60 Mahabharata Wisdom: Quotes on War, Love, and the Journey of Life

Last Updated on December 30, 2022

The Mahabharata is an epic poem that tells the story of the Kuru dynasty in ancient India. It is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Ramayana.

The Mahabharata is considered one of the greatest works of literature in the world and is often referred to as the “fifth Veda” in Hinduism.

The story of the Mahabharata centers around a civil war that takes place between two branches of the Kuru dynasty: the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The Pandavas, who are the protagonists of the story, are the five sons of Pandu, the rightful king of the Kurus.

The Kauravas, on the other hand, are the 100 sons of Pandu’s brother, Dhritarashtra. The conflict between the two branches of the family ultimately leads to the great battle of Kurukshetra, in which the Pandavas emerge victorious.

via GIPHY

The Mahabharata is more than just a story of war and conflict, however. It is a complex and multi-layered work that touches on themes such as dharma (duty and moral responsibility), karma (cause and effect), and the nature of reality.

It is also filled with philosophical and spiritual teachings, as well as lessons on leadership, family dynamics, and the human condition.

Through this article, some of the best Mahabharata quotes on karma, dharma, love, war, and more.

60 Quotes From Mahabharata That Will Teach A Lot About Life, Hard Work, Friendships, And Love

1. “Men experience happiness and misery by turn. No man ever enjoys unmixed happiness. A wise man, possessing high wisdom, knowing that life has its ups and downs, is neither filled with joy nor with grief. When happiness comes, one should enjoy it, and when misery comes one should bear it.” – Mahabharata

2. “Whatever actions are performed by a man under whatever circumstances, he gets the fruits of those actions under whatever circumstances they may be performed.” – Mahabharata Quotes

3. “Anger is the enemy of men difficult to conquer and covetousness (greed) is the endless desire. A good man is one who seeks the welfare of all beings and a bad man is one who has no compassion or mercy.” – Mahabharata

4. “What is weightier (more sustaining) than the earth? – MotherWhat is higher than the sky? – Father (bestower of more benefits)What is swifter than the wind? – Mind What is more numerous than grass?-Thoughts (of a sorrow-stricken mind) are more numerous than grass.” – Mahabharata

5. “Men experience satisfaction and hopelessness by turn. No man actually appreciates unmixed satisfaction. An insightful man, having high shrewdness, realizing that life has its good and bad times, is neither loaded up with satisfaction nor with sadness. At the point when joy comes, one ought to appreciate it, and when wretchedness comes one should bear it.” 

– Mahabharata

6. “Men lose practical insight in things which concern their advantage.” – Mahabharata

7. “You have the right to perform your actions, but you are not entitled to the fruits of the actions. Do not let the fruit be the purpose of your actions, and therefore you won’t be attached to not doing your duty.” – Mahabharata

8. “Once war has been undertaken, no peace is made by pretending there is no war.” – Mahabharata

9. “You see the faults of others, even though they are as small as a mustard seed. But you do not see your own, even though they can be seen as large as a Bilva fruit. … O Duhshanta! My birth is nobler than your own. O lord of kings! You are established on earth. But I roam the sky. Know that the difference between you and me is that between a mustard seed and Mount Meru.” –   Sambhava Parva, Adi Parva

10. “One who does not see impurities in one’s acts, is not expected to see it in another.” – Adiparva

11. “Anger is the most invincible enemy. Covetousness is an incurable disease. He who is friendly to all creatures is honest. And he who is cruel is dishonest.” –   Aranya Parva

12. “I do not blame you, O King, for hitting an innocent man. For, cruelty comes quickly to the powerful.” – Mahabharata Quotes

13. “These three people are the golden flowers that blossom on the creeper named Earth – the courageous, the learned, and the person who knows to serve.” – Mahabharata

14. “But if a crime doesn’t find a punisher, many in the world will commit crimes. A man who has the power to punish a crime and doesn’t do so, despite knowing that a crime has been committed, is himself tainted by the deed, even if he is the lord.” –  Adi Parva

15. “Revenge is not always better, but neither is forgiveness; learn to know them both, so that there is no problem.” – Prahalad to Draupadi, Mahabharata

