vishnuvaradarajakanchipuramvairagya

Vairagya Panchakam

वैराग्यपञ्चकम्

🕉️ hindu·📿 5× repetitions·🕐 Morning, or any time the mind is troubled by worry over wealth and dependence on others·📜 Vairagya Panchakam (five verses on dispassion)

Also known as: vairagya panchakam · vairagya panchaka · vairaagya panchakam · kshoni kona shatamsa · vedanta desika vairagya panchakam · five verses on dispassion

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हिन्दी / देवनागरीతెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

The Vairagya Panchakam ('Five Verses on Dispassion') is a celebrated short hymn by Swami Vedanta Desika, composed when a king's emissary came to invite the acharya to the royal court with the lure of wealth and honour. Desika firmly declined, declaring in five sparkling verses that he will never flatter or beg petty kings, for his only true and unfailing wealth is Lord Varadaraja of Hastigiri (Kanchipuram), the Lord who lifted Govardhana and enriched poor Sudama. The verses brim with wordplay on 'dhana' (wealth) and stand as a timeless manifesto of contentment and surrender to God alone.

Origin & Story

Vairagya Panchakam (five verses on dispassion) · Vedanta Desika (Venkatanatha) · 13th-14th century CE

Swami Vedanta Desika lived in Kanchipuram in great simplicity, sustaining himself by unchavritti — gathering fallen grain. When a king, impressed by his fame, sent an emissary to summon him to court with the promise of riches, Desika composed and sent back these five verses instead. In them he refuses to flatter or beg petty rulers, holds up the Lord's enriching of poor Sudama, and proclaims that his sole, unfailing wealth is Lord Varadaraja of Hastigiri — the Lord who lifted Govardhana. The hymn became a classic statement of Sri Vaishnava vairagya and self-respect.

✦ As told in scripture

The same Lord praised here as the devotee's only wealth is remembered for transforming the fortunes of the destitute Sudama (Kuchela): when the boyhood friend came to Dvaraka with nothing but a handful of beaten rice, Krishna received him with love and silently bestowed upon him boundless riches — a sign, says Desika, that one who clings to the Lord alone never truly wants for anything.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

क्षोणीकोणशतांशपालनकलद्दुर्वारगर्वानल- क्षुभ्यत्क्षुद्रनरेन्द्रचाटुरचनाधन्यान्न मन्यामहे । देवं सेवितुमेव निश्चिनुमहे योऽसौ दयालुः पुरा दानामुष्टिमुचे कुचेलमुनये दत्ते स्म वित्तेशताम् ॥ १ ॥

kṣoṇīkoṇaśatāṃśapālanakaladdurvāragarvānala- kṣubhyatkṣudranarendracāṭuracanādhanyānna manyāmahe | devaṃ sevitumeva niścinumahe yo'sau dayāluḥ purā dānāmuṣṭimuce kucelamunaye datte sma vitteśatām || 1 ||

Meaning:We do not count blessed the composing of flattery to petty kings — kings swollen with the irresistible fire of pride at ruling a mere hundredth part of a corner of the earth. We resolve to serve only the Lord, that compassionate one who long ago granted the status of the lord of wealth (Kubera) to the poor sage Kuchela (Sudama), who could offer Him but a fistful of beaten rice.

Verse 2

शिलं किमनलं भवेदनलमौदरं बाधितुं पयः प्रसृतिपूरकं किमु न धारकं सारसम् । अयत्नमलमल्पकं पथि पटच्चरं कच्चरं भजन्ति विबुधा मुधा ह्यहह कुक्षितः कुक्षितः ॥ २ ॥

śilaṃ kimanalaṃ bhavedanalamaudaraṃ bādhituṃ payaḥ prasṛtipūrakaṃ kimu na dhārakaṃ sārasam | ayatnamalamalpakaṃ pathi paṭaccaraṃ kaccaraṃ bhajanti vibudhā mudhā hyahaha kukṣitaḥ kukṣitaḥ || 2 ||

Meaning:Would gleaning fallen grain not be enough to quell the fire of the belly? Is the water of the lotus-ponds not enough to sustain one's thirst? Are not soiled rags, picked up effortlessly along the road, enough to cover the body? Alas, alas — the learned serve (kings) in vain, only for the belly, for the belly!

