भागवत - राजधर्म

य उद्धरेत्करं राजा राजा प्रजा धर्मेष्वशिक्षयन् ।
प्रजानां शमलं भुंक्ते भगं च स्वं जहाति सः ॥

- भागवत

A king who collects taxes also must let the subjects understand the value of Dharma. If not, he will be no greater than some one protecting in exchange for money. So, if he does not teach them the value of Dharma, it is as of he is eating their waste.

- Bhagavata

महाभारत - वन - धर्म

मृषावादं परिहरेत् कुर्यात् प्रियमयाचितः ।
न च कामान्न संरंभान्न द्वेषाद्धर्ममुत्सृजेत् ॥

- महाभारत, वन

One must not engage in dry arguments. One must always do good to others without any expectation. Sensory pleasures, haste and hatred must not make one leave the path of Dharma.

- Mahabharata, Vana

सभारंजनशतक - लोभ

मृतोऽप्यर्थं न मोक्ष्यामि बद्ध्वा नेष्यामि मूर्धनि ।
इति चेत् सुदृढो लोभः पात्रे देयमशंकितम् ॥

- सभारंजनशतक

As long as greed has control of me, I will be thinking of carrying all this wealth on my head even after death. Hence I must get rid of greed and start developing a charitable attitude.

- Sabharanjanashataka

मनुस्मृति - धर्म

मृतं शरीरमुत्सृज्य काष्ठलोष्टसमं क्षितौ ।
विमुखा बांधवा यान्ति धर्मस्तमनुगच्छति ॥

- मनुस्मृति

Relatives will leave the dead body just like they would leave dry wood or a lump of mud. No one will follow you to the world of after-life. It is only results of the Dharma you followed all your life that will follow you and help/hurt you in the after-life.

- Manu Smriti

मनुस्मृति - मांस भक्षण

मां स भक्षयिताऽमुत्र यस्य मांसमिहाद्म्यहम् ।
एतन्मांसस्य मांसत्वं प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः ॥

- मनुस्मृति

This verse plays on the etymological meaning of the word मांस (Meat). It can be split as मां सः According to this, it means that if we eat it in this world, then in the afterlife, it will eat us. So terrible is the sin of meat-eating.

- Manu Smriti

गरुड पुराण - मानव जन्म

महता पुण्ययोगेन मानुषं जन्म लभ्यते ।
तत्प्राप्य न कृतो धर्मः कीदृशं हि मयाकृतम् ॥

- गरुड पुराण

After much difficulty does one get a human life (in this endless cycle of life and deaths). Even after getting one, I did not live it by Dharma (the moral code of life). So laments a man who just realizes that he can not end the cycle with his life.

- Garuda Purana

सुभाषितसुधानिधि - प्रत्युपकार

मय्येव जीर्णतां यातु यत्त्वयोपकृतं मम ।
नरः प्रत्युपकारार्थी विपत्तिमनुकांक्षति ॥

- सुभाषितसुधानिधि

I do not wish to repay the help that you have done to me. Any person who wishes to do so, is actually wishing that you get into trouble so that he can help you back.

- Subhashitasudhanidhi

विष्णुपुराण - स्वर्ग - नरक

मनःप्रीतिकरः स्वर्गः नरकस्तिद्विपर्यायः ।
नरकस्वर्गसंज्ञे वै पापपुण्ये द्विजोत्तम ॥

- विष्णुपुराण

What gives you happiness is heaven. The opposite is hell. When you do good deeds, your conscience makes you happy. When you hurt some one, it makes you sad. Hence the Heaven and Hell are also associated with doing good deeds and bad deeds respectively.

- Vishnu Purana

भागवत - युद्ध धर्म

मत्तं प्रमत्तमुन्मत्तं सुप्तं बालं स्त्रियं जडम् ।
प्रपन्नं विरथं भीतं न रिपुं हन्ति धर्मवित् ॥

- भागवत

A warrior who knows Dharma will never kill an enemy who is either insane, intoxicated, excited, sleeping, child, lady, incapacitated, surrendered, lost his chariot or scared.

- Bhagavata

याज्ञवल्क्य - धर्मार्थकाम

ब्राह्मे मुहूर्ते चोत्थाय चिन्तयेदात्मनो हितं ।
धर्मार्थकामान् स्वे काले यथाशक्ति न हापयेत् ॥

- याज्ञवल्क्य

One must get up early in the morning and think about his own wellness. Be positive. Whenever the world presents opportunities to earn some Dharma (by doing good deeds), wealth and pleasures - he must grab it. He must not let them go (in the guise of austerity).