16. “Anger is in this world, the root of the destruction of mankind, The angry man commits a sin; the angry man murders his preceptor; the angry man insults his ciders with harsh words. The angry man cannot distinguish what should be and should not be said by him. there is nothing that cannot be said or done by an angry man.” – Aranya Parva

17. “Abandon all varieties of dharmas and simply surrender unto me alone. I shall liberate you from all sinful reactions; do not fear.” – Krishna To Arjuna

18. “To save a family, abandon a man; to save the village, abandon a family; to save the country, abandon a village; to save the soul, abandon the earth.” – Vidura to Kavya

19. “A grey head does not make an elder. …. Not by years, not by grey hairs, not by riches or many relations did the seers make the Law: He is great to us who has learned.” – Astavakra

20.  “I do not blame you, Maharaja, for hitting an innocent man. For, cruelty comes quickly to the powerful.” – Yudhishthira

21. “A man should avoid these six like a leaking boat in the ocean: a teacher who does not teach, a priest who has not studied, a king who fails to protect, a wife who is abusive, a cowherd who wants a village, and a barber who wants a forest.” – Vidura

22. “Once war has been undertaken, no peace is made by pretending there is no war.” –  Duryodhana

23. “Well, I shall now tell you something more. With even a thousand (explanations), one that has a bad understanding succeeds not in acquiring knowledge. One, however, that is endured with intelligence succeeds in attaining happiness, through only a fourth share (of explanations).” 

– Krishna, Mahabharata

24. “Without doubt, all kings, O son, must once see Hell.” – Dharma

25. “Youth, beauty, life, accumulated wealth, health, loved ones none of them are permanent. A wise man will never run behind these.”  – Mahabharata Quotes

26. “Those prone to get drunk, get drunk on knowledge, wealth, and good birth; but the same are triumphs of the strict.” – Mahabharata Quotes

27. “Draupadi said,-Why, O Pratikamin, dost thou say so? What prince is there who playeth staking his wife? The king was certainly intoxicated with dice. Else, could he not find any other object to stake? The Pratikamin said,-‘ When he had nothing else to stake, it was then that Ajatasatru, the son of Pandu, staked thee. The king had first staked his brothers, then himself, and then thee, O princess. Draupadi said,-‘ O son of the Suta race, go, and ask that gambler present in the assembly, whom he hath lost first himself, or me. Ascertaining this, come hither, and then take me with thee, O son of the Suta race.” – Mahabharata

28. “I am the beginning, the middle and the end of the creation.” – Sri Krishna

29. “A wound inflicted by arrows heals, a woodcut down by an axe grows, but harsh words are hateful? a wound inflicted by them does not heal. Arrows of different sorts can be extracted from the body, but a word-dart cannot be drawn out, for it is seated in the heart.” – Mahabharata Quotes

30. “When the Gods deal defeat to a person, they first take his mind away, so that he sees things wrongly. Time does not raise a stick and clobber a man’s head; the power of Time is just this upended view of things.” – Dhritarashtra

31. “Truth was found heavier than a hundred horse-sacrifices. O king, Truth, I ween, may be equal to the study of, the entire Vedas and ablutions in all holy places. There is no virtue equal to Truth: there is nothing superior to Truth. O king, Truth is God himself; Truth is the highest vow.”  – Sambhava Parva

32. “The intoxication with power is worse than drunkenness with liquor and such, for who is drunk with power does not come to his senses before he falls.” – Mahabharata

33. “People who never raise a voice against the injustice in front of them, has no right to live.” – Krishna, Mahabharata

“People who never raise a voice against the injustice in front of them, has no right to live.” – Krishna Quotes From Mahabharata Click To Tweet

34. “Good action, you will get happiness. Bad actions, you will get misery. To get anything one has to act, perform. Without action, one does not get anything.” – Mahabharata Quotes

35. “Friendship never remains in the world in anyone’s heart without being worn out, Time wears it out, anger destroys it. The poor cannot be the friend of the rich, the unlearned cannot be the friend of the learned, the coward cannot be the friend of the brave.” – Drupada, Mahabharata

36. “Lovely looks, lively heart and sweet words are because of a visitor. Ascending, the host should progress towards the visitor; he should offer him a seat, and properly love him. This is the interminable Dharma.” –   Aranyaka Parva, Mahabharata Quotes

37. “A swan can fly only with the help of two wings. One wing is karma (action) and the other wing is knowledge. If there is only one wing, then the other is useless. With the help of one, swan cannot fly.” – Devarata, Mahabharata

38. “Yearning for pleasure captivates man, but then causes passion and anger in him.” – Udyogaparva, Mahabharata

39. “If you start a work, take rest only after its completion; otherwise, the (incomplete) work will finish you.” – Devarata, Mahabharata

40. “The warrior has two enemies – sleep and tiredness. He has two friends – hard work and caution. The warrior who can vanquish these enemies and befriend the two friends will be undefeatable.”

