Subhashita 16. Chanakya's advice.
Many of you would have heard about Chanakya, also known as Kautilya. He was a minister par excellence in the court of King Chandragupta of the Maurayan Dynasty. He helped the king in acquiring the throne of the Nandas.
Scholars believe that King Chandragupta's success was largely due to Chanakya's able advice and guidance.
Kautilya wrote the Arthashastra. It is a Sanskrit Classic dealing with public administration. It discusses the duties as well as the right of kings, ministers and other officers. It lays down the details on the various affairs of the state, of trade and commerce, of law, of war and peace, of diplomacy, of marriage and divorce and of military strategy.
Here's one that deals with children and students.
लालने बहवो दोषाः ताडने बहवो गुणाः |
तस्मात् पुत्रं च शिष्यं च ताडयेत् न तु लालयेत् ||
लालने In mollycoddling बहवो (बहवः ) many ¸ दोषाः bad consequences ताडने In punishment बहवो (बहवः ) many गुणाः merits .
तस्मात् Therefore ( From that) पुत्रं son च and शिष्यं student च and ताडयेत् should be punished ( beaten) न तु लालयेत् should not be mollycoddled.
Do you agree with it? i am aware of at least two tiny human beings who would vociferously disagree with our ace statesman.
Compare this with another one---
लालयेत् पञ्च वर्षाणि दश वर्षाणि ताडयेत् |
प्राप्ते तु षोडशे वर्षे, पुत्रं मित्रवदाचरेत् ||
Mollycoddle a child for the first five years of its age, during the next ten years you may resort to corporeal punishment, but once the son raches the age of sixteen, treat him as your friend. मित्र वत् आचरेत् |
What a worldly advice!
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