shankaracharyaadvaitavedantasannyasa

කෞපීනපඤ්චකම්

कौपीनपञ्चकम् in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 5× repetitions·🕐 Early morning (Brahma muhurta) after bath, or during meditation and svadhyaya (self-study)·📜 Prakarana (independent didactic hymn) ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Prakarana (independent didactic hymn) ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya · Adi Shankaracharya · Classical (traditionally 8th century CE)

The Kaupina Panchakam, also known as Yati Panchakam, is one of Adi Shankaracharya's short devotional-philosophical hymns extolling the path of renunciation (sannyasa). In just five verses it paints the portrait of the ideal monk who possesses nothing but a kaupina (loincloth), yet is the most fortunate of all beings because he ever abides in the bliss of Brahman. The hymn became a beloved expression of the Advaitic ideal of vairagya (dispassion) and inner fulfillment, recited especially within the Dashanami monastic order founded by Shankara.

✦ As told in scripture

It is traditionally held that one who contemplates these verses with sincerity loses the fever of craving for wealth and possessions, discovering instead an unshakable contentment; the 'poverty' of the kaupina-clad sage is celebrated as the greatest fortune, for he has gained the imperishable wealth of the Self that no king can claim.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

වේදාන්තවාක්යේෂු සදා රමන්තෝ භික්ෂාන්නමාත්රේණ ච තුෂ්ටිමන්තඃ. විශෝකමන්තඃකරණේ චරන්තඃ කෞපීනවන්තඃ ඛලු භාග්යවන්තඃ..1..

vedānta-vākyeṣu sadā ramanto bhikṣānna-mātreṇa ca tuṣṭimantaḥ | viśokam antaḥkaraṇe carantaḥ kaupīnavantaḥ khalu bhāgyavantaḥ ||1||

Meaning:वेदान्त के महावाक्यों में सदा रमने वाला, भिक्षा में मिले अन्न मात्र से ही संतुष्ट, शोकरहित अन्तःकरण से विचरण करने वाला — कौपीनधारी (केवल लंगोटी वाला) संन्यासी वास्तव में भाग्यशाली है।

Verse 2

මූලං තරෝඃ කේවලමාශ්රයන්තඃ පාණිද්වයං භෝක්තුමමන්ත්රයන්තඃ. කන්ථාමිව ශ්රීමපි කුත්සයන්තඃ කෞපීනවන්තඃ ඛලු භාග්යවන්තඃ..2..

mūlaṃ taroḥ kevalam āśrayantaḥ pāṇidvayaṃ bhoktum amantrayantaḥ | kanthām iva śrīm api kutsayantaḥ kaupīnavantaḥ khalu bhāgyavantaḥ ||2||

Meaning:केवल वृक्ष के मूल का आश्रय लेने वाला, अपने दोनों हाथों को ही भोजन-पात्र बनाने वाला, लक्ष्मी (धन) को भी फटे चीथड़े के समान तुच्छ समझने वाला — कौपीनधारी संन्यासी वास्तव में भाग्यशाली है।

Verse 3

ස්වානන්දභාවේ පරිතුෂ්ටිමන්තඃ සුශාන්තසර්වේන්ද්රියවෘත්තිමන්තඃ. අහර්නිශං බ්රහ්මසුඛේ රමන්තඃ කෞපීනවන්තඃ ඛලු භාග්යවන්තඃ..3..

svānanda-bhāve parituṣṭimantaḥ suśānta-sarvendriya-vṛttimantaḥ | aharniśaṃ brahmasukhe ramantaḥ kaupīnavantaḥ khalu bhāgyavantaḥ ||3||

Meaning:अपने आत्मानन्द में पूर्ण संतुष्ट, जिसकी समस्त इन्द्रिय-वृत्तियाँ भली-भाँति शान्त हैं, दिन-रात ब्रह्मसुख में रमने वाला — कौपीनधारी संन्यासी वास्तव में भाग्यशाली है।

Verse 4

දේහාදිභාවං පරිවර්තයන්තඃ ස්වාත්මානමාත්මන්යවලෝකයන්තඃ. නාන්තං න මධ්යං න බහිඃ ස්මරන්තඃ කෞපීනවන්තඃ ඛලු භාග්යවන්තඃ..4..

dehādi-bhāvaṃ parivartayantaḥ svātmānam ātmany avalokayantaḥ | nāntaṃ na madhyaṃ na bahiḥ smarantaḥ kaupīnavantaḥ khalu bhāgyavantaḥ ||4||

Meaning:देहादि के भाव (तादात्म्य) से ऊपर उठा हुआ, अपने आत्मा को आत्मा में ही देखने वाला, आदि-मध्य-बाह्य का स्मरण न करने वाला — कौपीनधारी संन्यासी वास्तव में भाग्यशाली है।

Verse 5

බ්රහ්මාක්ෂරං පාවනමුච්චරන්තෝ බ්රහ්මාහමස්මීති විභාවයන්තඃ. භික්ෂාශිනෝ දික්ෂු පරිභ්රමන්තඃ කෞපීනවන්තඃ ඛලු භාග්යවන්තඃ..5..

brahmākṣaraṃ pāvanam uccaranto brahmāham asmīti vibhāvayantaḥ | bhikṣāśino dikṣu paribhramantaḥ kaupīnavantaḥ khalu bhāgyavantaḥ ||5||

