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subhashitawisdomnitigenerosity

ශතේෂු ජායතේ ශූරඃ

शतेषु जायते शूरः in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 During moral reflection, before acts of charity, or while teaching values to the young·📜 Sanskrit Subhashita (niti tradition; cited in Chanakya Niti literature)
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हिन्दी / देवनागरीతెలుగుதமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡമലയാളംગુજરાતીবাংলাଓଡ଼ିଆਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Sanskrit Subhashita (niti tradition; cited in Chanakya Niti literature) · Anonymous (traditional niti subhashita) · Classical Sanskrit literature

This verse belongs to the great body of niti-shlokas that distilled practical and moral wisdom for kings, ministers and ordinary people alike. By counting how rarely each kind of excellence appears, it makes a striking point about the supreme value of generosity, and it has long been quoted to praise those rare souls who give without expectation of return.

✦ As told in scripture

Tradition holds that the rare true giver described in this verse earns merit beyond that of heroes and scholars, for while their fame fades, the blessings of the selfless giver are said to follow them across lifetimes.

The Mantra

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ශතේෂු ජායතේ ශූරඃ සහස්රේෂු ච පණ්ඩිතඃ. වක්තා දශසහස්රේෂු දාතා භවති වා න වා..

śateṣu jāyate śūraḥ sahasreṣu ca paṇḍitaḥ। vaktā daśa-sahasreṣu dātā bhavati vā na vā॥

Meaning:सौ मनुष्यों में एक शूर उत्पन्न होता है; हजार में एक पण्डित; दस हजार में एक श्रेष्ठ वक्ता — परन्तु सच्चा दाता हो भी सकता है और नहीं भी। यह श्लोक मानवीय गुणों को उनकी दुर्लभता के अनुसार क्रम देता है और सच्ची दानशीलता को सबसे ऊपर रखता है, जो इतनी विरल है कि असंख्य लोगों में भी उसके मिलने का भरोसा नहीं।

Word-by-Word Meaning

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ශතේෂු🔊śateṣuamong a hundred (people)
ජායතේ🔊jāyateis born, arises
ශූරඃ🔊śūraḥa brave man, a hero
සහස්රේෂු🔊sahasreṣuamong a thousand
ච🔊caand
පණ්ඩිතඃ🔊paṇḍitaḥa learned, wise man
වක්තා🔊vaktāan eloquent speaker, orator
දශසහස්රේෂු🔊daśa-sahasreṣuamong ten thousand
දාතා🔊dātāa true giver, a generous benefactor
භවති🔊bhavatibecomes, exists
වා න වා🔊vā na vāor perhaps not (he may or may not exist)

Benefits of Chanting शतेषु जायते शूरः

✦

Inspires the listener to cultivate generosity, the rarest of all virtues

✦

Teaches a clear hierarchy of human excellence — courage, learning, eloquence and giving

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Encourages humility by showing how uncommon true greatness is

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A concise, memorable verse for reflection on character and values

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Often quoted in praise of genuinely charitable and noble people

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Reminds rulers and leaders that a generous heart outshines all other talents

How to Chant शतेषु जायते शूरः

Repetitions3times
Best TimeDuring moral reflection, before acts of charity, or while teaching values to the young

Recite the verse slowly, weighing each rank of virtue — hero, scholar, orator and giver. Reflect on where you stand and aspire toward the highest, selfless generosity that the verse celebrates. It is often shared to honour a charitable person or to inspire an act of giving.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete शतेषु जायते शूरः 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.
It means: 'Among a hundred a hero is born, among a thousand a scholar, among ten thousand a great orator — but a true giver may or may not exist.' It ranks virtues by how rarely they appear in people.
Because selfless generosity is the rarest virtue of all. Courage, learning and eloquence, though uncommon, can still be found in fixed proportions, but a person who gives truly and selflessly is so rare that the verse says he may not be found even among countless people.
It belongs to the classical Sanskrit niti (moral wisdom) tradition and is widely cited among the Subhashitas associated with Chanakya and the broader literature of practical ethics.

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