Verse 3

ज्वलतु जलधिक्रोडक्रीडत्कृपीडभवप्रभा- प्रतिभटपटुज्वालामालाकुलो जठरानलः । तृणमपि वयं सायं सम्फुल्लमल्लिमतल्लिका- परिमलमुचा वाचा याचामहे न महीश्वरान् ॥ ३ ॥

jvalatu jaladhikroḍakrīḍatkṛpīḍabhavaprabhā- pratibhaṭapaṭujvālāmālākulo jaṭharānalaḥ | tṛṇamapi vayaṃ sāyaṃ samphullamallimatallikā- parimalamucā vācā yācāmahe na mahīśvarān || 3 ||

Meaning:Let the fire of the stomach blaze like the submarine fire that plays in the ocean's depths, with its fierce, rising garland of flames! Even so, with speech fragrant as fully-blossomed jasmine, we will not beg the lords of the earth even for a blade of grass.

Verse 4

दुरीश्वरद्वारबहिर्वितर्दिका- दुरासिकायै रचितोऽयमञ्जलिः । यदञ्चनाभं निरपायमस्ति मे धनञ्जयस्यन्दनभूषणं धनम् ॥ ४ ॥

durīśvaradvārabahirvitardikā- durāsikāyai racito'yamañjaliḥ | yadañcanābhaṃ nirapāyamasti me dhanañjayasyandanabhūṣaṇaṃ dhanam || 4 ||

Meaning:This is my folded-hand farewell to the misery of sitting upon the platform outside the gate of some wretched king — for I possess an unfailing wealth, dark as collyrium: the Lord who was the very ornament of Arjuna's chariot.

Verse 5

शरीरपतनावधि प्रभुनिषेवणापादना- दबिन्धनधनञ्जयप्रशमदं धनं दन्दशूकम् । धनञ्जयविवर्धनं धनमुदूढगोवर्धनं सुसाधनमबाधनं सुमनसां समाराधनम् ॥ ५ ॥

śarīrapatanāvadhi prabhuniṣevaṇāpādanā- dabindhanadhanañjayapraśamadaṃ dhanaṃ dandaśūkam | dhanañjayavivardhanaṃ dhanamudūḍhagovardhanaṃ susādhanamabādhanaṃ sumanasāṃ samārādhanam || 5 ||

Meaning:That wealth which, by yielding the service of the Lord until the fall of this body, quells the fire of poverty without need of any fuel; that wealth which is a serpent (venomous) to poverty yet ever-increasing in true riches; that wealth who lifted Mount Govardhana — the excellent, unobstructed means, the perfect object of worship for all noble souls — that alone is my wealth.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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क्षोणीकोणशतांशपालन🔊kṣoṇīkoṇaśatāṃśapālanaruling a hundredth part of a corner of the earth

दुर्वारगर्वानल🔊durvāragarvānala(swollen with) the irresistible fire of pride

क्षुद्रनरेन्द्रचाटुरचना🔊kṣudranarendracāṭuracanāthe composing of flattery to petty kings

धन्यान् न मन्यामहे🔊dhanyān na manyāmahewe do not consider (it) worthwhile / blessed

देवम् सेवितुम् एव निश्चिनुमहे🔊devam sevitum eva niścinumahewe resolve to serve the Lord alone

यः असौ दयालुः पुरा🔊yaḥ asau dayāluḥ purāHe, the compassionate one, who of old

कुचेलमुनये दत्ते स्म वित्तेशताम्🔊kucelamunaye datte sma vitteśatāmgranted to the sage Kuchela (Sudama) the lordship of wealth (Kubera's status)

दानामुष्टिमुचे🔊dānāmuṣṭimucewho offered (only) a fistful of beaten rice

शिलम् किम् अनलम् भवेत्🔊śilam kim analam bhavetwould gleaning (fallen grain) not be enough?

औदरम् अनलम् बाधितुम्🔊audaram analam bādhitumto quell the fire of the belly (hunger)

पयः सारसम्🔊payaḥ sārasamthe water of lakes / lotus-ponds

किम् न धारकम्🔊kim na dhārakamis it not sustaining (enough to drink)?

