How Niti Shastras, Proverbs, And Fables Enhance Common Sense?

By Author: Chaitanya Kumari
Total Articles: 152
Comment this article

In modern life, common sense is a decisive tool that helps in judging regular communications and life situations. There is no doubt that common sense is the bedrock of sound judgment and effective decision-making, and it is an invaluable yet elusive quality. Individuals with common sense can make sound decisions efficiently and quickly based on their life experiences and intuition. Hence, common sense is considered highly significant in life it enables individuals to improve their basic problem-solving skills in navigating different social situations. While logic and reason are at the forefront, human nature and societal dynamics are more complex and difficult to understand. That’s where the ancient wisdom of Niti Shastras, proverbs, and fables shine.

Niti Shastras are ancient Indian treatises on statecraft and ethics that possess deep insights into human behavior, governance, and the art of living. They deal with the subtleties of morality, duty, wisdom, common sense and righteous living. This wisdom, gained through allegorical narration and concise aphorisms, teaches individuals valuable lessons on management, diplomacy, ...
... and the importance of ethical conduct in all walks of life.

Proverbs, or brief and pithy statements that contain wisdom, appear in any culture. They are helpful expressions on life-related matters, including interpersonal relationships, work ethics, personal growth, and social responsibilities. Proverbs like “Honesty is the best policy” or “Look before you leap” provide concise yet powerful guidance to the needy, urging them to think practically and act wisely in any given situation.

Fables are fictional stories that include animals or inanimate objects, often teaching much deeper moral lessons to people. The common sense gained from the stories allows people to identify different potential risks in their real lives and select actions appropriate to assess the situations. From stories in Mahabharata and Ramayana, Hitopadesa, Jataka tales to Panchatantra, many such interesting stories amuse readers while slowly nudging them toward the right thing to do. They are similar to Aesop’s fables of the western world. The tortoise and the hare story is one universal example: it is a lesson in the virtues of persistence and plodding rather than flashy sprinting. These stories heard during childhood are not just simple fairy tales but meaningful lessons meant to guide us all through our lives.

Immersion in these ancient wisdom traditions would give us a far better understanding of humankind, the patterns that repeat themselves, and a different way to approach seeing the world around us. Niti Shastras, proverbs, and fables provided important ethical guidelines for the best decision-making. They also reminded us that long-term consequences should be kept in mind, while showing compassion and integrity.

In a world that places such a strong emphasis on instant gratification and short-term gains, it is high time to became aware of these ancient wisdom traditions that offer a way out of the dilemma. By integrating them into our daily lives, we can develop a stronger sense of character, improve our relationships with others, and make wiser, more thoughtful decisions that positively impact both ourselves and those around us.

Living-smartly.com is a wisdom vault that covers helpful topics for being wise, healthy and financially sufficient. It is a repository of ancient wisdom of India and has articles for living smartly on cultivating wisdom,
what is niti, Niti in English and being sensible.