महाभारत - कर्णपर्व - धर्म

धारणाद्धर्म इत्याहुर्धर्मो धारयते प्रजाः ।
यत् स्याद्धारणसंयुक्तं स धर्म इति निश्चयः ॥

- महाभारत, कर्णपर्व

This verse explains the etymology of the word "Dharma" in sanskrit. Dharma can be analyzed as 'some that supports'. Dharma clearly is the strength that supports the society and citizens. Anything that gives such honest strength can be thus called 'Dharma'.

- Mahabharatha, Karnaparva

महाभारत - शान्ति - राज्यं

राज्यं हि सुमहत्तन्त्रं धार्यते नाकृतात्मभिः |
न शक्यं मृदुना वोढुमायासस्थानमुत्तमम् ||

- महाभारत, शान्ति

Governing a state is a huge responsibility. A person who has not conquered his senses can not carry out the responsibility. Also a person who is too soft and gets tired easily can not be a king.

- Mahabharatha, Shanti

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महाभरत - उद्योग - करः

यथा मधु समादत्ते रक्षन् पुष्पाणि षट्पदः |
    तद्वदर्थान् मनुष्येभ्यः आदद्यादविहिंसया ||
पुष्पं पुष्पं विचिन्वीत मूलच्छेदं न कारयेत् |
    मालाकार इवारामे न यथांगारकारकः ||

- महाभरत, उद्योग

A king must extract tax from his subjects just as painlessly as a bee extracting nectar from a flower. He must act like florist who plucks flowers but takes good care of the plants in return. He must not be like a coal miner who destroys the source of his income day by day.

-Mahabharatha, Udyoga

महाभारत - उद्योग - निरर्थक

प्रसादो निष्फलो यस्य क्रोधश्चापि निरर्थकः |
न तं भर्तारमिच्छन्ति षण्डं पतिमिव स्त्रियः ||

- महाभारत, उद्योग

A person is to be considered useless if his being pleased does not help you, or his wrath is not potent enough. He is as useless as an impotent husband for a wife. No will want to serve such a master

- Mahabharatha, Udyoga

महाभारत - उद्योग - सज्जन सङ्ग

प्रज्ञावृद्धं धर्मवृद्धं स्वबंधुं
    विद्यावृद्धं वयसा चापि वृद्धं |
कार्याकार्ये पूजयित्वा प्रसाद्य
    यः संपृच्छेन्न स मुह्येत् कदाचित् ||

- महाभारत, उद्योग

There are five kinds of people who one must listen to and respect - knowledgeable people, pious people, close friends, well educated people and the elderly. Such a person will never tread along wrong path due to ignorance.

- Mahabharatha, Udyoga

महाभारत - उद्योग - अन्योन्यता

निर्वनो वध्यते व्याघ्रो निर्व्याघ्रो छिद्यते वनम् |
तस्माद्व्याघ्रो वनं रक्षेत् वनं व्याघ्रं च पालयेत् ||

- महाभारत, उद्योग

Without the forest, the tiger can not survive. Without the tiger in the forest, the forest will get destroyed (by the people). Hence the tiger must protect the forest and forest must protect the tiger (and other animals)

- Mahabharatha, Udyoga

महाभारत - दूतः

कुलीनः शीलसंपन्नो वाग्मी दक्षः प्रियंवदः |
यथोक्तवादी स्मृतिमान् दूतः स्यात्सप्तभिर्गुणैः ||

- महाभारत

A messenger (mediator) needs to have the following seven qualities - be born in a virtuous family (and thus have like qualities), have righteous character, be a good orator, efficient, soft spoken, straight forward, have good memory. All these were found only in Krishna and hence was sent in to mediate between the Pandavas and the Kauravas.

- Mahabharatha

महाभारत - बहुदोषा हि मानवाः

स्खलितः स्खलितो वध्य इति चेन्निश्चितं भवेत् |
द्वित्रा यद्यवशिष्येरन् बहुदोषा हि मानवाः ||

- महाभारत

If you dictate that every person who makes a mistake be killed, then there will be at most two or three people left in this world. Here, almost all people have committed one or the other mistake in life.

- Mahabharatha

महाभारत - उद्योग पर्व - तृष्णा

यत् पृथिव्यां व्रीहियवं हिरण्यं पशवः स्त्रियः |
नालमेकस्य तत्सर्वमिति मत्वा शमं व्रजेत् ||

- महाभारत - उद्योग पर्व

All the food grains, gold, animals (husbandry/poultry/cattle) and the women in the world, if given to one person will also never satisfy him. Hence, one must stop efforts towards satisfying greed and concentrate on eliminating it.

- Mahabharata, Udyoga Parva

महाभारत - शान्तिपर्व - तृष्ण

यच्च कामसुखं लोके यच्च दिव्यं महत्सुखम् |
तृष्णाक्षयसुखस्यैते नार्हतः षोडशीयं कलाम् ||

- महाभारत, शान्तिपर्व

The happiness got by satisfying your desires, or the happiness got in heaven does not even match up to a sixteenth portion of the real happiness that is attained through limiting your desires.

- Mahabharata, Shantiparva

महाभारत - तृष्णा

जीर्यन्ति जीर्यतः केशा दन्ता जीर्यन्ति जीर्यतः ।
चक्षुःश्रोत्रे च जीर्येते तृष्णैका तु न जीर्यते ॥

- महाभारत, अनु

The hair, the teeth, the eyes and the ears show signs of aging by getting weaker and weaker. It is only greed in a man that just does not get weaker (older).

- Mahabharatha, Anu