All Shlokas | Sanskrit.Today

अहो कालस्य सूक्ष्मोऽयं कोऽप्यलक्ष्यक्रमः क्रमः।
यत्पाकपरिणामेन सर्वं यात्यन्यरूपताम्॥

The workings of time are subtle and often imperceptible. Through gradual ripening, everything transforms into something else.

time (242) transformation (252) imperceptibility (1) ripening (6) change (49) evolution (12) subtlety (175) impermanence (242) nature (950) maturity (29)

अहो किमपि ते शुद्धं यशःकुसुममुद्गतम्।
यस्यायममृतस्यन्दी बालेन्दुर्बाह्यपल्लवः॥

Your fame has blossomed like a pure flower, with the tender moon as its outer petal, exuding nectar-like sweetness.

fame (166) purity (356) moon (394) blossom (6) nectar (110) metaphor (1632) beauty (1797) poetry (588) divinity (206) imagery (157)

अहो कुटिलबुद्धीनां दुर्ग्राह्यमसतां मनः।
अन्यद्वचसि कण्ठेऽन्यद् अन्यदोष्ठपुटे स्थितम्॥

The crooked-minded are hard to comprehend. Their speech in the throat, lips, and intention differ—falsehood reigns.

deceit (83) crooked mind (1) duplicity (2) falsehood (50) inconsistency (7) speech (345) treachery (6) hypocrisy (141) understanding (28) mistrust (6)

अहो केनेदृशी बुद्धिर् दारुणा तव निर्मिता।
त्रिगुणा श्रूयते बुद्धिर् न तु दारुमयी क्वचित्॥

What terrible intellect is this, seemingly made of wood! Though the mind is said to be composed of three gunas, such rigidity is unknown.

intellect (106) dullness (7) wood (3) sarcasm (74) guna (9) mind (176) criticism (79) nature (950) inertia (6) absurdity (9)

अहो खलभुजंगस्य विचित्रोऽयं वधक्रमः।
अन्यस्य दशति श्रोत्रम् अन्यः प्राणैर्वियुज्यते॥

How strange is the way of a wicked serpent! One's ears are bitten, yet another loses life—symbolic of backbiting and indirect harm.

wickedness (75) serpent (37) harm (53) gossip (23) indirect injury (1) poison (101) slander (29) deceit (83) metaphor (1632) behavior (249)

अहो खलभुजंगस्य विपरीतो वधक्रमः।
कर्णे लगति चान्यस्य प्राणैरन्यो वियुज्यते॥

The wicked are like serpents—words enter one’s ears, but someone else perishes. It reflects the reach of malice.

wicked (15) serpent (37) gossip (23) malice (10) metaphor (1632) karma (500) harm (53) indirect effect (1) slander (29) behavior (249)

अहो गुणाः सौम्यता च विद्वत्ता जन्म सत्कुले।
दारिद्र्याम्बुधिमग्नस्य सर्वमेतन्न शोभते॥

Even great virtues like gentleness, wisdom, and noble birth lose their charm if submerged in the ocean of poverty.

virtues (49) gentleness (44) wisdom (1611) nobility (253) poverty (128) decline (52) misfortune (65) fate (402) sorrow (325) societal perception (2)

अहो गुणानां प्राप्त्यर्थं यतन्ते बहुधा नरः।
मुक्ता यदर्थं भग्नास्या इतरेषां च का कथा॥

People strive hard for virtues that even pearls are broken for. If pearls suffer thus, what of lesser beings?

striving (8) virtues (49) effort (289) pearls (42) metaphor (1632) perseverance (72) hardship (47) value (170) suffering (358) sacrifice (146)

अहो तम इवेदं स्यान् न प्रज्ञायेत किंचन।
राजा चेन्न भवेल्लोके विभजन् साध्वसाधुनी॥

If there were no just king to discern good from evil, the world would be submerged in darkness, devoid of discernment.

justice (151) king (200) discernment (142) good (4) evil (40) darkness (138) governance (214) leadership (279) clarity (135) order (41)

अहोऽतिनिर्मोहि जनस्य चित्रं
परं चरित्रं गदितुं न योग्यम्।
मुखे हि चान्यद्धृदि भावमन्यत्
देवो न जानाति कुतो मनुष्यः॥

How astonishing is the hypocrisy of deluded people! Their face shows one thing, heart hides another—what even gods can't decipher.

delusion (175) hypocrisy (141) character (259) duality (134) deceit (83) divine (346) misunderstanding (41) truth (300) emotion (652) appearance (60)