Meaning:पावन अक्षरब्रह्म (ॐ) का उच्चारण करते हुए, 'मैं ब्रह्म हूँ' इस भावना में स्थित, भिक्षा पर जीवन यापन करते हुए सभी दिशाओं में स्वच्छन्द विचरण करने वाला — कौपीनधारी संन्यासी वास्तव में भाग्यशाली है।

Word-by-Word Meaning

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වේදාන්තවාක්යේෂු🔊vedānta-vākyeṣuin the great sayings (mahavakyas) of Vedanta

සදා රමන්තඃ🔊sadā ramantaḥalways delighting, ever revelling

භික්ෂාන්නමාත්රේණ🔊bhikṣānna-mātreṇawith only food obtained as alms

තුෂ්ටිමන්තඃ🔊tuṣṭimantaḥfully content, satisfied

විශෝකම්🔊viśokamfree from sorrow

අන්තඃකරණේ🔊antaḥkaraṇein the inner instrument, the heart-mind

චරන්තඃ🔊carantaḥmoving about, wandering

කෞපීනවන්තඃ🔊kaupīnavantaḥthose who possess only a loincloth (kaupina)

ඛලු භාග්යවන්තඃ🔊khalu bhāgyavantaḥare indeed the truly fortunate / blessed ones

මූලං තරෝඃ🔊mūlaṃ taroḥthe foot (root) of a tree

කේවලම් ආශ්රයන්තඃ🔊kevalam āśrayantaḥtaking shelter under that alone

පාණිද්වයම්🔊pāṇidvayamthe two hands (used as a begging bowl/plate)

කන්ථාම් ඉව ශ්රීම් අපි කුත්සයන්තඃ🔊kanthām iva śrīm api kutsayantaḥscorning even wealth (Lakshmi) as if it were a tattered rag

ස්වානන්දභාවේ🔊svānanda-bhāvein the state of one's own (innate) bliss

සුශාන්තසර්වේන්ද්රියවෘත්තිමන්තඃ🔊suśānta-sarvendriya-vṛttimantaḥwith all sense-activities perfectly stilled

අහර්නිශං බ්රහ්මසුඛේ රමන්තඃ🔊aharniśaṃ brahmasukhe ramantaḥdelighting day and night in the bliss of Brahman

දේහාදිභාවං පරිවර්තයන්තඃ🔊dehādi-bhāvaṃ parivartayantaḥtranscending (turning away from) identification with the body and the like

ස්වාත්මානම් ආත්මනි අවලෝකයන්තඃ🔊svātmānam ātmani avalokayantaḥbeholding one's own Self within the Self

බ්රහ්මාක්ෂරං පාවනම් උච්චරන්තඃ🔊brahmākṣaraṃ pāvanam uccarantaḥuttering the sacred, purifying syllable of Brahman (Om)

බ්රහ්මාහම් අස්මි ඉති විභාවයන්තඃ🔊brahmāham asmīti vibhāvayantaḥcontemplating 'I am Brahman' (aham brahmasmi)

භික්ෂාශිනඃ දික්ෂු පරිභ්රමන්තඃ🔊bhikṣāśino dikṣu paribhramantaḥliving on alms, wandering freely in all directions

Benefits of Chanting कौपीनपञ्चकम्

✦

Inspires the spirit of vairagya (dispassion) and contentment, loosening attachment to wealth and possessions

✦

Strengthens the conviction 'Aham Brahmasmi' (I am Brahman), the heart of Advaita Vedanta

✦

Calms the mind by directing it to the bliss of the Self rather than outward objects

✦

A cherished daily recitation for sannyasis, brahmacharis and serious seekers of Self-knowledge

✦

Cultivates inner peace (vishoka) and freedom from grief and anxiety

✦

Encourages simple, sattvic living and reverence for the renunciate ideal

How to Chant कौपीनपञ्चकम्

Repetitions5times

Best TimeEarly morning (Brahma muhurta) after bath, or during meditation and svadhyaya (self-study)

Sit in a clean, quiet place facing east or north. Recite all five verses slowly, dwelling on the meaning of each line and the recurring refrain 'kaupinavantah khalu bhagyavantah'. Reflect on the truth 'Aham Brahmasmi' as you chant. It is ideally recited as part of daily Vedantic study or contemplation; a count of five (one per verse) or in multiples is customary.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete कौपीनपञ्चकम् written in the Sinhala 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.

Kaupina means a simple loincloth, the only garment of a renunciate; panchakam means 'a set of five (verses)'. So Kaupina Panchakam is a hymn of five verses praising the loincloth-clad ascetic who has renounced everything for Self-knowledge.

It is traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, the great 8th-century teacher of Advaita Vedanta. It is sometimes also called 'Yati Panchakam', 'yati' meaning an ascetic or monk.

It means 'the one who possesses (only) a loincloth is truly the fortunate, blessed one'. The verse declares that the ascetic who owns nothing yet rests in the bliss of Brahman is far more blessed than any wealthy person.

No. While it glorifies the monastic ideal, anyone seeking inner contentment, dispassion and Self-knowledge can recite and contemplate it. Its purpose is to turn the mind inward, away from craving for possessions, toward the lasting joy of the Self.