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subhashitawisdomnitifriendship

Mrigaah Mrigaih Sangam Anuvrajanti

मृगा मृगैः सङ्गमनुव्रजन्ति in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 While reflecting on friendships, guiding the young, or contemplating one's circle of company·📜 Hitopadesha (Subhashita)
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हिन्दी / देवनागरीతెలుగుதமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡമലയാളംગુજરાતીবাংলাଓଡ଼ିଆਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

Mrigaah Mrigaih is a celebrated verse from the Hitopadesha on the law of like-mindedness. Through everyday examples — deer with deer, cows with cows, horses with horses — it shows that fools gather with fools and the wise with the wise, because true friendship forms only between those of similar character and habits. It is a gentle reminder to choose one's companions with care.

Origin & Story

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

The Hitopadesha teaches wisdom and statecraft through delightful animal fables interspersed with niti-shlokas. This verse, on the natural grouping of like with like, draws on familiar sights of the natural world to make its point about human friendship, and it has become one of the most quoted maxims on the importance of keeping good company.

✦ As told in scripture

Wise elders often cite this verse to show that a person's destiny can be read from their friends; many a youth, it is said, has been turned from ruin to greatness simply by leaving foolish company and seeking out the wise, exactly as the shloka advises.

The Mantra

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mṛgā mṛgaiḥ saṅgam anuvrajanti gāvaś ca gobhis turagās turaṅgaiḥ। mūrkhāś ca mūrkhaiḥ sudhiyaḥ sudhībhiḥ samāna-śīla-vyasaneṣu sakhyam॥

Meaning:Deer keep company with deer, cows with cows and horses with horses; fools consort with fools and the wise with the wise — for friendship arises among those of similar character and pursuits. The verse states the timeless truth that like attracts like, and that one's chosen company reveals and shapes one's own nature.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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mṛgāḥ🔊deer, wild animals
mṛgaiḥ🔊with (other) deer
saṅgam🔊company, association
anuvrajanti🔊follow after, keep company with
gāvaḥ🔊cows
gobhiḥ🔊with cows
turagāḥ🔊horses
turaṅgaiḥ🔊with horses
mūrkhāḥ🔊fools
mūrkhaiḥ🔊with fools
sudhiyaḥ🔊the wise, the intelligent
sudhībhiḥ🔊with the wise
samāna-śīla-vyasaneṣu🔊among those of similar character and pursuits
sakhyam🔊friendship, companionship arises

Benefits of Chanting मृगा मृगैः सङ्गमनुव्रजन्ति

✦

Teaches the importance of choosing good and wise company

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Illustrates the law that like attracts like with vivid, simple examples

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Encourages self-reflection — our friends mirror our own character

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A memorable verse for guiding the young in selecting their associations

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Reinforces the timeless niti principle that good company elevates and bad company degrades

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Useful for reflection on building wholesome friendships and communities

How to Chant मृगा मृगैः सङ्गमनुव्रजन्ति

Repetitions3times
Best TimeWhile reflecting on friendships, guiding the young, or contemplating one's circle of company

Recite the verse thoughtfully, picturing each pairing — deer, cows, horses, fools and the wise. Let it prompt honest reflection on the company you keep and the character it reveals. It is often shared as gentle counsel to seek the friendship of the wise and the good.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete मृगा मृगैः सङ्गमनुव्रजन्ति 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 that deer associate with deer, cows with cows, horses with horses, fools with fools and the wise with the wise — because friendship naturally forms among those who share similar character and pursuits.
It is a well-known subhashita from the Hitopadesha, the classical collection of moral fables compiled by Narayana, and it appears widely in the Sanskrit niti tradition on friendship and company.
It teaches that 'like attracts like': we are drawn to those who resemble us, and our company both reveals and shapes who we are. The implied counsel is to seek the friendship of the wise and the virtuous.

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