Recommended Reading
- ‘The Guide: A Novel‘ by R. K. Narayan, Michael Gorra
- ‘The Elephant’s Friend and Other Tales from Ancient India‘ by Marcia Williams
- ‘One Hundred & One Folktales From India‘ by Eunice de Souza
- ‘Tales from India‘ by J. E. B. Gray, Rosamund Fowler
- ‘Malgudi Days‘ by R. K. Narayan
- ‘Swami and Friends, The Bachelor of Arts, The Dark Room, The English Teacher‘ by R. K. Narayan
Inspirational Quotes from Subhashita Manjari (Sanskrit Anthology of Proverbs)
Grains collected by ants, honey accumulated by bees, and wealth collected by a greedy miser, all perish along with the source.
—Subhashita Manjari
One who influences (inspires, motivates and contributes to) the lives of his friends and relatives is the only one whose life is worthwhile. Who in this world lives without any selfish motives?
—Subhashita Manjari
The fruits of an operation are determined by the efforts one puts in. When mind also follows the sincerity of the efforts. Even then, wise men give lot of thought before they start any new task.
—Subhashita Manjari
An unimportant person becomes important, as soon as he is employed by a prince (and) an important person becomes unimportant as soon as he is unemployed.
—Subhashita Manjari
A friend is tested in bad times, a warrior in the battlefield. A person’s humility is a test of his up bringing. A person’s character is tested when he needs money and does not have it.
—Subhashita Manjari
A stream of tasteful water, having flown into the sea, becomes saline and thus undrinkable. For this simple reason, a wise man should never associate with one of wicked and impure soul.
—Subhashita Manjari
Forgiveness is a virtue of the learned. To err is human, to forgive divine.
—Subhashita Manjari
Topics: Forgiveness, Mistakes, Failures
Interests of one person should be sacrificed for the sake of a family.
Interests of one family should be sacrificed for the sake of a village.
Interests of one village should be sacrificed for the sake of a society.
All worldly interests should be sacrificed for the sake of self-realization.
—Subhashita Manjari
If you look at people less fortunate, less wealthy than you – you will not become richer. But if you keep looking at people wealthier than you and try to imitate them, you will definitely become poorer.
—Subhashita Manjari
One should never lead a team because everyone gets equal share on success, but the leader is held responsible in case of any failure.
—Subhashita Manjari
A King desiring to attack (an enemy) should first make his soldiers contented (by good pay and just treatment) and having injured (weakened) the enemy by strategy should himself then advance to attack.
—Subhashita Manjari
Even good people get themselves corrupted by their
close association with the undesirable. Water which
is sweet and cool becomes hot associated with fire.
—Subhashita Manjari
Like the fish in a snake-pond, the pure, though not committing any sin will perish by the sin of others due to their association with the wicked.
—Subhashita Manjari
Being a scholar and being a king are never ever comparable. A king is worshipped in his own country whereas a scholar is respected everywhere.
—Subhashita Manjari
Untill you befriend a person, you have to be courteous and nice to him. Mind one’s demeanor. But once the friendship is earned, being courteous and nice amounts to deciet. We owe it to our friends to be frank and forthright. This clearnly indicates the difference between an acquintance and a friend.
—Subhashita Manjari
The companionship of good people removes the inertia of one’s mind, nurtures truth in the speech, enhances prestige, expiates the sins, comforts the conscience, spreads the name and fame in all directions. Say! what good is there which the company of devout does not bring to a man.
—Subhashita Manjari
Those who are blinded by jelousy, cannot appreciate the good qualities in others, even if he is a scholar. The knowledge of such people is as useless as bathing an elephant, which rejoices wallowing in the mud.
—Subhashita Manjari
What is a grain? It is the companionship of the virtuous.
What is grief? It is the company of fools.
What is loss? It is the dissipation of time.
What is prudence? It is devotion to virtue.
What is valour? It is the conquest of the senses.
Who is the beloved wife? One who is devoted to her husband.
What is wealth? It is knowledge.
What is happiness? It is to remain settled in one’s own country.
What is rulership? It is to command obedience.
