The subhashita genre spans 2500 years — Bhartrihari (5th C), Chanakya (4th C BCE), Manu, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Hitopadesha, and countless anonymous traditional verses. Each is a single shloka that captures a complete ethical / philosophical / practical truth. 22 marquee verses below — each with Sanskrit + IAST transliteration + English meaning + source.
विद्या ददाति विनयं विनयाद्याति पात्रताम्। पात्रत्वाद्धनमाप्नोति धनाद्धर्मं ततः सुखम्॥
vidyā dadāti vinayaṃ vinayād yāti pātratām pātratvād dhanam āpnoti dhanād dharmaṃ tataḥ sukham
Knowledge gives humility. From humility comes worthiness. From worthiness comes wealth. From wealth comes dharma. From dharma — happiness.
Source — Hitopadesha (Vishnu Sharma, 12th C, traditional 4-fold panchatantra-derivative)
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
Not taken by thieves, not seized by kings, not shared among brothers, not a burden to carry — increases ever more when spent — knowledge-wealth is the supreme of all wealths.
Source — Hitopadesha (also attributed to Chanakya + Bhartrihari)
सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः। सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चित्दुःखभाग्भवेत्॥
sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ sarve santu nirāmayāḥ sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu mā kaścid duḥkhabhāg bhavet
May all beings be happy. May all be free from disease. May all see what is auspicious. May none experience suffering.
Source — Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.14 (with related parallel in many Upanishads)
अयं निजः परो वेति गणना लघुचेतसाम्। उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्॥
ayaṃ nijaḥ paro veti gaṇanā laghu-cetasām udāra-caritānāṃ tu vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam
"This one is mine, that one is a stranger" — such is the thinking of the small-minded. For the noble-hearted — the whole world is one family.
Source — Maha Upanishad 6.71-75 (also Hitopadesha 1.3.71). Inscribed in the Indian Parliament.
अतिथिदेवो भव।
atithi-devo bhava
Let the guest be (treated as) God.
Source — Taittiriya Upanishad 1.11.2 (one of the famous "deva bhava" series — matri-devo, pitri-devo, acharya-devo, atithi-devo bhava)
सत्यं ब्रूयात्प्रियं ब्रूयान्न ब्रूयात्सत्यमप्रियम्। प्रियं च नानृतं ब्रूयादेष धर्मः सनातनः॥
satyaṃ brūyāt priyaṃ brūyān na brūyāt satyam apriyam priyaṃ ca nānṛtaṃ brūyād eṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ
Speak truth, speak pleasingly. Do not speak unpleasant truth. Do not speak pleasing falsehood. This is the eternal dharma.
Source — Manu Smriti 4.138
क्रोधो वैवस्वतो राजा तृष्णा वैतरणी नदी। विद्या कामदुधा धेनुः सन्तोषो नन्दनं वनम्॥
krodho vaivasvato rājā tṛṣṇā vaitaraṇī nadī vidyā kāmadudhā dhenuḥ santoṣo nandanaṃ vanam
Anger is Yama (the king of death). Craving is Vaitarani (the river of hell). Knowledge is Kamadhenu (the wish-cow). Contentment is Nandana-vana (heaven's garden).
Source — Mahabharata, Shanti Parva 174.46
मा कुरु धन-जन-यौवन-गर्वं हरति निमेषात्कालः सर्वम्। मायामयमिदमखिलं हित्वा ब्रह्मपदं त्वं प्रविश विदित्वा॥
mā kuru dhana-jana-yauvana-garvaṃ harati nimeṣāt kālaḥ sarvam māyā-mayam idam akhilaṃ hitvā brahma-padaṃ tvaṃ praviśa viditvā
Do not be proud of wealth, of people, of youth. Time takes all in an instant. Abandoning this entire maya-spun world, having known — enter the state of Brahman.
Source — Bhaja Govindam (Adi Shankaracharya, ~8th C)
अहिंसा परमो धर्मः धर्म-हिंसा तथैव च। वेदोक्तानां धर्माणां सर्वेषामहिंसा परा॥
ahiṃsā paramo dharmaḥ dharma-hiṃsā tathaiva ca vedoktānāṃ dharmāṇāṃ sarveṣām ahiṃsā parā
Ahimsa (non-violence) is the supreme dharma. So too is violence in defence of dharma. But of all dharmas taught by the Vedas, ahimsa is the highest.
Source — Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva 115.23
चिन्ता चिता समाख्याता बिन्दुमात्रं विशेषता। चिता दहति निर्जीवं चिन्ता प्राणयुतं वपुः॥
cintā citā samākhyātā bindu-mātraṃ viśeṣatā citā dahati nirjīvaṃ cintā prāṇa-yutaṃ vapuḥ
Worry (chinta) and the funeral pyre (chita) are equal — they differ only by a dot. The pyre burns the lifeless body; worry burns the body that still has life.
