मुद्राराक्षस - राज

स्वयमाहृत्य भुञ्जानाः बलिनोऽपि स्वभावतः ।
गजेन्द्रश्च नरेन्द्रश्च प्रायः सीदन्ति दुःखिताः ॥

- मुद्राराक्षस

svayam aahRutya bhunjAnAH balino api svabhAvataH ।
gajendrashcha narendraashcha prAyaH sIdanti duHkhitAH ॥

- mudraarAkShasa

Elephants and Kings have some qualities in common. They are very strong and self made. They both lose weight (become weak) when they are unhappy (in trouble).

- Mudrarakshasa

मुद्रराक्षस - शत्रु मित्र

मित्राणि शत्रुत्वमुपानयंती
    मित्रत्वमर्थस्य वशाच्च शत्रून् ।
नीतिर्नयत्यस्मृत पूर्ववृत्तं
    जन्मान्तरं जीवत एव पुंसः ॥

- मुद्रराक्षस

mitrANi shatrutvam upAnayantI
    mitratvam arthasya vashAccha shatrUn ।
nItiH nayati asmRuta pUrvavRuttam
    janmAntaram jIvata eva pumsaH ॥

- mudrarAkShasa

When material goals become important, friends become foes and foes become friends. They easily forget their past to achieve the goals. It is as if they take a re-birth in the same lifetime.

- Mudrarakshasa

मुद्रराक्षस - सेवक वृत्ति

भेतव्यं नृपतेस्ततः सचिवतो राज्ञस्ततो वल्लभात्
    अन्येभ्यश्च वसंति येऽस्य भवने लब्ध प्रसादा विटाः ।
दैन्यादुन्मुखदर्शनापलपनैः पिंडार्थमायस्यतः
    सेवां लाघवकारिणीं कृतधियः स्थाने श्ववृत्तिं विदुः ॥

- मुद्रराक्षस

bhetavyam nRupateH tato ssachivato rAjnaH tato vallabhAt
    anyebhyaH cha vasanti ye asya bhavane labdha prasAdA viTAH ।
dainyAd unmukha darshanApalapanaiH pinDArtham AyasyataH
    sEvAm lAghavakAriNIm kRutadhiyaH sthAne shvavRuttim viduH ॥

- mudrarAkShasa

When you are servant, you have to be afraid of the king, of the ministers, of people close to the king, of all people who live in the palace. One would have look at others with pitiful eyes. All these for just a handful of food. What wise men say about servitude is true - that it is similar to the life of a dog.

- Mudrarakshasa

मुद्रराक्षस - लोभ

कुले लज्जायां च स्वयशसि च माने च विमुखः
    शरीरं विक्रीय क्षणिकमपि लोभाद्धनवति ।
तदाज्ञां कुर्वाणो हितमहितमित्येतदधुना
    विचारातिक्रांतः किमिति परतंत्रो विमृशति ॥

- मुद्रराक्षस

kule lajjAyAM cha sva yashasi cha mAne cha vimukhaH
    sharIram vikrIya kShaNikamapi lobhAt dhanavati ।
tadAjnAm kurvANo hitam ahitam ityetat adhunA
    vichArAtikrAntaH kimiti paratantro vimRushati ॥

- mudrarAkShasa

A man who does not care for the fame of his family, not bothered about his own long term future, his respect - may end up selling his loyalty to a wealthy person for the sake of the body (transient). He will follow only his instructions. He will lose the ability to think for himself and decide what is good for him and what is not. He is not in control of himself.