—Subhashita Manjari
When I was ignorant, I was blinded by pride like an intoxicated elephant; my mind was elated and I used to think myself to be all-knowing. However, by keeping company with the wise, my pride, like fever, was humbled as I gradually realized that I am an idiot.
—Subhashita Manjari
Children are usually very fickle minded. Training them must be like training a new horse. Some times you have to scold them and some times you have to pamper them.
—Subhashita Manjari
Accumulating the drops of water one by one, the pot gets filled gradually. Similarly, one should acquire all the knowledge, dharma (virtuousness) and wealth with continuous effort.
—Subhashita Manjari
When rituals or any task is performed under the fear of fate or due to the greed will never pay off. It is as useless as trying to create fire from ash.
—Subhashita Manjari
A true friend gives you so much of confidence that cannot be equaled to the confidence given by a mother, wife, sister, brother, or even his own conscience. That is how strong a true friendship is.
—Subhashita Manjari
How can one attain education, if he is lazy?
How can one acquire wealth, if he is uneducated?
How can one make friends, if he is not wealthy?
How can a person without friends, be happy?
—Subhashita Manjari
Life in a bad village, serving a wicked boss, sticking to a bland diet, ill-tempered wife with an angry face, a foolish half-witted son, a widowed daughter-these situations destroy (burn) a person without the need of any fire.
—Subhashita Manjari
In the mind, speech and action, the great souls are same, but the wicked are different in mind, speech and action.
—Subhashita Manjari
The brave people do not like being praised in front of them.
They display their valor not by words but by doing difficult deeds.
—Subhashita Manjari
Greed is the root cause of all sins. Greed is the cause of all problems that one faces. Greed fuels the growth of enemies. Excessive greed destroys one’s life.
—Subhashita Manjari
One becomes a fool by not questioning, but wisdom comes up by deep thinking. An empty vessel makes noise, but not a filled one.
—Subhashita Manjari
So to say every being in this world lives for its own cause. Nothing great about it. That person who lives his life helping others is truly said to have lives his life.
—Subhashita Manjari
A successful person is the one who really lives.
Likewise, a famous person too really lives.
A infamous loser though alive, is no better than the dead.
—Subhashita Manjari
Even fate cannot touch him whose heart is filled with compassion, whose words always reflect the truth and whose body is always meant to help others.
—Subhashita Manjari
Hard work and light food – this is the readily available medicine for any disease. If you do these daily, you shall not be afraid of any ailment.
—Subhashita Manjari
The path shown by uncontrolled senses always leads to trouble. The right path is always having control over one’s senses. Now that you know, you can chose which one to follow.
—Subhashita Manjari
One well born, though insulted, does not hit back
in the same strain due to his inborn natural courtesy.
The sandal tree does not exude filth even to him who cuts it with an axe.
—Subhashita Manjari
Consideration like “he is mine or he is another’s” occur only to the narrow minded persons. To the broad-minded persons the whole world is a family.
—Subhashita Manjari
Good qualities of a person are the ones that are admired and not the family background. People worship Vasudeva (Krishna) and not his father Vasudeva.
—Subhashita Manjari
Topics: Virtue
They make shade for others and stand in the heat themselves. Even fruits are for the good of others: Trees are indeed like good men.
—Subhashita Manjari
If anyone would know how close to death they are, they would not even be interested in eating food, let alone doing any harm to anyone. But bad things are done in this world mostly because they think they will live forever.
—Subhashita Manjari
Unless an enemy completely destroyed, one can not rule his kingdom peacefully. Only when flying dust is drenched with rain, brought down to earth and made into damp mud can water stay still within it.
—Subhashita Manjari
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
The Panchatantra Indian Collection of Fables
Bhartrihari Hindu Philosopher, Grammarian
The Hitopadesha Indian Collection of Fables
Kalidasa Indian Sanskrit Poet, Dramatist
The Jataka Tales Genre of Buddhist Literature
Tulsidas Indian Hindu Poet
Indira Gandhi Indian Head of State
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit Indian Politician, Diplomat
Jawaharlal Nehru Indian Head of State
Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi Persian Muslim Mystic