following activities and habits would destroy weath and affluence

 

नित्यं च्छेदस्तृणानां क्षितिनखलिखनं पादयोरल्पपूजा

दन्तानामप्यशौचं वसनमलिनता रूक्षता मूर्धजानाम्।

द्वैसंध्ये चापि निद्रा विवसनशयनं ग्रासहासातिरेकः

स्वाङ्गे पीठे च वाद्यं हरति धनपतेः केशवस्यापि लक्ष्मीम्॥

इन्दिस्चे स्प्रुचे ३७१० ४४६२ अर्थशास्त्रे

nityaṁ cchedastṛṇānāṁ kṣitinakhalikhanaṁ pādayoralpapūjā

dantānāmapyaśaucaṁ vasanamalinatā rūkṣatā mūrdhajānām|

dvaisaṁdhye cāpi nidrā vivasanaśayanaṁ grāsahāsātirekaḥ

svāṅge pīṭhe ca vādyaṁ harati dhanapateḥ keśavasyāpi lakṣmīm||

indisce spruce 3710 4462 arthaśāstre

The following activities and habits practiced by a person would destroy his weath and affluence, even if he were Lord Vishnu Himself or the Lord of wealth Kubera

1. Who cuts off grass aroud his residence every day

2 who habitually draws pictures on groud with his finger and toe nails

3. Who does not take sufficient care to keep his ankles and toe clean

4. Who fails to maintain cleanliness of teeth, dental hygeine

5. Who wears dirty unwashed clothes

6. Who keeps hairs sharp and protruding upwards in a disarrayed manner

7. Who sleeps in the two sandhyas.. dawn and dusk

8. Who sleeps without wearing any clothes

9. Who eats too much and laughs too much.. far more than normal

10 Who habitually makes drumming sounds either on his seat or on the surface of his limbs.. like thighs, chest etc.

This checklist is attributed to Arthasastram of Chanakya

अपि शक्या गतिर्ज्ञातुं पततां खे पतत्रिणां

अपि शक्या गतिर्ज्ञातुं पततां खे पतत्रिणां।

न तु प्रच्छन्नभावानां युक्तानां चरतां गतिः॥

कौटिलीय अर्थशास्त्रे २-१०-३७

api śakyā gatirjñātuṁ patatāṁ khe patatriṇāṁ|

na tu pracchannabhāvānāṁ yuktānāṁ caratāṁ gatiḥ||

kauṭilīya arthaśāstre 2-10-37

With some well directed efforts and diligence one can even track the movements of birds negotiating huge distances across the sky. However the movements and machinations of the employees of the Crown, the deputies of the King, are virtually impossible to understand or track. The spontaneous façade they wear is honesty and geniality but such appearances are entirely deceptive.

This is from the master Chanakya giving his views on the subject in his magnum opus…Arthashastra

The anatomy of corruption

मत्स्या यथान्तः सलिले चरन्तो

ज्ञातुं न शक्याः सलिलं पिबन्तः।

युक्तास्तथा कार्यविधौ नियुक्ताः

ज्ञातुं न शक्याः धनमाददानाः॥

चाणक्यकृते अर्थशास्त्रे २-१०-३७

matsyā yathāntaḥ salile caranto

jñātuṁ na śakyāḥ salilaṁ pibantaḥ|

yuktāstathā kāryavidhau niyuktāḥ

jñātuṁ na śakyāḥ dhanamādadānāḥ||

cāṇakyakṛte arthaśāstre 2-10-37

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The anatomy of corruption presented in the simplest manner by the greatest Indian Economist ever born..Chanakya.. in his magnum opus.. Arthashastra

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meaning

Just as it is impossible to know whether the fish remaining in water and is swmming around for ever is drinking some water,

it is impossible to really know or pinpoint that the employees appointed to run the affairs of the state are just taking off or pilfering the funds of the government for personal purposes..

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Some very important conclusions emerge from this statement..

The ruler or controller of the state should be ever alert.. Employees who are in control of funds, can be tempted to misappropriate.. and when the dividing line between personal and public funds are very thin, it takes a lot of diligence to discern and prevent such pilferage

And the implied call of the master statesman is that the administration should be very alert and should rather forsee the human propensities..

Fish remain in water for too long.. Just like that a government official remains in his post for too long.. Such long tenures too call for frequent review/

It is amazing to feel that Chanakya has just compressed all the theories of administration and administrative law in terse stanzas and presented them in such a crisp style.. and one can feel that a simple reading of that great master would be almost equal to undergoing rigorous training in modern law, administration and management studies..

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analysis

सलिलं अन्तः चरन्तः मत्स्याः fish moving inside water

यथा सलिलं पिबन्तः whether drink water

ज्ञातुं न शक्याः not able to know

भवन्ति are

तथा कार्यविधौ युक्ताः नियुक्ताः in the same way those who employed in handling the functions of the state

धनमाददानाः ज्ञातुं न शक्याः are not eaily located when they appropriate the money of wealth (of the state for themselves)

regards

k v ananthanarayanan

temptation can be great..

यथा ह्यनास्वादयितुं न शक्यं जिह्वातलस्थं मधु वा विषं वा।

अर्थस्तथा ह्यर्थचरेण राज्ञः स्वल्पोऽप्यनास्वादयितुं न शक्यः॥

अर्थाशास्त्रे २-१०-३६

yathā hyanāsvādayituṁ na śakyaṁ jihvātalasthaṁ madhu vā viṣaṁ vā|

arthastathā hyarthacareṇa rājñaḥ svalpo'pyanāsvādayituṁ na śakyaḥ||

arthāśāstre 2-10-36

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The master economist and statesman Chanakya, in his magnum opus, Arthashastram says

"Just as it is impossible for a person not to taste even a littl of either honey or venom placed at the tip of his tongue, it is practically impossible for a tax collector or resource mobilizer appointed by the King or the State not to have some taste of or to take some benefit from the money or revenue he collects..

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The master statesman was a stickler to honesty and integrity in public service.. He lived an ascetic life without any pomp even when he headed a great educational institution and even when he officiated as the official advisor of the Emperor Chandragupta Maurya..

But he was conscious of human nature as that could be seen in an average state officer or tax collector..

Of course, such tasting on the part of the officialdom will work to the detriment of the Exchequer.. And once the official starts tasting it.. his desire to taste more is on the increase.. And like old wine his tastes too become more and more varied and costly..

But then the king, or the State has to take sufficient safeguards..

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यथा just like

जिह्वातलस्थं placed or sticking to the tip of the tongue

मधु वा विषं वा honey or poison

अनास्वादयितुं not to taste

न शक्यं, not possible

तथा in the same way

राज्ञः अर्थचरेण by the king'sor the state's, revenue collector or resource mobilizer

स्वल्पः अपि अर्थः at least a little money or wealth

अनास्वाधयितुं न शक्यः. impossible not to taste.