– Guru Dhronacharya, Mahabharata

41. “As a Brahmana is the foremost of all bipeds, a cow, the foremost of all quadrupeds, a protector, the foremost of all superiors, so is the son the foremost of all objects, agreeable to the touch.” – Krishna, Mahabharata Quotes

42. “Arrogance does not suit warriors because it shows weakness. Learn to conquer your arrogance. Learn humility. For humility leads to progress.” – Dhronacharya

43. “If a student is not keen, what can the teacher do. Knowledge is a seed. The mind should be fertile.” – Guru Dhronacharya

44. “The touch of soft sandal paste, of women, of (cool) water is not so agreeable as the touch of one’s own infant son locked in one’s embrace.” – Mahabharata Quotes

45. “No man, even in anger, should ever do anything that is disagreeable to his wife, seeing that happiness, joy, and virtue, everything depended on the wife.” – Mahabharata

46. “There is love in friendship. Friendship is greater than life. The one who wins the heart of a friend, has won the world.” – Lord Krisha, Mahabharata

47. “Do your duty unto others. This is the call of time. Ponder over why you have taken birth.” – Mahabharata

48. “Words are invaluable , speak them if you must. Weigh them carefully before you speak them out.” – Yudhishthira

49. “Conquer anger with forgiveness, win the wicked with kindness, educate the niggardly (ungenerous with time, money etc) with generosity, overcome injustice with truth.” – Udyogaparva

50. “A wound inflicted by arrow heals, a wood cut down by an ax grows, but a wound inflicted by harsh words does not heal. Arrows of different sorts can be extracted from the body, but a word dart cannot be drawn out, for it is seated in the heart.” – Mahabharata

51. “The biggest drawback of anger is that it cannot differentiate between good and bad.” – Bhishma Pitamha

52. “The one who seeks success has to abandon six vices: drowsiness, sloth, fear, anger, laziness and putting on work to a later time.” – Udyogaparva, Mahabharata

53. “The human form of life is a most valuable asset for the living entity who can utilize it for solving the problems of life; therefore, one who does not utilize this opportunity properly is a miser.” – Lord Krishna

54. “If you start a work, take rest only after its completion; otherwise, the (incomplete) work will finish you.” – Devarata

55. “The one who never looks arrogant, never speaks about others with disregard, never says rude words, even if this one has lost self control – such a person is always liked by everyone.” – Udyogaparva, Mahabharata

56. “There are two forces: fate and human effort – all men depend on and are bound by these, there is nothing else.” – Kripa

57. “Cleverness does not always lead to gain nor stupidity to poverty.” – Vidura Niti

58. “Unless the senses are controlled, there is no chance of elevation to the platform of knowledge and without knowledge and devotion there is no chance of liberation.”

– Lord Krishna

59. “Those prone to get drunk get drunk on knowledge wealth and good birth; but the same are the triumphs of the strict.” – Vidura Niti

59. “The intoxication with power is worse than drunkenness with liquor and such, for who is drunk with power does not come to his senses before he falls.” – Vidura Niti

60. “A confused man is a miserly one who does not solve the problems of life as a human and who thus quits this world like the cats and dogs without understanding without the science of self-realization.” – Lord Krishna

THE END

These quotes from the Mahabharata illustrate the power of the mind and the importance of living a life true to oneself. They remind us that we have the ability to shape our own destiny and that with determination and hard work, we can achieve greatness.

Whether you are facing a challenge or simply seeking inspiration, these Mahabharata quotes are sure to provide insight and guidance on your journey.

THANKS FOR READING!

References:

• ScrollDroll, May 16, 2020
• devisinhsodha, 2020