subhashitawisdomchanakyaniti

Ayuh Karma Cha Vittam Cha (Five Things Fixed Before Birth)

Ayuh Karma Cha Vittam Cha (Five Things Fixed Before Birth) in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 Morning reflection, or in times of worry over the future, wealth or health·📜 Chanakya Niti

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

This famous verse from the opening chapter of Chanakya Niti declares that five things — lifespan, deeds, wealth, knowledge and death — are determined for a being while still in the womb. It is a teaching on destiny and acceptance, urging that since the broad arc of life is fixed, one should act with diligence yet remain free of anxiety and arrogance. It has long been quoted to cultivate equanimity and trust in the cosmic order.

Origin & Story

Chanakya Niti · Chanakya (Vishnugupta / Kautilya) · Ancient India (c. 4th–3rd century BCE)

Chanakya, the strategist and minister who helped found the Mauryan empire, compiled terse niti verses on ethics, prosperity and the conduct of life. This verse from his opening chapter sets a foundational tone: by declaring that lifespan, deeds, wealth, learning and death are fixed before birth, he frames human striving within an acceptance of destiny, teaching the seeker to remain calm, humble and free of fear.

✦ As told in scripture

Teachers of niti say that whoever truly absorbs this single verse is freed from two great torments at once — the fever of greed and the dread of death — for knowing the essentials of life are ordained, such a person works with a steady hand and a peaceful heart.

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The Mantra

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āyuḥ karma ca vittaṁ ca vidyā nidhanam eva ca। pañcaitāni hi sṛjyante garbhasthasyaiva dehinaḥ॥

Meaning:Lifespan, one's destined deeds, wealth, knowledge, and the time of death — these five are ordained for an embodied being even while it is still in the womb. Chanakya teaches that the essential outlines of one's life are settled before birth, so the wise neither grow vain over fortune nor break down in anxiety over what is destined.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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āyuḥ🔊lifespan, the length of one's life

karma🔊one's actions / destined deeds and occupation

ca🔊and

vittam🔊wealth, material fortune

vidyā🔊knowledge, learning, education

nidhanam🔊death, the manner and time of one's end

eva ca🔊and (emphatic) — indeed also

pañca🔊five

etāni🔊these (things)

hi🔊indeed, for (an emphatic/explanatory particle)

sṛjyante🔊are created, are ordained, are fixed

garbhasthasya🔊of the one (still) in the womb

eva🔊only, even (emphatic)

dehinaḥ🔊of the embodied being, of the living creature

Benefits of Chanting Ayuh Karma Cha Vittam Cha (Five Things Fixed Before Birth)

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Cultivates equanimity and acceptance of destiny

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Frees the mind from excessive anxiety about wealth and outcomes

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Curbs arrogance over fortune by reminding that much is pre-ordained

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Encourages calm, diligent effort without attachment to results

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A profound aid for facing illness, loss and mortality with peace

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A concise, memorable verse for daily reflection on life's true nature

How to Chant Ayuh Karma Cha Vittam Cha (Five Things Fixed Before Birth)

Repetitions3times

Best TimeMorning reflection, or in times of worry over the future, wealth or health

Recite the verse slowly and let its meaning settle: lifespan, deeds, wealth, learning and the moment of death are shaped before one is even born. Reflect that since these essentials are ordained, one's task is to act rightly and leave the fruits to destiny. It is traditionally studied as part of Chanakya's teachings to steady the mind against fear and greed.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Ayuh Karma Cha Vittam Cha (Five Things Fixed Before Birth) written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It is a celebrated verse from the first chapter of the Chanakya Niti (also called Niti Darpana), the collection of aphorisms attributed to Chanakya (Kautilya / Vishnugupta), the ancient teacher of ethics and statecraft.

Aayu (lifespan), karma (destined deeds and occupation), vitta (wealth), vidya (knowledge or learning), and nidhana (the time and manner of death). Chanakya says all five are determined for a being while it is still in the womb.

No. Chanakya elsewhere strongly praises effort (udyama). This verse teaches acceptance of what is beyond control so the mind stays free of greed and dread; it is meant to remove anxiety, not effort. One still acts diligently, but without breaking down over outcomes that are destined.