- Mudrarakshasa

मुद्रराक्षस - सेवकः

ऐश्वर्यादनपेतमीश्वरमयं लोकोऽर्थतः सेवते
    तं गच्छंत्यनु ये विपत्तिषु पुनस्ते तत्प्रतिष्ठाशया ।
भर्तुये प्रलयेऽपि पूर्वसुकृतासंगेन निःसंगया
    भक्त्या कार्यधुरं वहन्ति भवस्ते दुर्लभास्त्वादृशाः ॥

- मुद्रराक्षस - सेवकः

aishvaryAd anapetam eeshvaramayaM loko arthataH sevate
    tam gacChantyanu ye vipattiShu punaste tat pratiShThAshayA ।
bhartuH ye pralaye api pUrvasukRuta asangena niHsangayA
    bhaktyA kAryadhuram vahanti bahavaH te durlabhAH tu adRushAH ॥

- mudrarAkShasa

There are many who will serve the king when he is prosperous looking to gain some wealth in the process. There are a few who will serve him when he is dethroned in hope that when he regains power, he will be able to help them. But very rare (non-existent) are those people who will still work for their kings (his fame) long after the king is dead. They do it only because they remember the good deeds their king did.

- Mudrarakshasa

मुद्रराक्षस - स्वातंत्र्य

इह विरचयन् साध्वीं शिष्यः क्रियां न निवार्यते
    त्यजति तु यदा मार्गं मोहात्तदा गुरुरंकुशः ।
विनयरुचयस्तस्मात्संतः सदैव निरंकुशाः
    परतरमतः स्वातंत्रेभ्यो वयं हि पराञ्मुखाः॥

- मुद्रराक्षस

iha virachayan sAdhvIm shiShyaH kriyAM na nivAryate
    tyajati tu yadA mArgaM mohAt tadA gururankushaH ।
vinayaruchayaH tasmAt santaH sadaiva nirankushAH
    parataramataH svAtaMtryebhyo vayam hi parAnmukhAH ॥

- mudrarAkShasa

If a student is going down the correct path, no one will stop him. If he strays, a teacher will punish him with love. In that respect every one is free as long as they are going down the right path (of Dharma). What more freedom does one want? We are happy in this type of freedom which is in our teacher's hands.

- Mudrarakshasa

मुद्रराक्षस - भृत्या नृपतेः

अप्राज्ञेन च कातरेन च गुणः स्याद्भक्तियुक्तेन कः
       प्रज्ञविक्रमशालिनोऽपि हि भवेत् किं भक्तिहीनात्फलम् ।
प्रज्ञाविक्रमभक्तयः समुदिताः येषां गुणा भूतये
       ते भृत्या नृपतेः कलत्रमितरे संपत्सु चापत्सु च ॥

- मुद्रराक्षस

aprAjnena cha kAtareNa cha guNaH syAd bhaktiyuktena kaH
       prajnA vikramashAlinaH api hi bhavet kim bhaktihInAt phalam ।
prajnA vikrama bhaktayaH samuditAH yeShAM guNA bhUtaye
       te bhRutyA nRupateH kalatram itare sampatsu chApatsu cha ॥

- mudrarAkShasa

If servant is very loyal, but neither intelligent nor brave then he is of o use. If he is both intelligent and brave but lacks loyalty, then again he is of no use. Only those servants who are loyal, courageous and intelligent are the real reasons of a kings prosperity. The others are only playing supporting roles at all times.

- Mudrarakshasa

मुद्रराक्षस - तृष्णा

स्तुवन्ति श्रान्तास्याः क्षितिपतिमभूतैरपि गुणैः |
    प्रवाचः कार्पण्याद्यदवितथवाचोऽपि पुरुषाः |
प्रभावस्तृष्णायाः स खलु सकलः स्यादितरथा
    निरीहाणामीशस्तृणमिव तिरस्कारविषयः ||

- मुद्रराक्षस

Even the most articulate people, honest people lie in front of a king by praising about qualities that he does not have. This is the effect that greed has on people. There is another alternative. If a person can win over his greed, then to him even a king is as insignificant a blade of grass.

- Mudrarakshasa

मुद्रराक्षस - कृषिः

चीयते बालिशस्यापि सत्क्षेत्रप्रतिता कृषिः ।
न शालेः स्तंबकरिता वप्तुर्गुणमपेक्षते ॥

- मुद्रराक्षस

If an idiot sows seed in a fertile land, the crop will still be excellent. For the crop to grow well and give good yeild does not depend on the character (or intelligence) of the sower.

- Mudrarakshasa