Shloka 5
Governance and Policy — Chanakya Niti
जले तैलं खले गुह्यं पात्रे दानं मनागपि ।
प्राज्ञे शास्त्रं स्वयं याति विस्तारं वस्तुशक्तितः ॥
jale tailaṃ khale guhyaṃ pātre dānaṃ manāg api |
prājñe śāstraṃ svayaṃ yāti vistāraṃ vastuśaktitaḥ ||
Oil spreads on water; a secret entrusted to a wicked man spreads; even a small gift, given to the worthy, grows in effect. Likewise, śāstra in an intelligent person expands of itself, by the power of the recipient’s capacity.
FAQs
Within the broader nīti-śāstra (didactic/political-ethical) tradition, the verse reflects a classical South Asian concern with discretion (especially regarding confidential matters) and with the differential outcomes of giving and instruction depending on the recipient. Such formulations are typical of aphoristic manuals that circulated in courtly and pedagogical environments, where counsel about trust, patronage, and education was framed through compact analogies.
The verse uses pātra (“fit vessel”) as a recipient-category indicating suitability or merit, implying that the same quantity of giving (even “manāk api,” a little) can yield greater social or practical effect when directed toward an appropriate recipient. The definition remains implicit and functional rather than enumerated: worthiness is inferred from capacity to amplify the value or impact of what is received.
The composition is structured as a series of analogies culminating in a general principle: outcomes follow “vastuśakti,” the inherent power/capacity of the locus or recipient. The imagery of oil spreading on water provides a physical model for diffusion; “guhyaṃ khale” frames secrecy as unstable when placed with a “khala” (a morally unreliable person); and “śāstraṃ… prājñe” portrays learning as self-expanding in a “prājña,” emphasizing receptivity and internalization as key metaphors in classical pedagogy.