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Chanakya Niti: 30 Days of Practical Wisdom

One verse of practical wisdom a day, for work, family and self.

Narrated byAcharya Chanakya
See the path, day by day

At a glance

Lectures
0 of 30 lectures
Listening time
—
Languages
Hindi and English
Level
For beginners

About this course

The Chanakya Niti is a collection of short verses on friendship, learning, wealth, speech, self-control and leadership, traditionally attributed to Chanakya, the teacher of Chandragupta Maurya.

In thirty short lectures, Acharya Chanakya takes one theme a day, quotes the verse, explains it plainly and asks how it applies today. Some verses reflect the society of their time; where a verse sounds harsh to modern ears, we say so honestly rather than hide it.

This is a course in practical wisdom, not in statecraft. For Kautilya's Arthashastra, see our future courses.

What you'll take away

  • Thirty memorable verses of practical wisdom
  • A clear sense of what the Niti is and is not
  • Daily habits for clearer decisions

From the texts

  • The Chanakya Niti is a different text from the Arthashastra, the treatise on statecraft attributed to Kautilya.

    Source: Textual tradition

  • Several versions of the Niti survive, and verse numbers differ between editions.

    Source: Manuscript tradition

  • Its first verse opens with a bow to Vishnu, lord of the three worlds.

    Source: Chanakya Niti 1.1

Day by day

Walk the text one day at a time. A lamp is lit for every lecture that is open to you.

  • Free to hear
  • Open for you
  • Opens with enrolment
  • Opens at its hour
  • Being prepared

  1. FoundationsDays 1 to 10

    1. Day 1Why Niti? The Opening VersesWhat the Chanakya Niti is, what it is not, and the promise of its opening verses.Being prepared3 min
    2. Day 2Knowing Whom to TrustBeing prepared
    3. Day 3True FriendshipBeing prepared
    4. Day 4The Value of LearningBeing prepared
    5. Day 5Speech and SilenceBeing prepared
    6. Day 6Wealth and its Right UseBeing prepared
    7. Day 7Time and OpportunityBeing prepared
    8. Day 8Patience and EffortBeing prepared
    9. Day 9Teacher and StudentBeing prepared
    10. Day 10Family and DutyBeing prepared

  2. Mastering OneselfDays 11 to 20

    1. Day 11Self-ControlBeing prepared
    2. Day 12The Cost of AngerBeing prepared
    3. Day 13ContentmentBeing prepared
    4. Day 14Keeping Plans PrivateBeing prepared
    5. Day 15Choosing Where to LiveBeing prepared
    6. Day 16CharityBeing prepared
    7. Day 17Health and DisciplineBeing prepared
    8. Day 18Lessons from NatureBeing prepared
    9. Day 19Courage in Hard TimesBeing prepared
    10. Day 20Qualities of a Good RulerBeing prepared

  3. Leading and LivingDays 21 to 30

    1. Day 21Leadership and ResponsibilityBeing prepared
    2. Day 22Habits of the WiseBeing prepared
    3. Day 23Avoiding Bad CompanyBeing prepared
    4. Day 24TruthfulnessBeing prepared
    5. Day 25HumilityBeing prepared
    6. Day 26Knowing Your StrengthBeing prepared
    7. Day 27Fate and EffortBeing prepared
    8. Day 28GratitudeBeing prepared
    9. Day 29Dharma Above AllBeing prepared
    10. Day 30Living Niti Every DayBeing prepared
Acharya Chanakya

Your teacher

Acharya Chanakya

The teacher of statecraft and practical wisdom remembered by tradition as Kautilya and Vishnugupta. He explains the Niti verses for daily life.

The Chanakya character is an artistic narrator based on traditional accounts. Historians debate the details of his life.

In review

Scholar review

Scholar review in progress

About the narration

Lectures are narrated using AI from scripts reviewed against the texts. The teacher character is an artistic interpretation.

Questions about this course

Is the teacher really Krishna, Chanakya or a rishi?

No. The teacher is an artistic character with an AI-narrated voice. Every lecture is a written script, checked against the cited texts and reviewed by a scholar before it is published. The character never improvises and never claims divine authority.

Can I try before paying?

Yes. The first lecture of every course is free, with no login needed.

Will it work on my phone with a weak network?

Yes. Lectures are audio with a painted scene, so they use far less data than video. Audio-only mode saves even more.

I found a mistake. What do I do?

Please use the Report an error button on the lecture. Every report goes to our review queue.