15 Chanakya Quotes On Friendship From Chanakya Niti
Last Updated on July 18, 2022
Chanakya was a major contributor to the establishment of the Maurya Empire and a leader in the disciplines of political science and mainstream economics in India. He was brought up in a Brahman family and completed his schooling at Taxila.
Chanakya, who was also known as Kautilya, served as a prime minister during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Mauryan Empire, who ruled from around 321 to approximately 297 BCE (24 years). His teachings, which have been compiled into two books, Arthashastra (“The Science of Material Gain”) and Chanakya Niti, have made him famous as a philosopher, economist, jurist, and adviser to the king.
It is widely believed that Chanakya used the Arthashastra to prepare Chandragupta to become an emperor. Even though the Chanakya Niti contains many valuable lessons, we will focus on Chanakya’s most insightful quotes about friendship.
Let’s take a look at some of the best Chanakya quotes on friendship.
Chanakya Quotes On Friendship From Chanakya Niti
1. “Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth.” – Chanakya
2. “Do not put your trust in a bad companion nor even trust an ordinary friend, for if he should get angry with you, he may bring all your secrets to light.” – Chanakya
3. “Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness.” – Chanakya
4. “Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife is misfortune.” – Chanakya
5. “Just as a mirror reflects as a mans face his personality is reflected in his choice of friends. One must always be careful in forming friendships and acquaintances, for one’s friends, are in a way, an extension of one’s inner inclinations and tendencies.” – Chanakya
6. “Wealth, a friend, a wife, and a kingdom may be regained, but this body when lost may never be acquired again.” – Chanakya
7. “Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status . Such friendships will never give you any happiness” – Chanakya
8. “There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth.” – Chanakya quotes on friendship
9. “Till the enemy’s weakness is known , he should be kept on friendly terms.” – Chanakya
10. “Do not inhabit a country where you are not respected, cannot earn your livelihood, have no friends, or cannot acquire knowledge.” – Chanakya
11. “He who befriends a man whose conduct is vicious whose vision impure, and who is notoriously crooked, is rapidly ruined.” – Chanakya
12. “A true son is obedient, a true father is loving, and a true friend is honest” – Chanakya
13. “The enemy’s enemy is a friend.” – Chanakya
14. “Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends.” – Acharya Chanakya
15. “Never make a liar your friend. The person who lies can do anything to prove his point to be true. A liar has never been faithful to anyone in the world and neither will he be.” – Acharya Chanakya
What Chanakya Say About Friendship?
The above quotes from Chanakya should have given you some insight into his views on friendship.
But if we take a different view, Chanakya believed that a true friend is someone who tells you the truth regardless of whether it benefits him or if it fits to your expectations.
For Acharya Chanakya, it was more vital to have trustworthy friends than to have a large number of unfaithful friend groups. The people you spend the most time with shape who you become, so it’s crucial to make good decisions when picking your friends in life. One of the most crucial reasons to surround yourself with loyal and genuine friends is that a dishonest friend can use your secrets against you in the form of blackmail or to damage your reputation.
I hope these friendship quotes from Chanakya Niti helps you in picking your besties wisely in order to live a peaceful life without stressing about friends you stab you from behind one day.
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