Na Corahāryam — Wealth That Cannot Be Stolen
न चोरहार्यं न च राजहार्यम्
Cāṇakya / Hitopadeśa · On the True Value of Knowledge
Source: Attributed to Cāṇakya (Arthaśāstra tradition); also in Hitopadeśa
Key Points to Remember
- ▸चोर = thief; राज = king; √hṛ (to seize) → hārya (seizable) — all Tatpurusha compounds
- ▸भ्रातृ (brother) = same Indo-European root as English "brother" (bhrātar)
- ▸वर्धते = √vṛdh, ātmanepada — knowledge grows when shared (unlike wealth)
- ▸प्रधान = pra + √dhā — "placed first," foremost among all kinds of wealth
The Verse
न चोरहार्यं न च राजहार्यं न भ्रातृभाज्यं न च भारकारि। व्यये कृते वर्धत एव नित्यं विद्याधनं सर्वधनप्रधानम्॥
na cora-hāryaṃ na ca rāja-hāryaṃ na bhrātṛ-bhājyaṃ na ca bhāra-kāri | vyaye kṛte vardhata eva nityaṃ vidyā-dhanaṃ sarva-dhana-pradhānam ||
Cannot be stolen by a thief. Cannot be seized by a king. Cannot be divided among brothers. Not a burden to carry. When spent, it only grows. The wealth of knowledge — the foremost of all wealth.
— Attributed to Cāṇakya; found in Hitopadeśa
Word-by-Word Meaning
| Sanskrit | Transliteration | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| चोरहार्यम् | cora-hāryam | capable of being stolen by a thief | cora (thief) + hārya (capable of being taken — from √hṛ, to seize) — Tatpurusha compound |
| राजहार्यम् | rāja-hāryam | capable of being seized by a king | rāja (king) + hārya (seizable) — same compound structure |
| भ्रातृभाज्यम् | bhrātṛ-bhājyam | capable of being divided among brothers | bhrātṛ (brother — same root as English "brother"!) + bhājya (divisible, from √bhaj, to divide) |
| भारकारि | bhāra-kāri | burden-making, burdensome | bhāra (burden, weight) + kāri (making, from √kṛ) — "that which makes a burden" |
| व्यये | vyaye | in spending, in use | vi + √i (to go/spend) → vyaya (expenditure) — Saptamī: "when spent" |
| वर्धते | vardhate | it grows, it increases | √vṛdh (to grow, to increase) — 3rd person singular present ātmanepada (middle voice) |
| नित्यम् | nityam | always, eternally, constantly | nitya — permanent, constant; an indeclinable used as adverb |
| प्रधानम् | pradhānam | foremost, chief, primary | pra (forward, primary) + dhāna (holding, placed — from √dhā) — "placed in the primary position" |
Exercises (3)
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
List the 4 things knowledge CANNOT do (unlike money)
1. 1. चोरहार्यम् — it _______ (can/cannot) be stolen by a thief.
Show answer
cannot
2. 2. राजहार्यम् — it _______ (can/cannot) be seized by a king.
Show answer
cannot
3. 3. भ्रातृभाज्यम् — it _______ (can/cannot) be divided among brothers.
Show answer
cannot
4. 4. भारकारि — it _______ (is/is not) a burden to carry.
Show answer
is not
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct answer
1. "Bhrātṛ" (brother) in this verse shares its root with which English word?
Show answer
Brother
2. What happens to knowledge (vidyā) when it is spent/shared?
Show answer
It grows
3. "Vardhate" uses ātmanepada (middle voice). Middle voice in Sanskrit means:
Show answer
The action benefits oneself
Exercise 3: Short Answer
Reflect and answer
1. The verse says knowledge grows when spent (shared). Can you give a real example of this from your own experience?
Show answer
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