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subhashitawisdomchanakyaniti

විද්යා මිත්රං ප්රවාසේෂු

विद्या मित्रं प्रवासेषु in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 Morning reflection, or while contemplating life's supports and priorities·📜 Chanakya Niti
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हिन्दी / देवनागरीతెలుగుதமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡമലയാളംગુજરાતીবাংলাଓଡ଼ିଆਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Chanakya Niti · Chanakya (Vishnugupta / Kautilya) · Ancient India (c. 4th–3rd century BCE)

Chanakya, a master of practical wisdom, often reduced life's truths to memorable pairings. In this verse he matches each condition of life with its truest friend — learning for the traveller, the spouse for the householder, medicine for the sick, and dharma for the departed — and in doing so quietly teaches that righteousness is the one friend that never abandons the soul.

✦ As told in scripture

Elders recite this verse to comfort the dying and to counsel the living, for it reveals that while every earthly friend is left behind at the end, the dharma one has gathered walks on with the soul — a companion that death itself cannot part.

The Mantra

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විද්යා මිත්රං ප්රවාසේෂු භාර්යා මිත්රං ගෘහේෂු ච. ව්යාධිතස්යෞෂධං මිත්රං ධර්මෝ මිත්රං මෘතස්ය ච..

vidyā mitraṁ pravāseṣu bhāryā mitraṁ gṛheṣu ca। vyādhitasyauṣadhaṁ mitraṁ dharmo mitraṁ mṛtasya ca॥

Meaning:परदेश में विद्या मित्र है; घर में पत्नी मित्र है; रोगी के लिए औषधि मित्र है; और मृत व्यक्ति का धर्म ही मित्र है। चाणक्य जीवन की प्रत्येक परिस्थिति के अनुरूप सच्चे साथी का नाम लेते हैं, यह दर्शाते हुए कि जिस सहायता की हमें आवश्यकता होती है, वह हमारी परिस्थितियों के साथ बदलती रहती है।

Word-by-Word Meaning

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විද්යා🔊vidyāknowledge, learning
මිත්රම්🔊mitramfriend
ප්රවාසේෂු🔊pravāseṣuin foreign lands, while travelling / living away from home
භාර්යා🔊bhāryāwife, spouse
ගෘහේෂු🔊gṛheṣuin the home, in household life
ච🔊caand
ව්යාධිතස්ය🔊vyādhitasyaof the sick person, of one who is ill
ඖෂධම්🔊auṣadhammedicine, remedy
ධර්මඃ🔊dharmaḥrighteousness, virtuous conduct, merit
මෘතස්ය🔊mṛtasyaof the dead, of one who has died

Benefits of Chanting विद्या मित्रं प्रवासेषु

✦

Clarifies which support truly helps in each situation of life

✦

Exalts knowledge as a companion in unfamiliar places

✦

Honours the spouse as the friend of household life

✦

Reminds that dharma alone accompanies the soul after death

✦

Encourages cultivating learning, harmony, health and righteousness

✦

A concise, memorable verse for reflection on life's real friends

How to Chant विद्या मित्रं प्रवासेषु

Repetitions3times
Best TimeMorning reflection, or while contemplating life's supports and priorities

Recite the verse slowly and consider each pairing — knowledge for travel, the spouse for home, medicine for illness, dharma for the journey beyond death. Let it guide you toward cultivating these true friends. It is traditionally studied among Chanakya's teachings on the conduct of life.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete विद्या मित्रं प्रवासेषु 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 is a famous verse from the Chanakya Niti (Niti Darpana), the collection of aphorisms attributed to Chanakya (Kautilya / Vishnugupta), the ancient Indian teacher of ethics, statecraft and the good life.
Knowledge (vidya) is the friend in foreign lands; the wife (bharya) is the friend in the home; medicine (aushadha) is the friend of the sick; and dharma (righteousness) is the friend of the one who has died — the only companion that follows the soul beyond this life.
Because all worldly relations and possessions are left behind at death, but the merit of one's righteous deeds (dharma) accompanies the soul on its onward journey. Chanakya thus points to dharma as the truest and most lasting friend of all.

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