Chanakya Sutras: On Action (Karya)

These sutras provide a comprehensive framework for successful action, covering everything from initial planning and the role of effort to time management and strategic analysis.

---

1. Foundations & Planning

Success begins with sound judgment and a clear understanding of one’s own capabilities and goals.

Sanskrit (Devanagari) & Transliteration	English Translation
अर्थमूलं सर्वकार्यम् ॥ arthamūlaṃ sarvakāryam	All actions are rooted in wealth/resources.
उपायपूर्वं कार्यं न दुष्करं स्यात् ॥ upāyapūrvaṃ kāryaṃ na duṣkaraṃ syāt	Work preceded by a proper method is not difficult.
पूर्वं निश्चित्य पश्चात्कार्यमारभेत ॥ pūrvaṃ niścitya paścātkāryamārabheta	One should start a task only after deciding upon it first.
स्वशक्तिं ज्ञात्वा कार्यमारभेत ॥ svaśaktiṃ jñātvā kāryamārabheta	One should start a task after knowing one’s own strength.
निशान्ते कार्यं चिन्तयेत् ॥ niśānte kāryaṃ cintayet	One should think about the task at the end of the night (dawn).
कार्यबहुत्वे बहुफलमायतिकं कुर्यात् ॥ kāryabahutve bahuphalamāyatikaṃ kuryāt	When there are many tasks, one should focus on the one with the greatest long-term fruit.
हस्तगतावमाननात् कार्यव्यतिक्रमो भवति ॥ hastagatāvamānanāt kāryavyatikramo bhavati	Disregarding what is already in hand leads to the failure of the task.
दुरनिबन्धं कार्यं न आरभेत ॥ duranibandhaṃ kāryaṃ na ārabheta	One should not start a task that is difficult to bind/control.

---

2. Human Effort & Fate

While external factors exist, Chanakya emphasizes that human effort is the primary driver of success and even influences “destiny.”

Sanskrit (Devanagari) & Transliteration	English Translation
कार्यं पुरुषकारेण लक्ष्यं सम्पद्यते ॥ kāryaṃ puruṣakāreṇa lakṣyaṃ sampadyate	A task attains its objective through human effort.
पुरुषकारमनुवर्तते दैवम् ॥ puruṣakāramanuvartate daivam	Destiny follows human effort.
कार्यानुरूपः प्रयत्नः ॥ kāryānurūpaḥ prayatnaḥ	Effort should be proportionate to the task.
अप्रयत्नात् कार्यविपत्तिर्भवेत् ॥ aprayatnāt kāryavipattirbhavet	Failure of a task occurs due to lack of effort.
न दैवमात्रप्रमाणानां कार्यसिद्धिः ॥ na daivamātrapramāṇānāṃ kāryasiddhiḥ	Success is not attained by those who rely solely on destiny.
दैवहीनं कार्यं सुसाधमपि दुस्साधं भवति ॥ daivahīnaṃ kāryaṃ susādhamapi dussādhaṃ bhavati	A task lacking (favorable) destiny becomes difficult even if it was easy.
मानुषीं कार्यविपत्तिं कौशलेन विनिवारयेत् ॥ mānuṣīṃ kāryavipattiṃ kauśalena vinivārayet	One should overcome human-caused failures through skill/dexterity.
न केवलेन साहसेन कार्यसिद्धिर्भवति ॥ na kevelena sāhasena kāryasiddhiḥ bhavati	Success is not attained through mere rashness/daring alone.

---

3. Focus & Discipline

A steady mind and freedom from vices are prerequisites for the completion of any work.

Sanskrit (Devanagari) & Transliteration	English Translation
असमाहितस्य कार्यं न विद्यते ॥ asamāhitasya kāryaṃ na vidyate	There is no (successful) task for one who is not concentrated/composed.
न चलचित्तस्य कार्यावाप्तिः ॥ na calacittasya kāryāvāptiḥ	There is no attainment of the goal for one with a fickle mind.
मन्त्रसंवरणे कार्यसिद्धिर्भवति ॥ mantrasaṃvaraṇe kāryasiddhirbhavati	Success in an undertaking comes from keeping counsel secret.
कार्यसङ्कटेष्वर्थव्यवसायिनी बुद्धिः ॥ kāryasaṅkaṭeṣvarthavyavasāyinī buddhiḥ	In times of crisis, the intellect should be industrious towards the goal.
न व्यसनपरस्य कार्यावाप्तिः ॥ na vyasanaparasya kāryāvāptiḥ	He who is addicted to vices does not attain the goal.
इन्द्रियवशवर्तिनो नास्ति कार्यावाप्तिः ॥ indriyavaśavartino nāsti kāryāvāptiḥ	There is no attainment of goals for one who is a slave to the senses.
नास्ति कार्यं द्युतप्रवृत्तस्य ॥ nāsti kāryaṃ dyutapravṛttasya	There is no successful action for one engaged in gambling.
न कामासक्तस्य कार्यानुष्ठानम् ॥ na kāmāsaktasya kāryānuṣṭhānam	There is no performance of duty for one obsessed with lust.
व्यसनार्तो विस्मरत्यवश्यकर्तव्यान् ॥ vyasanārto vismaratyavaśyakartavyān	One afflicted by vice forgets his mandatory duties.
स्वभावो दुरतिक्रमः ॥ svabhāvo duratikramaḥ	One’s innate nature is difficult to overcome.