पटच्चरम् कच्चरम्🔊paṭaccaram kaccaramworn-out, soiled rags (on the road)

कुक्षितः कुक्षितः🔊kukṣitaḥ kukṣitaḥ(merely) for the belly, for the belly! (alas, the wise serve kings in vain)

ज्वलतु जठरानलः🔊jvalatu jaṭharānalaḥlet the fire of the stomach (hunger) blaze

तृणम् अपि वयम् न याचामहे🔊tṛṇam api vayaṃ na yācāmahewe will not beg (kings) even for a blade of grass

सम्फुल्लमल्लिमतल्लिकापरिमलमुचा वाचा🔊samphullamallimatallikāparimalamucā vācāwith speech fragrant as fully-blossomed jasmine (i.e. pure, free speech)

न महीश्वरान्🔊na mahīśvarānnot (from) the lords of the earth (kings)

दुरीश्वरद्वारबहिर्वितर्दिका🔊durīśvaradvārabahirvitardikāthe raised platform outside the gate of a wretched lord (king)

दुरासिकायै रचितः अयम् अञ्जलिः🔊durāsikāyai racito'yam añjaliḥthis joining of palms (folded hands of farewell) to the misery of sitting there

यत् अञ्चनाभम् निरपायम् अस्ति मे धनम्🔊yad añcanābhaṃ nirapāyam asti me dhanamfor I have unfailing wealth, dark like collyrium (the Lord)

धनञ्जयस्यन्दनभूषणम्🔊dhanañjayasyandanabhūṣaṇamwho was the ornament of Arjuna's (Dhananjaya's) chariot — Lord Krishna/Vishnu

शरीरपतनावधि प्रभुनिषेवण🔊śarīrapatanāvadhi prabhuniṣevaṇathe service of the Lord until the very fall of the body

उदूढगोवर्धनम् धनम्🔊udūḍhagovardhanaṃ dhanamthe wealth (that is the Lord) who lifted Mount Govardhana

सुमनसाम् समाराधनम्🔊sumanasāṃ samārādhanamthe perfect object of worship for the noble-hearted (the gods / the good)

Benefits of Chanting Vairagya Panchakam

✦

Instils true vairagya (dispassion) and contentment, freeing the mind from craving wealth and patronage

✦

Affirms that the Lord alone is the soul's real, unfailing wealth (dhana)

✦

Strengthens self-respect and independence — the resolve never to flatter or beg the powerful

✦

Recalls how the Lord enriched poor Sudama, inspiring faith that He cares for His devotees' needs

✦

A favourite recitation for those seeking the spirit of renunciation while living in the world

✦

Short and rhythmic, easy to learn, and powerful in shaping the right attitude toward money

How to Chant Vairagya Panchakam

Repetitions5times

Best TimeMorning, or any time the mind is troubled by worry over wealth and dependence on others

Sit quietly and recite the five verses slowly, reflecting on their meaning — that the Lord alone is one's true wealth and refuge. It is especially helpful to contemplate this hymn whenever one feels tempted to compromise one's principles for money or favour. Conclude by turning the mind to Lord Varadaraja / Vishnu with gratitude and contentment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tradition relates that the king of Vijayanagara (or a local ruler), hearing of Swami Vedanta Desika's greatness, sent a minister to invite him to court with promises of wealth and honour. Desika, who lived simply by unchavritti (gleaning grain), declined the offer and sent back these five verses declaring that the Lord of Kanchi is his only wealth and that he would never demean himself before kings.

Swami Desika weaves brilliant wordplay (shlesha) around 'dhana' throughout the hymn — especially in the fifth verse, where it appears many times with different shades of meaning. The point is to redefine 'wealth': true wealth is not the gold of kings but the Lord Himself and the service of His feet.

It is the Lord — described as dark like collyrium (anjana) and as 'the ornament of Arjuna's chariot,' i.e. Krishna / Vishnu. For Desika this refers above all to Lord Varadaraja (Devaraja) of Hastigiri in Kanchipuram, his cherished deity.

Contentment, dispassion and surrender to God alone. A blade of grass need not be begged from kings; simple food, water and clothing suffice for the body, while the soul's only real and inexhaustible treasure is the Lord. It is a manifesto of dignified renunciation.