- Yajnavalkya

हितोपदेश - मित्रलाभ - अतिथि

बालो वा यदि वा वृद्धो युवा वा गृहमागतः ।
तस्य पूजा विधातव्या सर्वत्राभ्यागतो गुरुः ॥

- हितोपदेश, मित्रलाभ

One must treat a guest with lot o respect and affection irrespective of whether he is a child, or youth or an old person. A guest in the house should be treated with the same respect as a teacher.

- Hitopadesha, Mitralabha

अभिज्ञान शाकुन्तला - राजधर्म

भानुः सकृद्युक्ततुरंग एव
    रात्रिं दिवं गन्धवहः प्रयाति ।
शेषः सदैवाहितभूमिभारः
    षष्ठांशवृत्तेरपि धर्म एषः ॥

- अभिज्ञान शाकुन्तला

There is no rest for the Sun who has taken it up on him to pour light on this world every day. The wind blows day and night. Adi Shesha supports the weight of the earth all the time. Like wise, there is no rest for a king who takes one-sixth of everyone's earnings. He has to work tirelessly towards protecting his subjects.

- Abhijnana Shakuntala

कुवलयानन्द - पाप

भवन्ति नरकाः पापात् पापं दारिद्र्यसंभवम् ।
दारिद्र्यमप्रदानेन तस्माद्दानपरो भवेत् ॥

- कुवलयानन्द

When one commits sin, he goes to hell. Sin is committed by people usually to escape poverty. Poverty is the result of greed because of which people do not give money to others. Hence one must generously give money to the needy (to indirectly prevent going to hell).

- Kuvalayananda

मनुस्मृति - मांसपरिवर्जन

फलमूलाशनैर्मेध्यैः मुन्यन्नानां च भोजनैः ।
न तत्फलमवाप्नोति यन्मांसपरिवर्जनात् ॥

- मनुस्मृति

One gets more results from giving up meat and other non-veg food than by eating just fruits and roots like the saints.

- Manu Smriti

महाभारत - उद्योग - धर्म

पूर्वे वयसि तत् कुर्यात् येन वृद्धः सुखं वसेत् ।
यावज्जीवेन तत् कुर्यात् येन प्रेत्य सुखं वसेत् ॥

- महाभारत, उद्योग

What is required at old-age, one must strive for that in days of youth. In old age, one must strive for what will help him in afterlife.

- Mahabharata, Udyoga

बोधिचर्यावतार - कृपालुः

पुण्येन कायः सुखितः पाण्डित्येन मनःसुखं ।
तिष्ठन् परार्थं संसारे कृपालुः केन खिद्यन्ते ॥

- बोधिचर्यावतार

By doing good deeds when living will keep us happy physically. Wisdom keeps us happy mentally. When one lives for the sake of others, no one can make him unhappy at any time.

- Bodhicharyavatara

सूक्तिमुत्कावली - धर्म

पिता माता भ्राता प्रियसहचरी सूनुनिवहः
    सुहृत् स्वामी माद्यत्करिभटरथाश्वः परिकरः ।
निमज्जंतं जंतुं नरककुहरे रक्षितुमलं
    गुरोर्धर्माधर्मप्रकटनपरात् कोऽपि न परः ॥

- सूक्तिमुत्कावली

Only a capable teacher can make one see the difference between right and wrong. All the others - father, mother, wife, children, friends, employer, army consisting of elephants, soldiers, chariots, horses and relatives - are useless in this regard since all of them make one prejudiced.

- Suktimutkavali

हितोपदेश - मित्रलाभ - साधवः

प्राणा यथात्मनोऽभीष्टा भूतानामपि ते तथा ।
आत्मौपम्येन भूतेषु दयां कुर्वन्ति साधवः ॥

- हितोपदेश, मित्रलाभ

Just as one is scared about his own life, so are every body else too. Only virtuous people understand this and treat every one just the same way he treats himself.

- Hitopadesha, Mitralabha

मनुस्मृति - अधर्म पापः

पादोऽधर्मस्य कर्तारं पादः साक्षिणमृच्छति ।
पादः सभासदः सर्वान् पादो राजानमृच्छति ॥

- मनुस्मृति

If a sin is committed in an assembly (king's court), then one quarter of the sin is attributed to the perpetrator. Another quarter to the by-standers who did not appose it. Another quarter to the members of the assembly who may have the powers to stop it but did not. The last quarter is attributed to the king.

- Manu Smriti

समयोचितपद्यमालिका - धर्मानुष्ठान

परोपदेशे पाण्डित्यं सर्वेषां सुकरं नृणाम् ।
धर्मे स्वीयमनुष्ठानं कस्यचित्तु महात्मनः ॥

- समयोचितपद्यमालिका

It is very easy to advise others what is the right thing to do. But there are very few noble men who put into action what they preach. It is very difficult to live by the code of Dharma all life.

