--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Test a servant while in the discharge of…" description: "\"Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.\" — Chanakya" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/chanakya-1643_adversity_test-a-servant-while-in-the-discharge-of_1904345.jpg" --- # Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a… ![“Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.” quote by Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/chanakya-1643_adversity_test-a-servant-while-in-the-discharge-of_1904345.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/chanakya-1643_adversity_test-a-servant-while-in-the-discharge-of_1904345.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/chanakya-1643_adversity_test-a-servant-while-in-the-discharge-of_1904345.jpg) > “Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.” [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Test loyalty and character in various relationships—servant, relative, friend, spouse—especially during hardship to gauge true virtue. **In simple terms:** Assess people’s loyalty when they face difficulty. Key Takeaway Observe behavior under pressure. Themes loyalty character relationships adversity virtue Mood analytical thoughtful serious Type historical didactic When to use this quote - family crises - workplace challenges - friendship tests - marital strain Key Concepts ethics leadership ancient wisdom Questions to Reflect On - Who have you relied on in tough times? - What qualities define true loyalty for you? A Different Perspective May ignore context or change over time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Servant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servant/) [Wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wife/) ## Related quotes > [Test an employee while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/test-an-employee-while-in-the-discharge-of-his-duty-a-relative-in/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [He rules all things, not as the world soul but as the lord of all. And because of his dominion he is called Lord…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/he-rules-all-things-not-as-the-world-soul-but-as-the-lord-of-all-and/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [Do not pass between two brahmanas, between a brahmana and his sacrificial fire, between a wife and her husband, a master and his servant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/do-not-pass-between-two-brahmanas-between-a-brahmana-and-his/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [Of course, success is a relative term. It can be something completely different from winning the German championship eight times or making millions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-kahn/of-course-success-is-a-relative-term-it-can-be-something-completely/) [Oliver Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-kahn/) > [There is one thing a professor can be absolutely certain of: almost every student entering the university believes, or says he believes, that truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-bloom/there-is-one-thing-a-professor-can-be-absolutely-certain-of-almost/) [Allan Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-bloom/) > [We possess within us a force of incalculable power, which if we direct it in a conscious and wise manner, gives us the mastery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-coue/we-possess-within-us-a-force-of-incalculable-power-which-if-we-direct/) [Emile Coue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-coue/) > [I stated that Hiroshima and Nagasaki are 'among the most unspeakable crimes in history.' I took no position on just where they stand on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-stated-that-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-are-among-the-most-unspeakable/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Yoga is the method to bring or uncover the union that exists. That all things are relative and are in relationship and that nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-yee/yoga-is-the-method-to-bring-or-uncover-the-union-that-exists-that-all/) [Rodney Yee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-yee/) > [Failure's relative. I've always felt, even early on, if I lose the freedom to fail, something's not right about that. It's how you treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/failure-s-relative-i-ve-always-felt-even-early-on-if-i-lose-the/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [The risk of developing carcinoma of the lung increases steadily as the amount smoked increases. If the risk among non-smokers is taken as unity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-doll/the-risk-of-developing-carcinoma-of-the-lung-increases-steadily-as/) Richard Doll > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Most people do surprisingly poorly when dealing with a relative who is hurting, depressed, or anxious - we get defensive and try to solve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/most-people-do-surprisingly-poorly-when-dealing-with-a-relative-who/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [“Maybe love, like suffering, is relative. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/maybe-love-like-suffering-is-relative/) [Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/) > [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [Give me strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-elk/give-me-strength-to-walk-the-soft-earth-a-relative-to-all-that-is/) [Black Elk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-elk/) ## More by Chanakya > [A low-minded person should not be given good advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/a-low-minded-person-should-not-be-given-good-advice/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [The ruler should employ person in tasks according to their abilities because Knowers ( or the means ) and efficient employees make impossible tasks also possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/the-ruler-should-employ-person-in-tasks-according-to-their-abilities/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the small child, the dog owned by other people, and the fool: these seven ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/the-serpent-the-king-the-tiger-the-stinging-wasp-the-small-child-the/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [Prosperity lasts long for one who acts after proper consideration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/prosperity-lasts-long-for-one-who-acts-after-proper-consideration/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [Learning is like a cow of desire. It, like her, yields in all seasons. Like a mother, it feeds you on your journey. Therefore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/learning-is-like-a-cow-of-desire-it-like-her-yields-in-all-seasons/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [Who realises