All Shlokas | Sanskrit.Today

कार्त्तिक्यां कृत्तिकायोगे
यः कुर्यात् स्वामिदर्शनम्।
सप्तजन्म भवेद् विप्रो धनाढ्यो वेदपारगः॥

One who sees his guru on Kartika's Krttika day is reborn for seven lives as a rich, learned Brahmana. A verse emphasizing sacred timing and devotion.

guru (43) kartika (1) krttika (1) rebirth (102) wealth (447) knowledge (279) vedas (53) timing (92) faith (68) tradition (283)

कार्त्स्न्येन निर्वर्णयितुं च
रूपम् इच्छन्ति तत्पूर्वसमागमानाम्।
न च प्रियेष्वायतलोचनानां समग्रपातीनि विलोचनानि॥

Full description of beloved’s beauty fails; the eyes of dear ones—wide and graceful—can never be captured completely. Love overwhelms expression.

beauty (1797) eyes (211) beloved (86) love (1567) poetry (588) ineffable (4) description (35) emotion (652) longing (690) subtlety (175)

कार्पण्यं दर्पमानौ च भयमुद्वेग एव च।
अर्थजानि विदुः प्राज्ञा दुःखान्येतानि देहिनाम्॥

Wise people know that miserliness, pride, fear, and anxiety all arise from desire for wealth—leading only to sorrow in embodied beings.

sorrow (325) desire (898) wisdom (1611) fear (252) miserliness (14) anxiety (31) pride (317) suffering (358) body (170) insight (55)

कार्पण्यवृत्तिः स्वजनेषु
निन्दा कुचेलता नीचजनेषु भक्तिः।
अतीव रोषः कटुका च वाणी नरस्य चिह्नं नरकागतस्य॥

Living miserly with family, criticizing others, and flattering the lowly, along with intense anger and harsh speech—these mark one destined for hell. ...

miserliness (14) anger (185) criticism (79) flattery (35) harsh speech (6) hell (30) downfall (265) behavior (249) ethics (803) signs (31)

कार्पण्येन यशः, क्रुधा गुणचयो, दम्भेन सत्यं, क्षुधा
मर्यादा, व्यसनैर्धनं च, विपदा स्थैर्यं, प्रमादैर्द्विजः।
पैशुन्येन कुलं, मदेन विनयो, दुश्चेष्टया पौरुषं
दारिद्र्येण जनादरो, ममतया चात्मप्रकाशो हतः॥

Fame is destroyed by miserliness, virtue by anger, truth by deceit, dignity by hunger, wealth by addiction, courage by trouble—every quality can be un...

downfall (265) traits (19) miserliness (14) anger (185) deceit (83) hunger (39) addiction (11) truth (300) fame (166) virtue (726)

कार्पासं कटिनिर्मुक्तं कौशेयं भोजनावधि।
ऊर्णवस्त्रं सदा शुद्धम् ऊर्णा वातेन शुध्यति॥

Cotton is to be discarded before eating; silk until after eating. Wool is always pure and gets purified even by wind. Ritual code on garments.

purity (356) wool (1) silk (7) cotton (5) ritual (164) hygiene (9) tradition (283) clothing (9) dining (2) symbolic cleanliness (1)

कार्पासकृतकूर्पासशतैरपि न शाम्यति।
शीतं शातोदरीपीनवक्षोजालिङ्गनं विना॥

Hundreds of cotton sheets can’t warm like the embrace of a well-endowed woman with icy sides. A sensuous metaphor on warmth and desire.

sensuality (306) warmth (36) cotton (5) embrace (93) metaphor (1632) woman (157) cold (21) desire (898) humor (128) body (170)

कार्पासकोशोज्ज्वलकेशसंचया पयोधरालिङ्गितमन्मथालया।
गल्लौ जरद्गल्लकसंनिभावुभौ तथापि
रण्डा सुरतं न मुञ्चति॥

Even when both lover and beloved resemble a shriveled old couple, the courtesan doesn’t abandon lovemaking—depicting passion persisting through decay.

lust (89) courtesan (27) old age (29) sensuality (306) decay (115) humor (128) passion (501) irony (348) physicality (30) endurance (85)

कार्पासौषधकृष्णधान्यलवणक्लीबास्थितैलं वसा-
पङ्काङ्गारगुडाहिवर्मशकृतक्लेशाय सव्याधिताः।
वान्तोन्मत्तजटीन्धनानि च तृणक्षुत्क्षामतक्रादयो
मुण्ड्यभ्यक्तविमुक्तकेशपलिताः काषायिणश्चाशुभाः॥

A list of inauspicious materials and emaciated, deranged ascetics. It critiques false renunciation, filth, and misguided austerities, stressing authen...

ascetics (8) inauspicious (8) renunciation (267) filth (5) austerity (57) critique (50) hypocrisy (141) tradition (283) appearance (60) decay (115)

कार्यं च किं ते परदोषदृष्ट्या
कार्यं च किं ते परचिन्तया च।
वृषा कथं खिद्यसि बालबुद्धे कुरु
स्वकार्यं त्यज सर्वमन्यान्॥

Why focus on others' faults or plans? Like a foolish bull fretting needlessly, focus on your own duty and drop all else. A call to inner focus and act...

focus (47) self-duty (3) distraction (51) others (1) action (258) clarity (135) detachment (573) metaphor (1632) simplicity (130) self-awareness (37)