Chanakya Neeti. Chapter 1, Verse 11: On Discernment and Company
Chapter 1 · Verse 11
On Discernment and Company
जानीयात्प्रेषणे भृत्यान्बान्धवान् व्यसनागमे । मित्रं चापत्तिकालेषु भार्यां च विभवक्षये ॥
jānīyātpreṣaṇe bhṛtyānbāndhavān vyasanāgame | mitraṃ cāpattikāleṣu bhāryāṃ ca vibhavakṣaye ||
❖ ❖ ❖
“Test servants by giving tasks, relatives in calamity, friends in adversity, and a wife when prosperity has vanished.”
In Modern Life
Trust is verified, not assumed. Each kind of bond is tested under a different stress. Employees: under deadlines and responsibility. Relatives: when your luck breaks. Friends: when others abandon you. Partners: when the income disappears. Don't promote, marry, or rely until you have seen the stress test.
