vishnuvaradarajakanchipuramvairagya

Vairagya Panchakam

वैराग्यपञ्चकम् in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 5× repetitions·🕐 Morning, or any time the mind is troubled by worry over wealth and dependence on others·📜 Vairagya Panchakam (five verses on dispassion)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

The Vairagya Panchakam ('Five Verses on Dispassion') is a celebrated short hymn by Swami Vedanta Desika, composed when a king's emissary came to invite the acharya to the royal court with the lure of wealth and honour. Desika firmly declined, declaring in five sparkling verses that he will never flatter or beg petty kings, for his only true and unfailing wealth is Lord Varadaraja of Hastigiri (Kanchipuram), the Lord who lifted Govardhana and enriched poor Sudama. The verses brim with wordplay on 'dhana' (wealth) and stand as a timeless manifesto of contentment and surrender to God alone.

Origin & Story

Vairagya Panchakam (five verses on dispassion) · Vedanta Desika (Venkatanatha) · 13th-14th century CE

Swami Vedanta Desika lived in Kanchipuram in great simplicity, sustaining himself by unchavritti — gathering fallen grain. When a king, impressed by his fame, sent an emissary to summon him to court with the promise of riches, Desika composed and sent back these five verses instead. In them he refuses to flatter or beg petty rulers, holds up the Lord's enriching of poor Sudama, and proclaims that his sole, unfailing wealth is Lord Varadaraja of Hastigiri — the Lord who lifted Govardhana. The hymn became a classic statement of Sri Vaishnava vairagya and self-respect.

✦ As told in scripture

The same Lord praised here as the devotee's only wealth is remembered for transforming the fortunes of the destitute Sudama (Kuchela): when the boyhood friend came to Dvaraka with nothing but a handful of beaten rice, Krishna received him with love and silently bestowed upon him boundless riches — a sign, says Desika, that one who clings to the Lord alone never truly wants for anything.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

kṣoṇīkoṇaśatāṃśapālanakaladdurvāragarvānala- kṣubhyatkṣudranarendracāṭuracanādhanyānna manyāmahe | devaṃ sevitumeva niścinumahe yo'sau dayāluḥ purā dānāmuṣṭimuce kucelamunaye datte sma vitteśatām || 1 ||

Meaning:We do not count blessed the composing of flattery to petty kings — kings swollen with the irresistible fire of pride at ruling a mere hundredth part of a corner of the earth. We resolve to serve only the Lord, that compassionate one who long ago granted the status of the lord of wealth (Kubera) to the poor sage Kuchela (Sudama), who could offer Him but a fistful of beaten rice.

Verse 2

śilaṃ kimanalaṃ bhavedanalamaudaraṃ bādhituṃ payaḥ prasṛtipūrakaṃ kimu na dhārakaṃ sārasam | ayatnamalamalpakaṃ pathi paṭaccaraṃ kaccaraṃ bhajanti vibudhā mudhā hyahaha kukṣitaḥ kukṣitaḥ || 2 ||

Meaning:Would gleaning fallen grain not be enough to quell the fire of the belly? Is the water of the lotus-ponds not enough to sustain one's thirst? Are not soiled rags, picked up effortlessly along the road, enough to cover the body? Alas, alas — the learned serve (kings) in vain, only for the belly, for the belly!

Verse 3

jvalatu jaladhikroḍakrīḍatkṛpīḍabhavaprabhā- pratibhaṭapaṭujvālāmālākulo jaṭharānalaḥ | tṛṇamapi vayaṃ sāyaṃ samphullamallimatallikā- parimalamucā vācā yācāmahe na mahīśvarān || 3 ||

Meaning:Let the fire of the stomach blaze like the submarine fire that plays in the ocean's depths, with its fierce, rising garland of flames! Even so, with speech fragrant as fully-blossomed jasmine, we will not beg the lords of the earth even for a blade of grass.

Verse 4

durīśvaradvārabahirvitardikā- durāsikāyai racito'yamañjaliḥ | yadañcanābhaṃ nirapāyamasti me dhanañjayasyandanabhūṣaṇaṃ dhanam || 4 ||

Meaning:This is my folded-hand farewell to the misery of sitting upon the platform outside the gate of some wretched king — for I possess an unfailing wealth, dark as collyrium: the Lord who was the very ornament of Arjuna's chariot.

