Avanti Bai, Queen of Ramgarh, 19th Century
Chapter - 15 of Chanakya's Treatise on Policies for Kings & Ministers
 

Translation:
What does the person whose heart melts with compassion for all living beings, have to do with knowledge, freedom from cycle of re-birth, long hair, and rubbing ash on the body?

Commentary:
[The purpose of religion is to teach compassion towards all living beings. The person who has this quality, does not need religious practices like knowledge of scriptures, aiming for freedom from cycle of re-birth, keeping long hair, and rubbing ash on the body. The last two are practiced by some Hindu saints.]

Translation:
There is no thing in this world by giving which the disciple can become free of the obligation of the teacher who teaches even one alphabet.

Translation:
There are only two ways of reacting to villains and thorns. Crush them with shoes or take them afar and immerse them.

Commentary:
[Villains should either be taught such a lesson by tough punishment that they dare not repeat their action or kept so far away that they are unable to cause any damage.]

Translation:
The Goddess of Wealth abandons a person whose clothes are dirty, teeth are dirty, who eats too much, speaks harshly, sleeps from sunrise to sunset, even if he be her own husband.

Commentary:
[Here is centuries old advice on business etiquettes. For doing business successfully & becoming wealthy one must wear clean clothes, have hygienic habits like clean teeth, eat frugally, speak sweetly, and work hard. In absence of these people will not like to transact business with you. In other words, be presentable and soft spoken, which applies today also.]

Translation:
Friends abandon a person when he loses his wealth as do servants, relatives, and even wife. Later if wealth comes again they come again, which means that in this world wealth is a person's true friend.

Translation:
Wealth obtained from unjust means remains for 10 years. In 11th year that increased wealth is destroyed along with the principal.

Commentary:
[Unjust means would include oppression by king, robbery, theft, gambling, cheating. In those days adopting such unjust means did not pay for long. Today there are more secure institutions for saving & investment so such wealth may unfortunately remain longer than 10 years! Do not earn wealth through unjust means.]

Translation:
The incompetent becomes competent due to the able master. Competent is spoilt due to a lowly master. Nectar went to Demon Rahu and caused his death, poison went to God Shiva and became his ornament.

Commentary:
[Under leadership of a good commander, an ordinary group of soldiers can achieve great victories. Under the control of a crude commander, a well trained army can be demoralized and loose the battle. This applies to inanimate things & their owners as well as human beings & their leaders. Again an example from Hindu mythology is given.]

Translation:
Food that is left after feeding the priest is food, affection which is given to others is affection, wisdom that does not commit sin is wisdom, and religion which is practiced without pride is religion.

Commentary:
[Here is the definition of rightful food, genuine affection, true wisdom, and correct way of practicing religion. The priests in olden days survived on food donated to them by citizens hence there was emphasis on first feeding the priests and then eating oneself. Giving affection to "others" should be taken to mean "other than our immediate family members".]

Translation:
Even if a jewel is lying in feet and glass is carried on the head; still at the time of sale-purchase, jewel remains jewel and glass remains glass.

Commentary:
[It is possible that due to circumstances a competent and able person may not be having the recognition he deserves whereas a less capable person may occupy a high position. However, sooner or later when discerning people need an able person, the former will be recognized.]

Translation:
Scriptures are vast & endless, fields of knowledge are many. However, life is short and has many obstacles also. So take the useful things like the swan drinks only milk from mixture of milk & water, leaving the water.

Translation:
The person who eats food before showing proper hospitality to the person who has come tired from afar to his home or to visitor who has come without selfish motive to his home, is called a chandal (member of the lowest amongst the four castes in Hindus).

Commentary:
[This verse reflects the importance given to guests and hospitality in Hindus.]

Translation:
The fool is not able to understand the meaning of soul even after reading the four Vedas (scriptures of Hindus), just as the cooking ladle is unable to taste the food even though immersed in it all the time.

