Kaupeena Panchakam Of Adi Sankaracharya

Signs of extreme VAIRAGYA !!,

charecteristics of AVADHOOTHA !!

{This is a very short poem with five stanzas which glorifies the
 life of a sannyasi (Ascetic). An ascetic in India is supposed to 
give away all his wealth before entering in to renunciation and 
get a loin cloth (kaupeena) from his teacher. That would be his 
only property.}

Sri Shankaracharya Bhgavathpada

SWAMY NITHYANANDA WITH KAUPEENA

(LOIN CLOTH ONLY)

A police inspector arrested Swami Nithyananda 

on doubts of forged currency dealing, as he was 

getting roads made from his own money.The 

inspector put him in lock up,next moment he was 

outside.He questioned him how he is getting 

money to execute road work ? Swami asked him 

to rub his elbow,bundles of money dropped down

Inspector let him off,became his bhaktha !! Still 

Avadhootha Swami Nithyananda was having only 

kaupeena on him !! He could have lived like a 

king !! To show to the world extreme VAIRAGYA 

they don"t bother even to live naked! 

First he was found on this earth on the
roadside as a child protected by a cobra on a
rainy day at Kanjengad, Kerala, by a servant lady.

Ramana Maharshi
in loin cloth

Another saint who lived with Kaupeena was 

Ramana Maharshi at Thiruvannamalai. I am 
impressed with his Philosophy, clarity of 
explanation, so much that I have visited his 
ashram & Samadhi more than Fifteen times !! 

Samartha Ramdass(Shivaji's Guru)
In loin cloth

Akkalkot Maharaj in Loin cloth

Our sincere thanks to P R RAMACHANDER whose 
translation from Sanskrit to English, we have used
below. 

Kaupeena Panchakam

Vedantha Vakhyeshu Sada ramantho,
Bhikshannamathrena trishtimantha,
Vishokamantha karane charantha,
Kaupeenavantha Khalu bhaghyavantha  1

         
Always thinking about words of philosophy,
Always getting satisfied with food got by begging,
And always without trace of sorrow, thinking of the
inner self,
The man with the loin cloth is indeed the lucky one.

Moolam tharo kevalam ashrayantha,
Panidhvayam bhokthuma manthrayantha,
Kandhamiva sreemapi kuthsayantha,
Kaupeenavantha Khalu bhaghyavantha  2

Always depending on only roots and plants,
Always taking only two hands full of food,
And always thinking of wealth as a torn piece of cloth,
The man with the loin cloth is indeed the lucky one.

Swananda bhava pari thushti mantha,
Sushantha sarvendriya vruthi mantha,
Aharnisam brahma sukhe ramantha,
Kaupeenavantha Khalu bhaghyavantha  3

 Always getting elated in his own thoughts,

Always peacefully controlling all his senses,
And always drowned in the pleasure of Brahman,
The man with the loin cloth is indeed the lucky one.

Dehadhi bhavam parivarthayantha,
Swathmana athmanyavalokayantha,
Naantha na Madhyam na bahi smarantha,

Kaupeenavantha Khalu bhaghyavantha     4

Always witnessing his own changes of the body,
Who is seeing himself as his soul,
And who never thinks of ends, nor middle, nor outside limits,
The man with the loin cloth is indeed the lucky one.

Brahmaksharam pavanamucharantho,
Brahmahamasmeethi vibhavayantha,
Bhikshashano dikshu paribramayantha,
Kaupeenavantha Khalu bhaghyavantha   5

Always reciting the name of Brahman with devotion,
Always thinking that he himself is Brahman,
And who wanders aimlessly depending on alms obtained,
The man with the loin cloth is indeed the lucky one.