All Shlokas | Sanskrit.Today

कालकालगलकालकालमुखकालकाल!
कालकाल घनकालकाल पनकालकाल !।
कालकालसितकालका ललनिकालकाल-
कालकालगतु कालकाल! कलिकालकाल!॥

A poetic outpouring invoking various forms of Time: devourer, destroyer, dark, thick, sharp, terrible, and Kali’s time. Repetition conveys its omnipot...

time (242) destruction (292) fear (252) repetition (30) invocation (4) cosmic (51) kali (9) terror (17) omnipotence (3) poetic intensity (7)

कालकूटमधुनापि निहन्तुं
हन्त नो वहसि लाञ्छनभङ्ग्या।
यद्भयादिव निगीर्णमपि त्वाम् आशु
मुञ्चति सुधाकर राहुः॥

Even today, can you not destroy the deadly poison? The moon, fearing its blemish, instantly releases you—O Shiva! Even poison bows to your will.

shiva (328) poison (101) moon (394) fear (252) release (6) blemish (17) control (139) divine (346) destruction (292) reverence (112)

कालकूटमिह निन्दति लोको येन शम्भुरजरामर एव।
अन्तकं विरहिणीशु सुधांशुं स्तौत्यमुं
तु विरलो हि विवेकः॥

The world condemns the poison Shiva held, but praises the very moon who abandoned it. Rare is the one who sees the truth beyond appearances.

poison (101) shiva (328) moon (394) wisdom (1611) hypocrisy (141) perception (181) judgment (94) rarity (48) truth (300) superficiality (32)

कालकूटादयो भेदा विषस्य नव सन्ति ये।
चिकित्सा कथ्यते तेषां मन्त्रपूर्वमविस्तरात्॥

There are many varieties of poison, and each has distinct treatments. They are cured with proper mantra and medicine. A deeper metaphor may also be im...

poison (101) treatment (13) mantra (53) cure (8) variety (7) toxicity (2) metaphor (1632) healing (69) classification (15) medicine (51)

कालक्रमं प्रत्यकथैव तावत्
क्षणं वियोगो मरणेन तुल्यः।
प्रियामुखोद्वीक्षणलालसानाम्
अक्ष्णोर्निमेषोऽपि हि विघ्नभूतः॥

Even a moment’s separation from the beloved feels like death. For those longing to gaze upon a dear one’s face, even a blink of the eye feels like an ...

separation (258) longing (690) blink (1) death (241) love (1567) delay (26) affection (216) pain (225) emotion (652) desire (898)

कालक्रमकमनीय-
क्रोडेयं केतकीति काशंसा।
वृद्धिर्यथा यथा स्यास् तथा तथा कण्टकोत्कर्षः॥

The fragrant ketaki plant appears pleasing and elegant over time, but as it grows, its thorns become more prominent too. With growth and time, both be...

growth (95) beauty (1797) pain (225) metaphor (1632) time (242) ketaki (7) thorns (12) elegance (171) paradox (167) duality (134)

कालक्रमत्रुटितसंश्रयभूः स्वमूल-
मात्राश्रयी तटतरुः सरितोऽम्बुपूरैः।
यैः शङ्क्यते निपततीति वितीर्णमृद्धिस् तैरेव
तस्य हि भवेत् स्थितिभुमिदार्ढ्यम्॥

A riverbank tree rooted only in itself, not anchored deeply, collapses over time due to the river's currents. However, those currents that threaten it...

riverbank (17) tree (45) roots (14) resilience (105) adaptation (10) flow (21) time (242) collapse (13) support (114) metaphor (1632)

कालक्रमेण परिणामवशादनव्या
भावा भवन्ति खलु पूर्वमतीव तुच्छाः।
मुक्तामणिर्जलदतोयकणोऽप्यणीयान् सम्पद्यते
च चिरकीचकरन्ध्रमध्ये॥

With time, even fresh feelings become stale. A small dewdrop eventually becomes a precious pearl when trapped long within an oyster’s shell. Time tran...

transformation (252) time (242) pearl (25) dewdrop (1) change (49) emotion (652) staleness (1) maturation (2) nature (950) refinement (55)

कालक्षेपो न कर्तव्य आयुर्याति दिने दिने।
निरीक्षते यमो राजा धर्मस्य विविधां गतिम्॥

One must not waste time, for lifespan reduces day by day. Yama, the god of death, observes everyone’s actions carefully, judging dharma and adharma. T...

time (242) death (241) yama (15) dharma (540) vigilance (45) discipline (380) urgency (63) action (258) lifespan (9) consequences (70)

का लक्ष्मीः पदमुन्नतं, किमु पदं यद् गौरवं
स्वामिनः किं तद् गौरव, मन्तरायरहितापूर्वैव गुर्वी स्थितिः।
का चासौ स्थिति, रात्मभूषणपरव्यापारसम्भावना कस्यैतत्
सकलं समस्ति, शशिनः श्रीकण्ठचुडामणेः॥

What is true wealth? What is greatness? What defines lasting prestige? All of these culminate in the adornment of Shiva’s crescent moon—indicating tha...

wealth (447) prestige (4) shiva (328) moon (394) grace (359) symbolism (947) greatness (146) prosperity (136) divine (346) identity (65)