Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions

Hearken, O seekers of wisdom and strategy, to the words of Chanakya, the venerable sage of counsel and foresight: "Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions—Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead." In this utterance lies the ancient truth that action without reflection is like a ship adrift; the mind must illuminate the path before the hand sets it into motion.

In the theater of human endeavor, many rush headlong into labor, guided by impulse or fleeting desire. Chanakya reveals that true success is born of thoughtful consideration, of pausing to interrogate one’s motives, foresee the consequences, and weigh the likelihood of achievement. To act without such reflection is to invite misfortune, while measured thought transforms effort into a tool of mastery and purpose.

The ancients, who chronicled the art of governance, war, and craft, knew that forethought is the ally of accomplishment. To ask “Why am I doing it?” is to uncover the purity of intention; to ask “What the results might be?” is to anticipate the ripples of one’s action in the web of life; to ask “Will I be successful?” is to measure readiness, courage, and strategy. These three inquiries are the compass that guides every worthy enterprise.

Yet this teaching carries subtle depth: reflection alone is not enough; it must yield satisfactory answers. Chanakya’s counsel is not to dwell in indecision, but to cultivate clarity, discernment, and confidence before action. Only when the mind has wrestled with doubt and illuminated the path should the hand move, for the union of thought and action is the seed of lasting achievement.

Therefore, O children of deliberation and valor, let this teaching lodge in your hearts: before embarking upon any labor, interrogate your motives, foresee the outcomes, and measure your readiness. In the careful fusion of contemplation and action lies the eternal wisdom of the ancients, a guiding flame that leads the seeker from uncertainty to purpose, from impulse to triumph, and from effort to enduring success.