Kamadhenu Guna Vidya (Knowledge, the Wish-Fulfilling Cow)
कामधेनुगुणा विद्या
Also known as: kamadhenu guna vidya · kamadhenuguna vidya hyakale phaladayini · pravase matrisadrishi · vidya guptam dhanam smritam · chanakya knowledge wish fulfilling cow verse
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✦ Meaning
This celebrated verse from Chanakya Niti praises vidya (knowledge) through three images: it is a Kamadhenu that grants fruit even in hard times, a mother that protects one in foreign lands, and a hidden treasure that can never be lost or stolen. It is one of the most quoted Sanskrit verses on the supreme and lasting value of learning.
Origin & Story
Chanakya Niti · Chanakya (Vishnugupta / Kautilya) · Ancient India (c. 4th–3rd century BCE)
Chanakya, himself a learned acharya who shaped an empire by his wisdom, repeatedly exalted knowledge above material wealth. In this verse he heaps three great images upon vidya — the wish-fulfilling cow, the protecting mother, and the hidden treasure — to teach that learning is the surest and most enduring of all forms of wealth.
✦ As told in scripture
It is said of many a scholar who lost everything in misfortune yet rose again by their learning alone, that they proved this verse true — for knowledge, the hidden treasure none could steal, fed them like a mother and bore fruit even in their hardest season.
The Mantra
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कामधेनुगुणा विद्या ह्यकाले फलदायिनी। प्रवासे मातृसदृशी विद्या गुप्तं धनं स्मृतम्॥
kāmadhenu-guṇā vidyā hy akāle phala-dāyinī। pravāse mātṛ-sadṛśī vidyā guptaṁ dhanaṁ smṛtam॥
Meaning:Knowledge is like the divine wish-fulfilling cow (Kamadhenu), for it bears fruit even in adverse, out-of-season times; in a foreign land it is like a mother, and it is regarded as a hidden, inexhaustible treasure. Chanakya extols learning as the most reliable of all riches — nourishing, protective and ever-yielding, even when all else fails.
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Kamadhenu Guna Vidya (Knowledge, the Wish-Fulfilling Cow)
Inspires devotion to learning and lifelong education
Reminds that knowledge yields rewards even in adversity
Portrays vidya as a protector, like a mother, in unfamiliar circumstances
Frames knowledge as an inexhaustible, theft-proof wealth
Motivates students and seekers to value learning above material gain
A concise, memorable verse for reflection on the worth of knowledge
How to Chant Kamadhenu Guna Vidya (Knowledge, the Wish-Fulfilling Cow)
Recite the verse slowly and dwell on its three images — knowledge as the wish-fulfilling cow, as a mother in a foreign land, and as a hidden treasure. Let it renew your dedication to learning. It is traditionally studied among Chanakya's teachings on vidya and is a fitting verse for students and teachers alike.