Quotes from Khushwant Singh

Not forever reigneth joy, Sets the sun on days of bliss, Friendships not forever last, They know not life, who know not this.

To know India and her peoples, one has to know the monsoon. one has to know the monsoon. It is not enough to read about it in books, or see it on the cinema screen, or hear someone talk about it. It has to be a personal experience because nothing short of living through it can fully convey all it means to a people for whom it is not only the source of life, but also their most exciting impact with nature.

What the four seasons of the year mean to the European, the one season of the monsoon means to the Indian. It is preceded by desolation; it brings with it hopes of spring; it has the fullness of summer and the fulfillment of autumn all in one.

Your principle should be to see everything and say nothing. The world changes so rapidly that if you want to get on you cannot afford to align yourself with any person or point of view. Even if you feel strongly about something, learn to keep silent.

The prose-poems of the Japji envelop us by opening our third eye to the experience of concrete manifestations of nature, the overall circle of light, which shone in the nimbus, which people saw around Nanak's face, lit up by the shimmering glow of the flame which burnt inside him. It

how much of what he told me of his past was true and how much he made up to hold my interest.

There is no wine in this world as heady as applause.

poverty which had celebrated a hundred thousand silver and golden jubilees.

Morality, Meet Singhji, is a matter of money. Poor people cannot afford to have morals. So they have religion.

But for many long days and nights I pondered over the words in the Mahabharata: 'As two pieces of wood floating on the ocean come together at one time and are again separated, even such is the union of living creatures in this world.

To plant your idea in someone's head. To plant someone's money in your own pocket. He who succeeds in the former, we call teacher. He who succeeds with the latter, we call boss. The one who succeeds in both, we call wife. The one who fails in both, we call husband.

Not forever does the bulbul sing In balmy shades of bowers, Not forever lasts the spring Nor ever blossom flowers. Not forever reigneth joy, Sets the sun on days of bliss, Friendships not forever last, They know not life, who know not this.

A Sikh woman takes the surname Kaur on baptism. Kaur was also a common surname for Rajput women and means both a princess and lioness.

Unless a miracle saves us,' Khushwant Singh writes, 'the country will break up. It will not be Pakistan or any other foreign power that will destroy us; we will commit hara-kiri.

Life is somewhat like a line drawing, Appearances a kind of trust, This period of grace we call age; Examine it carefully! It is a kind of waiting.

Voh waqt bhee deykha taareekh kee gharion nay Lamhon nay khataa kee thee Sadiyon nay sazaa paayee (The ages of history have recorded times when for an error made in a few seconds centuries had to pay the price.)

What do the Gandhi-caps in Delhi know about the Punjab? What is happening on the other side in Pakistan does not matter to them. They have not lost their homes and belongings; they haven't had their mothers, wives, sisters and daughters raped and murdered in the streets.

The world forgives a drunkard.

Passions have made mortals of us men. If men were not slaves of passion, they would have been Gods, each one.

I believe I did succeed in making Indian uslims look upon me as a friend: when I was nominated to be a member of the Rajya Sabha many said, "We have another Muslim in Parliament." Others who disliked my views called me an unpaid agent of Pakistan. I treated both views as compliments.

Masjid ddhaa dey, Mandar ddhaa dey Ddhaa dey jo kuchh ddhenda. Ik kisey da dil na ddhavein Rabb dilaan vicch rehndaa

She had many shortcomings, but perhaps that alone was what made her human. She may not have been a likeable person, but she was, in her own way, a woman to be loved and admired.

He told us of an incident from the life of the Prophet Musa. Musa heard a poor shepherd praying: 'Where art Thou that I may serve Thee? I will mend Thy boots, comb Thy hair, give Thee milk from my goats.' Musa reprimanded the shepherd for so speaking to God. God in His turn reprimanded Musa. 'Thou hast driven away one of my true servants.

Jahaan mein ahle-eemaan soorat-e-khursheed jeetay hain, Idhar doobey, udhar nikley; udhar doobey, idhar niklay. In this world men of faith and self-confidence are    like the sun, They go down on one side to come up on the other.