- Samayochitapadyamalika

अत्रिसंहिता - दया

परस्मिन् बंधुवर्गे वा मित्रे द्वेष्ये रिपौ तथा ।
आत्मवद्वर्तितव्यं हि दयैषा परिकीर्तिता ॥

- अत्रिसंहिता

He who treats everyone like himself can be called as compassionate. The word 'everyone' includes strangers, relatives, friends, those who hate him and enemies

- Atri samhita

कौटिल्य - राजधर्म

प्रजा संरक्षणं धर्मो धार्मिकस्य महीभृतः ।
तस्मादसाधून् धर्माय निघ्नन् दोषैर्न लिप्यते ॥

- कौटिल्य

Protection of his subjects is the utmost duty of a King. In the process he has to punish/kill the rogues who trouble the subjects. There is no sin attached to such acts.

- Kautilya

शिवपुराण - वैद्य

निदानज्ञस्य भिषजो रुग्णहिंसां प्रयुंजतः ।
न किंचदपि नैर्घृण्यं घृणैवात्र प्रयोजिका ॥

- शिवपुराण

A doctor diagnoses a problem correctly and makes the patient go through the pain of surgery. There is no sin attached to this. In fact, he gets a lot of good karma credit for this.

- Shivapurana

महाभारत - आदि - दया मैत्री दान

न हीदृशं संवननं त्रिषु लोकेषु विद्यते ।
दया मैत्री च भूतेषु दानं च मधुरा च वाक् ॥

- महाभारत - आदि - दया मैत्री दान

There can not be better qualities found in the beings of all three worlds than these - compassion, friendship, selfless charity and sweet words.

- Mahabharata, Adi

मनुस्मृति - धर्म

न हायनैर्नपलितैः न वित्तेन न बंधुभिः ।
ॠषयश्चक्रिरे धर्मं योऽनूचानः स नो महान् ॥

- मनुस्मृति

Dharma is not to elope from everyday life. Neither it is what ever old people say. Dharma is not run by money. Dharma is not what your relatives tell. Dharma is practicing and living by the moral code of life (just as the sages lived). He who studies the scriptures (about dharma) will attain greatness.

- Manu Smriti

प्रयोगरत्नमाला - सत्य संतुष्टि अन्नदान वन्दन

नास्ति सत्यात् परो धर्मः संतुष्टिर्नात्मजात् परा ।
नान्नदानात् परं दानं वन्दनान्नोपचारकम् ॥

- प्रयोगरत्नमाला

There is no grander way of following Dharma than being truthful. There is no greater joy than at seeing your child (son) born. No better charity than giving food. There is no better hospitality than paying reverence.

- Prayogaratnamala

याज्ञवल्क्य - धर्म कर्म

नाश्रमः कारणं धर्मे क्रियमाणो भवेद्धि सः ।
अतो यदात्मनोऽपथ्यं परेषां न तदाचरेत् ॥

- याज्ञवल्क्य

It is not the hermitage that constitutes Dharma. It is the actions of people in a hermitage that qualifies as Dharma. Wise men know this. Hence they will not encourage people to rush to hermitages as a way to follow Dharma. Wise men will not advise to others what they know will not work.

- Yajnavalkya

मनुस्मृति - धर्म

नामुत्र हि सहायार्थं पिता माता च तिष्ठतः ।
न पुत्रदारा न ज्ञातिः धर्मस्तिष्ठति केवलः ॥

- मनुस्मृति

In the after life none of whom you love here will help you - not father, not mother, not relatives, not son, not wife, not friends. It is only fruits of following Dharma that help you there.

- Manu Smriti

भामिनीविलास - घनः

नापेक्षा न च दाक्षिण्यं न प्रीतिर्नच सङ्गतिः ।
तथाऽपि हरते तापं लोकानमुन्नतो घनः ॥

- भामिनीविलास

The mighty clouds cool the world. They do not expect anything in return. They have no obligations. They are neither friends nor have affection on any one. Yet, they help people by shielding them from hot Sun. Such is the greatness of the virtuous people.

- Bhaminivilasa

महाभारत - आदि - अधर्म

नाधर्मश्चरितो राजन् सद्यः फलति गौरिव ।
शनैरावर्त्यमानो हि कर्तुर्मूलानि कृतन्ति ॥

- महाभारत, आदि

If you stray from path of Dharma, you will not know its repercussions right then. It is not like raising cattle whose benefits are there to be seen immediately. The consequences of unlawful acts will slowly act to cut your very roots.

- Mahabharata, Adi Parva

मनुस्मृति - प्राणिहत्य

नाकृत्वा प्राणिनां हिंसां मांसमुत्पाद्यते क्वचित् ।
न च प्राणिवधः स्वर्ग्यः तस्मान्मांसं विवर्जयेत् ॥

- मनुस्मृति

There is no way one can get meat without killing animals. Killing anything is a sin. Hence one must give up meat eating.

- Manu Smriti