subhashitawisdomnitiimpermanence

Chala Lakshmis Chalah Pranah

Chala Lakshmis Chalah Pranah in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 Morning or evening for reflection, or in moments of attachment to wealth, success or youth·📜 Subhashita (Sanskrit niti and vairagya literature)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

Chala Lakshmis Chalah Pranah is a celebrated Subhashita on the impermanence of worldly things and the enduring value of a good name. It declares that wealth, life, youth and indeed all things are fleeting, and concludes that the one who truly lives on is he whose fame, won by virtue, outlasts his body. The verse is a stirring call to earn lasting glory through noble deeds rather than to cling to passing possessions.

Origin & Story

Subhashita (Sanskrit niti and vairagya literature) · Traditional (anonymous wisdom verse) · Classical Sanskrit literature

This verse belongs to the Subhashita tradition of reflective sayings on the fleeting nature of worldly life. Composed to awaken detachment and noble aspiration, it lists in quick succession the things people hold most dear — wealth, life, youth — and shows each to be unsteady, before turning the listener toward the one enduring treasure: an honourable name won through good deeds, by which a person lives on long after death.

✦ As told in scripture

It is often said that the heroes and sages of old are present among us still through this very truth — their bodies long gone, yet their fame undimmed across the ages — proving the verse's promise that he whose kirti endures never truly dies.

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The Mantra

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calā lakṣmīś calāḥ prāṇāś calaṁ jīvita-yauvanam। calācalam idaṁ sarvaṁ kīrtir yasya sa jīvati॥

Meaning:Wealth is fleeting, the life-breaths are fleeting, life and youth are fleeting; all this world is transient and unstable — only he truly lives whose fame (good name) endures. The verse teaches that since all worldly things pass away, lasting glory earned through noble deeds is the one thing that gives life true meaning.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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calā🔊fleeting, unsteady, ever-moving

lakṣmīḥ🔊wealth, fortune, prosperity

calāḥ🔊fleeting, transient (plural)

prāṇāḥ🔊the life-breaths, life itself

calam🔊fleeting, impermanent

jīvita-yauvanam🔊life and youth

calācalam🔊fleeting and unstable, transient and ever-changing

idam🔊this, all this

sarvam🔊everything, the whole world

kīrtiḥ🔊fame, glory, good reputation

yasya🔊of whom, whoever has

saḥ🔊he, that one

jīvati🔊lives, truly lives on

Benefits of Chanting Chala Lakshmis Chalah Pranah

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Cultivates detachment (vairagya) by reflecting on the impermanence of all things

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Inspires the pursuit of a lasting good name through virtuous deeds

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Frees the mind from excessive attachment to wealth, youth and possessions

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Encourages a life of meaning, service and noble achievement

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Brings peace by placing worldly gains and losses in their true perspective

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A profound verse for daily contemplation on what truly endures

How to Chant Chala Lakshmis Chalah Pranah

Repetitions3times

Best TimeMorning or evening for reflection, or in moments of attachment to wealth, success or youth

Recite the verse slowly, dwelling on how wealth, life and youth all pass away while a good name endures. Let it loosen any anxious clinging to possessions or status, and inspire you instead to live so that your deeds and reputation outlast you. It is an excellent verse for cultivating equanimity and a sense of lasting purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Chala Lakshmis Chalah Pranah 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 means 'wealth is fleeting, the life-breaths are fleeting, life and youth are fleeting.' Since all worldly things are transient, the verse concludes that only the person whose fame and good name endure truly lives on.

That everything in the world — riches, life, youth — is impermanent, and the only thing that lasts is the glory earned through noble deeds. It urges us to build a lasting good name rather than cling to passing possessions.

It is a famous Subhashita of the Sanskrit niti and vairagya tradition, widely quoted on the themes of impermanence and the abiding value of kirti (fame). Such verses are preserved in classical anthologies of moral and reflective sayings.