Verse 5

śarīrapatanāvadhi prabhuniṣevaṇāpādanā- dabindhanadhanañjayapraśamadaṃ dhanaṃ dandaśūkam | dhanañjayavivardhanaṃ dhanamudūḍhagovardhanaṃ susādhanamabādhanaṃ sumanasāṃ samārādhanam || 5 ||

Meaning:That wealth which, by yielding the service of the Lord until the fall of this body, quells the fire of poverty without need of any fuel; that wealth which is a serpent (venomous) to poverty yet ever-increasing in true riches; that wealth who lifted Mount Govardhana — the excellent, unobstructed means, the perfect object of worship for all noble souls — that alone is my wealth.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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kṣoṇīkoṇaśatāṃśapālana🔊ruling a hundredth part of a corner of the earth

durvāragarvānala🔊(swollen with) the irresistible fire of pride

kṣudranarendracāṭuracanā🔊the composing of flattery to petty kings

dhanyān na manyāmahe🔊we do not consider (it) worthwhile / blessed

devam sevitum eva niścinumahe🔊we resolve to serve the Lord alone

yaḥ asau dayāluḥ purā🔊He, the compassionate one, who of old

kucelamunaye datte sma vitteśatām🔊granted to the sage Kuchela (Sudama) the lordship of wealth (Kubera's status)

dānāmuṣṭimuce🔊who offered (only) a fistful of beaten rice

śilam kim analam bhavet🔊would gleaning (fallen grain) not be enough?

audaram analam bādhitum🔊to quell the fire of the belly (hunger)

payaḥ sārasam🔊the water of lakes / lotus-ponds

kim na dhārakam🔊is it not sustaining (enough to drink)?

paṭaccaram kaccaram🔊worn-out, soiled rags (on the road)

kukṣitaḥ kukṣitaḥ🔊(merely) for the belly, for the belly! (alas, the wise serve kings in vain)

jvalatu jaṭharānalaḥ🔊let the fire of the stomach (hunger) blaze

tṛṇam api vayaṃ na yācāmahe🔊we will not beg (kings) even for a blade of grass

samphullamallimatallikāparimalamucā vācā🔊with speech fragrant as fully-blossomed jasmine (i.e. pure, free speech)

na mahīśvarān🔊not (from) the lords of the earth (kings)

durīśvaradvārabahirvitardikā🔊the raised platform outside the gate of a wretched lord (king)

durāsikāyai racito'yam añjaliḥ🔊this joining of palms (folded hands of farewell) to the misery of sitting there

yad añcanābhaṃ nirapāyam asti me dhanam🔊for I have unfailing wealth, dark like collyrium (the Lord)

dhanañjayasyandanabhūṣaṇam🔊who was the ornament of Arjuna's (Dhananjaya's) chariot — Lord Krishna/Vishnu

śarīrapatanāvadhi prabhuniṣevaṇa🔊the service of the Lord until the very fall of the body

udūḍhagovardhanaṃ dhanam🔊the wealth (that is the Lord) who lifted Mount Govardhana

sumanasāṃ samārādhanam🔊the perfect object of worship for the noble-hearted (the gods / the good)

Benefits of Chanting वैराग्यपञ्चकम्

✦

Instils true vairagya (dispassion) and contentment, freeing the mind from craving wealth and patronage

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Affirms that the Lord alone is the soul's real, unfailing wealth (dhana)

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Strengthens self-respect and independence — the resolve never to flatter or beg the powerful

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Recalls how the Lord enriched poor Sudama, inspiring faith that He cares for His devotees' needs

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A favourite recitation for those seeking the spirit of renunciation while living in the world

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Short and rhythmic, easy to learn, and powerful in shaping the right attitude toward money

How to Chant वैराग्यपञ्चकम्

Repetitions5times

Best TimeMorning, or any time the mind is troubled by worry over wealth and dependence on others

Sit quietly and recite the five verses slowly, reflecting on their meaning — that the Lord alone is one's true wealth and refuge. It is especially helpful to contemplate this hymn whenever one feels tempted to compromise one's principles for money or favour. Conclude by turning the mind to Lord Varadaraja / Vishnu with gratitude and contentment.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete वैराग्यपञ्चकम् 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.

Tradition relates that the king of Vijayanagara (or a local ruler), hearing of Swami Vedanta Desika's greatness, sent a minister to invite him to court with promises of wealth and honour. Desika, who lived simply by unchavritti (gleaning grain), declined the offer and sent back these five verses declaring that the Lord of Kanchi is his only wealth and that he would never demean himself before kings.

Swami Desika weaves brilliant wordplay (shlesha) around 'dhana' throughout the hymn — especially in the fifth verse, where it appears many times with different shades of meaning. The point is to redefine 'wealth': true wealth is not the gold of kings but the Lord Himself and the service of His feet.

It is the Lord — described as dark like collyrium (anjana) and as 'the ornament of Arjuna's chariot,' i.e. Krishna / Vishnu. For Desika this refers above all to Lord Varadaraja (Devaraja) of Hastigiri in Kanchipuram, his cherished deity.

Contentment, dispassion and surrender to God alone. A blade of grass need not be begged from kings; simple food, water and clothing suffice for the body, while the soul's only real and inexhaustible treasure is the Lord. It is a manifesto of dignified renunciation.