The Mind Of A Genius

Dear One,

On the banks of the river Ganga was a man walking with a determined gait. His eyes were burning like hot embers, and his mind was running like a wild horse determined to reach his destination. He was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he didn't care about anything that came in his way. A cluster of deep rooted wild grass made him stumble and his chain of thoughts were abruptly broken. His body and mind trembled with rage and he wanted to avenge this senseless triviality.

What happened next is completely unexpected and it goes down the annals of history as a baseless myth. Nevertheless, we get a sneak-peak into the notorious yet brilliant mind of a master schemer and strategist.

A little errand boy was the sole witness to what was about to happen. The man, sprinkled a handful of sugar over the grass. In seconds, thousands of vicious ants came from all directions and devoured the grassy patch clean by the very roots. The elderly man smiled in brute satisfaction and the boy looked on in mute amazement.

The man was Chanakya and the boy was to become Chandragupta Maurya, the famed ruler of the Mauryan dynasty. Chanakya, single handedly dethroned the conceited reigning Nanda King with his masterful schemes and pushed an unknown, uneducated Chandragupta, to dizzying heights of able rulership.

Chanakya was infamous for his temper as much as he was famous for his skillful strategies. His dual magnum opus, The Artha Shastra and Chankaya Neeti, are considered to be ageless masterpieces of socio-political literature, famed for it's sheer universality and shocking ingenuity.

Few gems of wisdom from Chanakya are reproduced below.

1. Never share your secrets with anybody. It will untimely destroy you.

2. Before you start any venture, always ask yourself these three questions a) Why am I doing it? b) What shall be the outcome? c) Will I be successful? Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead with it.

3. Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends.

4. There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no Friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth.

5. A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first.

Modern day leaders and layman alike, will have something of invaluable importance to learn from the genius that was Chanakya. Read Chanakya; Think like Chankaya and the world will be your playground.