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Mata Shatruh Pita Bairi

माता शत्रुः पिता वैरी in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 Morning reflection, or when guiding children toward study·📜 Chanakya-niti (Subhashita)
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Read in your language / script

हिन्दी / देवनागरीతెలుగుதமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡമലയാളംગુજરાતીবাংলাଓଡ଼ିଆਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

Mata Shatruh Pita Bairi is a famous verse from the Chanakya-niti on the supreme importance of education. It boldly calls parents who fail to educate their child enemies, because an unlettered person cannot shine among the learned — like a heron amid swans. It is a powerful reminder that the greatest gift parents can give is knowledge.

Origin & Story

Chanakya-niti (Subhashita) · Chanakya (Kautilya / Vishnugupta) · Ancient India (c. 4th century BCE; niti compilations later)

The Chanakya-niti gathers the practical wisdom of the great statesman and teacher Chanakya, who guided the rise of the Mauryan empire. Among its counsels on family and learning, this striking verse declares education the foremost duty of parents, warning that to leave a child unlettered is to do him the harm of an enemy, for he will stand graceless among the learned like a heron among swans.

✦ As told in scripture

This verse has spurred countless parents across the ages to ensure their children are educated even at great sacrifice; it is often recounted that families who took its warning to heart lifted their descendants into lives of learning, dignity and respect.

The Mantra

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mātā śatruḥ pitā vairī yena bālo na pāṭhitaḥ। na śobhate sabhā-madhye haṁsa-madhye bako yathā॥

Meaning:The mother is an enemy and the father a foe by whom a child is not educated; for such an unlettered person does not shine in an assembly of the learned, just as a heron does not shine in the midst of swans. The verse stresses that giving a child education is the highest duty of parents.

Word-by-Word Meaning

Click any word to hear its pronunciation

mātā🔊the mother
śatruḥ🔊an enemy
pitā🔊the father
vairī🔊a foe, an adversary
yena🔊by whom
bālaḥ🔊the child
na pāṭhitaḥ🔊is not taught, is not educated
na śobhate🔊does not look good, does not shine
sabhā-madhye🔊in the midst of an assembly (of learned people)
haṁsa-madhye🔊in the midst of swans
bako yathā🔊as a heron (crane), like a stork

Benefits of Chanting माता शत्रुः पिता वैरी

✦

Emphasises education as the foremost duty and gift of parents

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Inspires families to prioritise learning for their children

✦

Warns of the lifelong disadvantage of remaining unlettered

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Encourages every child to seek knowledge and refinement

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A motivating verse for parents, teachers and students alike

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A short, memorable verse for reflection on the value of education

How to Chant माता शत्रुः पिता वैरी

Repetitions3times
Best TimeMorning reflection, or when guiding children toward study

Recite the verse thoughtfully, dwelling on its vivid image of a heron among swans. Reflect that education is the truest inheritance parents can give, and let it strengthen the resolve to learn and to help others learn. It is often quoted to parents and elders as a reminder that nurturing a child's mind is as vital as caring for the body.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete माता शत्रुः पिता वैरी 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 is one of the most famous verses of the Chanakya-niti, the collection of practical maxims attributed to Acharya Chanakya (Kautilya), and it is widely quoted on the importance of educating children.
That parents who fail to educate their child do them a great disservice — comparable to being an enemy — because an unlettered person cannot shine among the learned, just as a heron looks out of place among swans. Education is the highest duty of parents.
The image conveys feeling out of place and unable to shine. In an assembly of the learned (the swans), the unlettered person (the heron) stands apart and unadorned — underscoring how education lends grace and standing in cultured company.

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