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Yatha Hyekena Chakrena

Yatha Hyekena Chakrena in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 Before beginning an important task or undertaking, or when tempted toward inaction·📜 Hitopadesha (Subhashita)
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हिन्दी / देवनागरीతెలుగుதமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡമലയാളംગુજરાતીবাংলাଓଡ଼ିଆਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

Yatha Hyekena Chakrena is a famous niti verse from the Hitopadesha on the partnership of effort and destiny. Through the simple image of a chariot that needs two wheels to move, it teaches that fate alone accomplishes nothing without human striving. It is a powerful corrective to fatalism, urging wholehearted effort while honouring the role of providence.

Origin & Story

Hitopadesha (Subhashita) · Narayana Pandita (compiler of the Hitopadesha) · Classical Sanskrit literature (c. 9th–12th century CE)

The Hitopadesha weaves practical wisdom into engaging fables for the instruction of princes. This verse appears in its discussion of effort and destiny, using the everyday image of a chariot to settle the age-old question of fate versus free will in favour of diligent action paired with providence. It remains one of the most quoted Sanskrit verses on the value of effort.

✦ As told in scripture

Teachers of niti tell that those who took this verse to heart rose from humble beginnings by sheer perseverance, for, as the shloka promises, when effort is wholehearted, destiny becomes the second wheel that carries the chariot of life forward.

The Mantra

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yathā hy ekena cakreṇa na rathasya gatir bhavet। evaṁ puruṣakāreṇa vinā daivaṁ na sidhyati॥

Meaning:Just as a chariot cannot move on a single wheel alone, so destiny cannot bear fruit without human effort. The verse pairs fate and effort as the two wheels of one chariot, teaching that providence and personal striving must work together for any success to come about.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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yathā🔊just as
hi🔊indeed (emphatic)
ekena🔊by a single (one)
cakreṇa🔊wheel
na🔊not
rathasya🔊of the chariot
gatiḥ🔊motion, movement
bhavet🔊would happen, can occur
evam🔊in the same way, likewise
puruṣakāreṇa🔊by human effort, personal exertion
vinā🔊without
daivam🔊destiny, fate, divine providence
na sidhyati🔊is not accomplished, does not succeed

Benefits of Chanting Yatha Hyekena Chakrena

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Motivates wholehearted effort rather than passive reliance on fate

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Balances faith in destiny with the necessity of personal striving

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Offers a clear, memorable image of effort and providence as two wheels

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Counteracts laziness and fatalism with a call to action

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Encourages a healthy, mature attitude toward success and outcomes

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A favourite verse for inspiring students, workers and seekers to persevere

How to Chant Yatha Hyekena Chakrena

Repetitions3times
Best TimeBefore beginning an important task or undertaking, or when tempted toward inaction

Recite the verse with resolve, picturing the chariot that needs both wheels to move. Let it strengthen your commitment to give your full effort while leaving the results to providence. It is often invoked at the start of a venture to set the right balance of striving and trust.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Yatha Hyekena Chakrena 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: 'Just as a chariot cannot move on a single wheel, so destiny cannot succeed without human effort.' Fate and effort are likened to the two wheels of one chariot — both are needed for anything to be accomplished.
It teaches that human effort (purushakara) and destiny (daiva) must work together. It rejects passive fatalism, insisting that even a favourable fate bears no fruit unless one strives wholeheartedly.
It is a celebrated subhashita from the Hitopadesha, the classical Sanskrit collection of moral fables, and is widely quoted in the niti literature on effort, perseverance and success.

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