all the happiness he desires? Everything is in the hands of God. Therefore one should learn contentment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/who-realises-all-the-happiness-he-desires-everything-is-in-the-hands/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [Every relationship has one or the other motive behind it. Friendship or enemity are not purposeless.Oneness of motive is turned into friendship. While diversity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/every-relationship-has-one-or-the-other-motive-behind-it-friendship/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [Never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/never-share-your-secrets-with-anybody-it-will-destroy-you/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [The beauty of a cuckoo is in its notes, that of a woman in her unalloyed devotion to her husband, that of an ugly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/the-beauty-of-a-cuckoo-is-in-its-notes-that-of-a-woman-in-her/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [Do not be very upright in your dealings for you would see by going to the forest that straight trees are cut down while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/do-not-be-very-upright-in-your-dealings-for-you-would-see-by-going-to/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [The happiness and peace attained by those satisfied by the nectar of spiritual tranquillity is not attained by greedy persons restlessly moving here and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/the-happiness-and-peace-attained-by-those-satisfied-by-the-nectar-of/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [What good is a cow that neither gives milk nor conceives? Similarly, what is the value of the birth of a son if he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/what-good-is-a-cow-that-neither-gives-milk-nor-conceives-similarly/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [Sometimes coincidentally an unintelligent person can accomplish a task but that does not mean that he is a knower of means and device or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/sometimes-coincidentally-an-unintelligent-person-can-accomplish-a/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [He whose son is obedient to him, whose wife's conduct is in accordance with his wishes, and who is content with his riches, has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/he-whose-son-is-obedient-to-him-whose-wife-s-conduct-is-in-accordance/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [Our bodies are perishable, wealth is not at all permanent and death is always nearby. Therefore we must immediately engage in acts of merit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/our-bodies-are-perishable-wealth-is-not-at-all-permanent-and-death-is/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) [Explore all 220 Chanakya quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) ## More Adversity quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [When we have public success we also have private struggles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deion-sanders/when-we-have-public-success-we-also-have-private-struggles/) [Deion Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deion-sanders/) > [“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-threats-that-resurfaced-in-the-past-10-years-were-not-an/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [“Friction is necessary. Ease of life leads to complacency and the atrophy of the human will and spirit. Within our struggles lives our strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/friction-is-necessary-ease-of-life-leads-to-complacency-and-the/) [Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/) > [“Every adversity is just another opportunity to excel a little more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/every-adversity-is-just-another-opportunity-to-excel-a-little-more/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Just because she doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean she isn't feeling it. She hurts, but she won't wear it on her sleeve. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfa-h/just-because-she-doesn-t-talk-about-it-doesn-t-mean-she-isn-t-feeling/) [Alfa H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfa-h/) > [Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckham-kennedy/every-trial-endured-and-weathered-in-the-right-spirit-makes-a-soul/) James Buckham Kennedy > [Honesty, by evil fortune tried, Finds in adversity the seed of praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/honesty-by-evil-fortune-tried-finds-in-adversity-the-seed-of-praise/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [“Struggles are not associated to a particular people or creed, everyone struggles, not for the same reasons, but each has a personal struggle at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/struggles-are-not-associated-to-a-particular-people-or-creed-everyone/) [Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/) > [“Watch a man in times of adversity to discover what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/watch-a-man-in-times-of-adversity-to-discover-what-kind-of-man-he-is/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-often-hides-his-blessing-in-trouble-or-trial-which-makes-it-all/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“Life is not about less mistakes but about more trials”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-sever/life-is-not-about-less-mistakes-but-about-more-trials/) S.E. SEVER > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-everything-feels-like-an-uphill-struggle-just-think-of-the-view/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 5,001 Adversity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chanakya" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/test-a-servant-while-in-the-discharge-of-his-duty-a-relative-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adversity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/test-a-servant-while-in-the-discharge-of-his-duty-a-relative-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/chanakya-1643_adversity_test-a-servant-while-in-the-discharge-of_1904345.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/chanakya-1643_adversity_test-a-servant-while-in-the-discharge-of_1904345.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/chanakya-1643_adversity_test-a-servant-while-in-the-discharge-of_1904345.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a…” — Chanakya", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Chanakya", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Test a servant while in the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/test-a-servant-while-in-the-discharge-of-his-duty-a-relative-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/test-a-servant-while-in-the-discharge-of-his-duty-a-relative-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```