Source — Anonymous traditional shloka
उद्यमेन हि सिध्यन्ति कार्याणि न मनोरथैः। न हि सुप्तस्य सिंहस्य प्रविशन्ति मुखे मृगाः॥
udyamena hi sidhyanti kāryāṇi na manorathaiḥ na hi suptasya siṃhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ
Things are accomplished by effort, not by desire alone. Deer do not walk into the mouth of a sleeping lion.
Source — Hitopadesha (Mitralabha section)
अष्टादशपुराणानां सारं सारं समुद्धृतम्। परोपकारः पुण्याय पापाय परपीडनम्॥
aṣṭādaśa-purāṇānāṃ sāraṃ sāraṃ samuddhṛtam paropakāraḥ puṇyāya pāpāya para-pīḍanam
The essence of all 18 Puranas, extracted: helping others = punya (merit); harming others = papa (sin). (One line summary of all puranic ethics.)
Source — Vyasa's summary verse (attributed by tradition)
मातृवत्परदारेषु परद्रव्येषु लोष्ठवत्। आत्मवत्सर्वभूतेषु यः पश्यति स पण्डितः॥
mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭha-vat ātma-vat sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ
One who sees: another's wife as his mother, another's wealth as dust, all beings as his own self — that one is a true pandit.
Source — Chanakya Niti
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥
karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo 'stv akarmaṇi
You have the right to action alone — never to its fruits. Do not be motivated by fruit of action; nor be attached to inaction.
Source — Bhagavad Gita 2.47 (the supreme karma-yoga verse)
धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः।
dharmo rakṣati rakṣitaḥ
Dharma protects those who protect dharma.
Source — Manu Smriti 8.15 (the most-cited single line in Hindu law)
योगः कर्मसु कौशलम्।
yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam
Yoga is skill in action.
Source — Bhagavad Gita 2.50
काव्यशास्त्रविनोदेन कालो गच्छति धीमताम्। व्यसनेन च मूर्खाणां निद्रया कलहेन वा॥
kāvya-śāstra-vinodena kālo gacchati dhīmatām vyasanena ca mūrkhāṇāṃ nidrayā kalahena vā
For the wise, time passes in the joy of poetry + shastras. For the foolish, it passes in vice, sleep, or quarrels.
Source — Bhartrihari's Niti-Shataka
काकचेष्टा बकोध्यानं श्वाननिद्रा तथैव च। अल्पाहारी ब्रह्मचारी विद्यार्थी पञ्चलक्षणम्॥
kāka-ceṣṭā bako-dhyānaṃ śvāna-nidrā tathaiva ca alpāhārī brahma-cārī vidyārthī pañca-lakṣaṇam
Effort of a crow (always alert). Concentration of a heron (single-pointed). Sleep of a dog (light, quick to wake). Little-eating. Celibate. — These are the five qualities of a student.
Source — Traditional — variously attributed (Chanakya / Bhartrihari)
पुस्तकस्था तु या विद्या परहस्तगतं धनम्। कार्यकाले समुत्पन्ने न सा विद्या न तद्धनम्॥
pustakasthā tu yā vidyā para-hasta-gataṃ dhanam kārya-kāle samutpanne na sā vidyā na tad dhanam
Knowledge that stays in a book. Wealth that lies in another's hand. When the moment of need arises — neither is your knowledge, nor your wealth.
Source — Chanakya Niti
विद्या मित्रं प्रवासे च भार्या मित्रं गृहेषु च। व्याधितस्यौषधं मित्रं धर्मो मित्रं मृतस्य च॥
vidyā mitraṃ pravāse ca bhāryā mitraṃ gṛheṣu ca vyādhitasyauṣadhaṃ mitraṃ dharmo mitraṃ mṛtasya ca
Knowledge is the friend in travel. The wife is the friend at home. Medicine is the friend in sickness. Dharma is the friend at death.
Source — Chanakya Niti
दुर्जनेन समं सख्यं प्रीतिं चापि न कारयेत्। उष्णो दहति चांगारः शीतः कृष्णायते करम्॥
durjanena samaṃ sakhyaṃ prītiṃ cāpi na kārayet uṣṇo dahati cāṅgāraḥ śītaḥ kṛṣṇāyate karam
Do not form friendship or affection with the wicked. A coal — hot, burns; cold, blackens the hand.
Source — Chanakya Niti
यथा हि एकेन चक्रेण न रथस्य गतिर्भवेत्। एवं पुरुषकारेण विना दैवं न सिध्यति॥
yathā hi ekena cakreṇa na rathasya gatir bhavet evaṃ puruṣa-kāreṇa vinā daivaṃ na sidhyati
As a chariot cannot move with only one wheel — so, without human effort (purushakara), fate alone cannot succeed. (Effort + fate are both needed.)
Source — Yajnavalkya Smriti