Akbar the Great, Mughal Emperor, A Protector of Sanskrit Learning, 16th Century
Chapter - 9 of Chanakya's Treatise on Policies for Kings & Ministers
 

Translation:
If you want release from the cycle of rebirth then abandon sensual pleasures understanding that they are like poison and drink forgiveness, honesty & sincerity, compassion, cleanliness, truth as if they are nectar.

Translation:
The low persons, who having known the secrets of each other disclose them to others, are destroyed like the snake which is killed in its own hideout without getting a chance to escape.

Translation:
Gold does not have fragrance, sugarcane does not produce fruits, sandal wood tree does not bear flowers, learned scholars do not have wealth, and kings do not have long life. Did no one give this intelligence to Brahma (the creator of the world)?

Commentary:
[These are natural laws. Whether the creator has made wrong laws is a different issue.]

Translation:
Among all medicines giloya (a medicine used to treat fevers) is the chief, among all happiness food is the chief, among all sense organs eyes are chief, among all parts of the body head is the chief.

Translation:
A messenger cannot be sent into the sky nor can one talk to anyone there. No one has met the sun and the moon and no one has earlier told that eclipse will occur. Who will not say that the priest who can predict these is a learned scholar?

Commentary:
[This verse suggests that Chanakya lived in a time when people still were surprised at the ability of someone being able to predict lunar & solar eclipses.]

Translation:
Wake up these seven if they are asleep: student, servant, traveler, person who is extremely hungry, person who is very afraid, guard of store, and door keeper.

Translation:
Do not wake up these seven if they are asleep: serpent, tiger, lion, male child, another's dog, and the fool.

Translation:
Priest who studies the Vedas (Hindu scriptures) for earning money or who eats the food given by working class can do nothing, like a snake without poison can do nothing.

Commentary:
[Vedas are studied to get knowledge. The priest who studies them for earning money will not have the knowledge as he does not want it in the first place. He will not be respected or able to get donation of food from members of the three higher castes.He may be forced to eat food donated by members of the fourth & lowest caste. Such a priest is of no use.]

Translation:
A person on whose becoming offended there is no fear, on whose being pleased no money will come; who can neither punish nor reward; what will he do on being offended?

Commentary:
[If a person is neither in a high position nor is rich, he cannot do anything to you on being offended or enraged.]

Translation:
The snake without poison should also expand its hood. People become scared irrespective of whether poison is there or not.

Commentary:
[Every snake expands its hood for self protection irrespective of whether it has poison or not. Some show-off is necessary for survival in society, some show-off & anger must be done.]

Translation:
Learned scholars spend their morning on the subject of gambling, afternoon on the subject of woman, and evening on the subject of theft.

Commentary:
[This is indeed very beautifully said. It means that morning is spent studying the story of Mahabharata, a Hindu epic, which teaches about the consequences & ill effects of gambling. Afternoon is spent studying the story of Ramayana, another Hindu epic, which teaches how the desire for another man’s wife leads to death of a king. Evening is spent in studying the story of Krishna, a Hindu god. Krishna was very naughty & playful in childhood and along with other children used to steal & eat the butter made by his mother & ladies in neighborhood. The story depicts the love a mother has for her child. The epics named above have many things to teach, in fact each provides a complete philosophy of life.]

Translation:
Even the glory of Indras, King of Gods, would be reduced by using a garland made by his own hands, by using sandal-wood paste ground by himself, or by writing a poem about himself.

Commentary:
[If others garland you, apply sandal-wood paste, write a poem about you, these enhance your glory. If you garland yourself, grind & apply sandal-wood paste to yourself, and write poems about yourself then this will not enhance your glory. Glory is received from others. Self praise only belittles oneself.]

Translation:
The qualities of these increase by trampling them: sugarcane, sesame seed, person belonging to working class, wife, gold, earth, sandal wood, curd, betel.

Commentary:
[Crushing sugarcane gives juice & sugar, milling sesame seed gives oil, taking work from a working class person improves his efficiency, having sexual intercourse with wife keeps her young, beating gold converts it to ornament, plowing the earth makes it fertile, grinding sandal-wood gives us fragrant & medicinal paste, churning curd gives butter, and chewing the betel in mouth makes the mouth fresh. Toughness is not bad. In fact it can be good in many instances.]

Translation:
Being patient makes poverty look good, being clean makes bad clothes look good, being hot makes old food tasty, having a good nature & disposition makes an ugly man look good.

Commentary:
[Good qualities can over-shadow the weaknesses & short-comings that we have. Tradition says that Chanakya, the author of this book, was very ugly. In his younger days, he was invited to preside over a public worship ceremony arranged by King Nanda. King Nanda was shocked on seeing Chanakya's ugly face and Chanakya had to leave immediately. Later Chanakya became instrumental in overthrowing this king and became the Prime Minister of another great king.]

Akbar the Great, Mughal Emperor, A Protector of Sanskrit Learning, 16th Century

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