to this day the maiden named 'Praise' (Stuti) bears an inescapable maidenhood: the virtuous do not care for her (they dislike being praised), and she herself has no liking for the wicked (since no one praises them).
अग्निः शेषं ऋणं शेषं शत्रुशेषं तथैव च । पुनः पुनः प्रवर्धेत तस्मात् शेषं न कारयेत् ॥
A remnant of fire, a remnant of debt, and a remnant of an enemy: each grows back again and again. Therefore, never leave any remnant.
अहं च त्वं च राजेन्द्र लोकनाथावुभावपि । बहुव्रीहिरहं राजन् षष्ठीतत्पुरुषो भवान् ॥
The beggar tells the king: "We are both Lokanatha. In my case, people are my masters (Bahuvrihi compound); while the king is the master of the people (Shashthi Tatpurusha)."
अहन्यहनि भूतानि गच्छन्ति यमालयम् । शेषाः स्थावरमिच्छन्ति किमाश्चर्यमतः परम् ॥
Day after day, beings go to the abode of Death (Yama). Yet those who remain wish to stay forever. What greater wonder is there than this? (Yudhishthira's reply to the Yaksha.)
आहारनिद्राभयमैथुनं च सामान्यमेतत् पशुभिर्नराणाम् । धर्मो हि तेषामधिको विशेषः धर्मेण हीनाः पशुभिः समानाः ॥
Eating, sleeping, fear, and procreation: these are common to both animals and humans. Dharma alone is the distinguishing quality of humans; without dharma, they are equal to animals.
अहो दुर्जनसंसर्गात् मानहानिः पदे पदे । पावकः लोहसंगेन मुद्गरैरभिताड्यते ॥
Alas! From bad company, one loses honor at every step. Even fire (the purifier), through contact with iron, ends up being hammered repeatedly.
अज्ञः सुखमाराध्यः सुखतरमाराध्यते विशेषज्ञः । ज्ञानलवदुर्विदग्धं ब्रह्मापि नरं न रञ्जयति ॥
An ignorant person is easily convinced; an expert is even easier. But one possessing only a smattering of knowledge cannot be satisfied even by Brahma himself.
अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति । नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः ॥
The ignorant, the faithless, and the doubting self perish. For the one full of doubt, there is neither this world, nor the next, nor happiness.
अकारणं व्याकरणं तन्त्रीशब्दोऽप्यकारणम् । अकारणं त्रयो वेदास्तण्डुलास्तत्र कारणम् ॥
Grammar matters not, the sound of the lute matters not, the three Vedas matter not; rice alone is what truly matters to a hungry person.
अकस्माद्द्वेष्टि यो भक्तम् आजन्मपरिसेवितम् । न व्यञ्जने रुचिर्यस्य त्याज्यो नृप इवातुरः ॥
A king who suddenly despises a devotee who has served since birth, just as a sick person loses taste for food, should be abandoned like a hopeless patient.
अकिञ्चनत्वं राज्यं च तुलया समतोलयत् । अकिञ्चनत्वमधिकं राज्यादपि जितात्मनः ॥
When poverty and kingship were weighed on a balance, for one who has conquered the self, poverty outweighs even kingship.
अकृतप्रेमैव वरं न पुनः सञ्जातविघटितप्रेमा । उद्धृतनयनस्ताम्यति यथा हि न तथेह जातान्धः ॥
Better never to have loved than to have loved and lost, just as one born blind suffers less than one whose eyes have been gouged out.
आलस्यं हि मनुष्याणां शरीरस्थो महान् रिपुः । नास्त्युद्यमसमो बन्धुः कृत्वा यं नावसीदति ॥
Laziness is the greatest enemy dwelling within the human body. There is no friend equal to diligent effort; one who pursues it never comes to grief.