Translation:
Priests guide us in navigating our life in this world, like the boat helps us to cross the sea. Blessed is this boat but it is opposite of physical boat. Persons who sit below the boat cross the sea but those who sit above fall down.

Commentary:
[The priest is compared with the boat here. In ancient times they lived on donations given by people out of respect or in return for religious ceremonies they facilitated. They were the conscious keepers in ancient society. People who are under the influence of priests, figuratively who are below the boat, prosper in life. But those who insult them, figuratively sit above them, are sunk].

Translation:
Moon is the storehouse of nectar, it is the giver of all medicines, its body is made of nectar, and it is lustrous. During the day when it comes into sun's area, it loses its luster. Who does not become small on coming into another's home?

Commentary:
[Staying in another's home, dependence on others makes one very small. Even nectar cannot protect the moon and it becomes small when in sun's home.]

Translation:
Ali, the large black bee, lived in the middle of clusters of lotuses, and lazily drank the juice of lotuses. Due to destiny, it had to go to another country and now it thinks that the juice of kuraj flower is also great.

Commentary:
[When staying in another's house, or another country, one should be thankful on getting basic necessities.]

Translation:
Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, says: I shall always remain dejected with priestly families and will remain out of homes where a priest is the head because a priest on becoming angry drank the sea, my father; another priest on becoming agitated kicked my husband. From childhood itself they have on their lips the name of my enemy Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge; and everyday they uproot lotuses, which are my home, for offering to God Shiva during prayer.

Commentary:
[Priests can never be rich & are destined to be poor. The reasons are poetically stated with stories from Hindu mythology. Agasthaya, a priest, drank the sea, which is considered as the father of Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. Bhrigu, another priest, had kicked Lakshmi's husband in chest. From childhood, the children of priests want to acquire knowledge and therefore pray to Saraswati, who is the Goddess of Knowledge, her competitor or enemy. The priests everydaypluck lotus flowers for placing at feet of God Shiva's statue when praying. Since, Lakshmi, sits on lotus flower, plucking it amounts to destroying her home. So she is dejected with priests and has decided to leave any home where a priest is the head.]

Translation:
There are many types of bondages but bondage by the thread of love is different. Bhavara, the large black bee, which is an expert in making a hole in a wood, becomes passive inside the lotus flower, which is very soft compared to wood.

Commentary:
[The large black bee can pierce the hardest wood. In the evening it goes inside the lotus flower and sleeps. It does not harm the soft lotus flower because the lotus has tied the bee with the thread of love. Similarly, a ferocious or cruel warrior may be quite harmless, if not helpless, in front of his mother or his beloved because they have tied him with the thread of love.]

Translation:
Sandalwood does not leave it's fragrance even after being cut, king elephant in a herd does not leave its sports & exploits even on becoming old, sugarcane does not leave its sweetness even on being crushed in a mechanical device; similarly persons belonging to good family do not leave their good behavior & qualities even during difficult times.

Translation:
You have easily lifted one small mountain in your hands and only for this you are called Goverdhan in heaven and earth. You hold the three worlds and I hold you in front of my breasts but this is not counted. What is the use of speaking more? Keshav, is fame also bestowed due to good deeds in past lives?

Commentary:
[A person's fame does not solely depend on his actions in current life, but also on the good deeds done in previous lives. So one must do good deeds because they accumulate over several lives. This is said very beautifully using a story from Hindu mythology. Krishna - who has two more names viz. Goverdhan and Keshav - was an incarnation of God on earth. He is famous for lifting a mountain. When he was a child, the young girls of neighborhood used to play with him holding him in their arms in front of their breasts. So a young girl observes: "I lifted the one who lifted the mountain but I did not become famous for this greater deed of mine."]

Lakshmi Vilas Palace, Udiapur, Rajasthan

References


[1] Chanakya Neeti, Ashwini Parashar, New Delhi, 1998.
[2] Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, R.S. McGregor (Edited), New Delhi, 1999.
[3] Bhargava's Concise Dictionary of the English Language (Anglo-Hindi Edition), R. C. Pathak (Edited), Varanasi, 1995