37 Kautilya’s ‘ARTHASHAASTRA

MadanMohan Tarun

Poverty

हितमप्यधनस्य वाक्यं न गृह्यते। अधनः स्वभार्याप्यवमन्यते। पुषपहीनं सहकारमपि नोपासते भ्रमराः।

धनहीन की बातें हितकर भी हों तो उसे कोई नहीं सुनता। धनहीन की पत्नी भी उसका तिरस्कार कर देती है। भौरा ऐसे आम के वृक्ज़ के पास नहीं जाता जिसमें फूल नहीं लगते हों।

Nobody cares to pay attention on whatever a poor man says even if his advice is valuable. Even the wife of a wealth-less man ignores him. A large black bee does not go to a mango-tree which does not wear flowers.

(From ‘Kautilya’s ‘ARTHASHAASTRA’ by MadanMohan Tarun)