All Shlokas | Sanskrit.Today

अन्नाभावे मृत्युः शालिभिरन्नानि शालयो वृष्ट्या।
वृष्टिस्तपसेति वदन्न् अमृत्यवे तत्तपश्चरतु॥

Without food comes death; rice gives food, rain gives rice; rain comes through penance. Therefore, one should do penance for immortality.

food (101) rain (91) penance (43) rice (2) death (241) immortality (24) sustenance (24) cause (24) vedic view (3) survival (91)

अन्नाशने स्यात् परमाणुमात्रः प्रशक्यते शोधयितुं तपोभिः।
मांसाशने पर्वतराजमात्रो नो शक्यते शोधयितुं महत्त्वात्॥

A tiny grain of food can be purified through austerity, but meat (like a mountain) cannot—its gravity too great. Poetic stance on purity and food.

food (101) purity (356) meat (11) austerity (57) penance (43) comparison (402) magnitude (2) ethics (803) consumption (15) symbolism (947)

अन्नेन धार्यते सर्वं जगदेतच्चराचरम्।
अन्नात् प्रभवति प्राणः प्रत्यक्षं नास्ति संशयः॥

The entire moving and unmoving world is sustained by food. From food arises life—this is clearly evident and beyond doubt.

food (101) life (126) universe (43) sustenance (24) certainty (8) belief (43) nourishment (35) truth (300) vedic (19) creation (117)

अन्ने पाने च ताम्बूले फले पुष्पे विभूषणे।
वस्त्रे विलेपने धूपे शय्यायामासनेषु च॥

Food, drink, betel, fruits, flowers, ornaments, clothes, perfumes, incense, beds, seats—all are part of offerings and pleasures in rituals and life.

food (101) offerings (19) rituals (34) luxury (23) betel (5) perfume (17) flowers (85) ornament (58) pleasure (82) vedic life (1)

अन्यं काननमाशु गच्छ तरसा वन्यं फलं भुङ्क्ष्व रे
धन्यं धाम विभाति ते न हि तथा पुण्यं जघन्यं कुरु।
एतस्मिन्करिशाव मा व्रज वने जल्पामि तथ्यं वचो
जानास्येव करीन्द्रदर्पदलनो निद्राति पञ्चाननः॥

“Go to another forest, eat wild fruit,” says one monkey to another in Ramayana-style tone. A verse rich in layered poetic humor and satire.

forest (145) fruit (43) satire (211) monkey (14) exile (20) humor (128) conversation (3) poetic (84) dialogue (11) ramayana (52)

अन्यं मनुष्यं हृदयेन कृत्वा अन्यं ततो दृष्टिभिराह्वयन्ति।
अन्यत्र मुञ्चन्ति मदप्रसेकम् अन्यं शरीरेण च कामयन्ते॥

With heart on one person, they gaze at another, discharge lust elsewhere, and physically desire another—a critique on hypocrisy and lust.

hypocrisy (141) lust (89) heart (148) gaze (69) desire (898) betrayal (168) emotion (652) body (170) critique (50) behavior (249)

अन्यः कः क्षारवार्धे त्वमिव नियमितो वानरैर्वा नरैर्वा
विप्रेणैकेन कोऽन्यः करकुहरपुटीपात्रमात्रे निपीतः।
जल्पन्नित्थं पृथूर्मिघ्वनिभिरवतरत्फेनकूटाट्टहासैः
स्पर्धां धत्ते पयोधेरधिकमधिपुरं निर्मितो यत्तटाकः॥

Who else but you can drink up the sea’s saltwater—an address in praise (possibly to Hanuman or a great sage) that compares someone to a powerful figur...

sea (12) power (396) monkey (14) sage (44) praise (189) metaphor (1632) hanuman (22) saltwater (1) strength (359) poetic (84)

अन्यः करोति व्यापारं लिप्तो भवति लेखकः।
भगलिङ्गप्रसङ्गेन छिन्ना भवति नासिका॥

Sprinkle food with the Gāyatrī mantra saying “this is truth, this is order” and move around it in reverence—showing Vedic food sanctification.

vedic ritual (4) food (101) mantra (53) purification (85) truth (300) order (41) gāyatrī (2) sanctity (34) offering (62) tradition (283)

अन्यः कोऽपि स कुम्भसंभवमुनेरास्तां शिखी जाठरो
यं संचिन्त्य दुकूलवह्निसदृशः संलक्ष्यते वाडवः।
वन्द्यं तज्जठरं स मीनमकरग्राहावलिस्तोयधिः
पश्चात्पार्श्वमपूरितान्तरवियद्यत्र स्वनन् भ्राम्यति॥

Food is life to all beings; I am refuge to the distressed. Dharma is wealth; saints are protection even after death.

food (101) life (126) dharma (540) protection (293) saints (30) refuge (45) sustenance (24) afterlife (35) ethics (803) compassion (359)

अन्य इत्यनुपजातयन्त्रणं द्रागुदञ्चितवती विलोचनम्।
मामवेत्य चकिता वृतानना दन्तदष्टरसना मनागभूत्॥

When I called out “another,” she immediately looked up, her face startled, her tongue caught between her teeth in a nervous bite. The verse poetically...

surprise (35) hesitation (45) emotional tension (6) poetic imagery (180) feminine presence (1) subtle love (2) anxiety (31) visual poetry (4) dramatic pause (1) momentary fear (1)