Shloka 18
Qualities of the Wise — Chanakya Niti
लालयेत्पञ्चवर्षाणि दशवर्षाणि ताडयेत् ।
प्राप्ते तु षोडशे वर्षे पुत्रे मित्रवदाचरेत् ॥
lālayetpañcavarṣāṇi daśavarṣāṇi tāḍayet |
prāpte tu ṣoḍaśe varṣe putre mitravad ācaret ||
For the first five years, cherish the child; for the next ten, discipline him; and when he reaches sixteen, treat him as a friend.
FAQs
Within the Chanakya Niti tradition, the verse reflects a premodern South Asian household ideal in which upbringing is framed through age-based stages, moving from early nurturing to later discipline and finally to a more reciprocal relationship as the child approaches social adulthood. Such formulations align with broader nīti and dharma literature that treats self-control and social training as prerequisites for participation in family and polity.
The verse uses the verb tāḍayet, a term that can denote chastisement or corporal punishment in classical usage, to represent a phase of stricter correction. In archival interpretation, this is best read as a historically situated prescription about methods of forming conduct, rather than a universal ethical rule.
The sequence lālayet → tāḍayet → mitravad ācaret compresses an educational theory into three imperatival optatives, using parallel time spans (5/10/16) to create a memorable aphorism. The phrase mitravat (“like a friend”) functions as a relational metaphor, signaling a shift from hierarchical authority to counsel and companionship at a socially significant age.