---

4. Time Management & Momentum

Timing is everything. Opportunities lost to delay are often lost forever.

Sanskrit (Devanagari) & Transliteration	English Translation
कालवित् कार्यं साधयेत् ॥ kālavit kāryaṃ sādhayet	One who knows the (right) time accomplishes the task.
कालातिक्रमात् काल एव फलं पिबति ॥ kālātikramāt kāla eva phalaṃ pibati	If time is allowed to lapse, time itself drinks the fruit (of the action).
श्वः कार्यमद्य कुर्वीत ॥ śvaḥ kāryamadya kurvīta	Tomorrow’s work should be done today.
कार्यान्तरे दीर्घसूत्रता न कर्तव्या ॥ kāryāntare dīrghasūtratā na kartavyā	One should not be slow/procrastinate when a task is at hand.
क्षणं प्रति कालविक्षेपं न कुर्यात् ॥ kṣaṇaṃ prati kālavikṣepaṃ na kuryāt	One should not delay even for a moment in all undertakings.
नास्त्यनन्तरायः कालविक्षेपे ॥ nāstyanantarāyaḥ kālavikṣepe	There is no end to obstacles if one delays/procrastinates.
देशकालविभागौ ज्ञात्वा कार्यमारभेत ॥ deśakālavibhāgau jñātvā kāryāmarabheta	One should start a task after knowing the division of place and time.

---

5. Methods & Analysis

Successful action requires constant examination and the use of the right strategic tools.

Sanskrit (Devanagari) & Transliteration	English Translation
यत्नप्रयत्नात् कार्यसिद्धिर्भवति स उपायः ॥ yatnaprayatnāt kāryasiddhirbhavati sa upāyaḥ	Success attained through persistent effort constitutes the means (Upaya).
कार्यार्थिनामुपाय एव सहायः ॥ kāryārthināmupāya eva sahāyaḥ	For those seeking to accomplish a task, the method itself is the associate.
कार्याकार्य प्रदीपो मन्त्रः ॥ kāryākārya pradīpo mantraḥ	Counsel is the lamp that illuminates what should and should not be done.
प्रत्यक्षपरोक्षनुमानैः कार्याणि परीक्षेत ॥ pratyakṣaparokṣanumānaiḥ kāryāni parīkṣeta	One should examine tasks through direct, indirect, and inferential evidence.
अपरीक्षकारिणं श्रीः परित्यजति ॥ aparīkṣakāriṇaṃ śrīḥ parityajati	Prosperity deserts one who acts without examination.
यः कार्यं न पश्यति सोऽन्धः ॥ yaḥ kāryaṃ na paśyati so’ndhaḥ	He who does not see the (required) action is blind.
असंशयविनाशात् संशयविनाशः श्रेयान् ॥ asaṃśayavināśāt saṃśayavināśaḥ śreyān	Resolving a doubt is better than letting a certainty be destroyed.
स्वयमेवावस्कन्नं कार्यं निरीक्षेत ॥ svayamevāvaskannaṃ kāryaṃ nirīkṣeta	One should personally inspect a task that has been initiated/attacked.
कार्यसम्पदं निमित्तानि सूचयन्ति ॥ kāryasampadaṃ nimittāni sūcayanti	Signs/omens indicate the successful completion of a task.
सिद्धस्यैव कार्यस्य प्रकाशनं कर्तव्यम् ॥ siddhasyeva kāryasya prakāśanaṃ kartavyam	A task should be made public only after it is accomplished.
तत्त्वज्ञानं कार्यमेव प्रकाशयति ॥ tattvajñānaṃ kāryameva prakāśayati	Knowledge of the truth illuminates the task itself.
दोषवर्जितानि कार्याणि दुर्लभानि ॥ doṣavarjitāni kāryāṇi durlabhāni	Actions completely free of flaws are rare.

---

Reference: Chanakya Niti