All Shlokas | Sanskrit.Today

एकमस्य परमेकमुद्यमं निस्त्रपत्वमपरस्य वस्तुनः।
नित्यमुष्णमहसा निरस्यते नित्यमन्धतमसं प्रधावति॥

The unwavering effort of one can dissolve the shameful inertia of others. Just as a single sun removes daily darkness with constant warmth, determined...

effort (289) determination (49) inertia (6) darkness (138) sunlight (20) motivation (38) heat (60) light (147) persistence (21) energy (65)

एकमात्रो लघुः प्रोक्तो द्विमात्रश्च गुरुः स्मृतः।
प्लुतस् त्रिमात्रको ज्ञेयो
द्रुतः स्यादर्धमात्रकः॥

This metrical instruction teaches the durations of syllables: short (laghu), long (guru), extended (pluta), and fast (druta). It forms the foundation ...

prosody (4) metrics (1) syllables (6) poetry (588) laghu (1) guru (43) pluta (1) druta (1) rhythm (44) phonetics (4)

एकमाशीविषो हन्ति शस्त्रेणैकश्च वध्यते।
हन्ति विप्रः सराष्ट्राणि पुराण्यपि हि कोपितः॥

One snake or one weapon can kill a man, but an enraged Brahmin (spiritually powerful person) can destroy entire kingdoms, highlighting the immense pow...

power (396) destruction (292) brahmin (50) anger (185) kingdom (21) curse (24) weapon (20) snake (40) wrath (27) spiritual force (2)

एकमुत्कण्ठया व्याप्तम् अन्यद् दयितया हृतम्।
चैतन्यमपरं धत्ते कियन्ति हृदयानि मे॥

My heart is torn—one part flooded by yearning, another stolen by my beloved, and a third with numb awareness. It captures the complex fragmentation of...

love (1567) longing (690) fragmentation (1) heart (148) yearning (59) awareness (73) sorrow (325) emotion (652) conflict (90) romance (506)

एकमेव गुणं प्राप्य नम्रतामगमद् धनुः।
तवाशेषगुणा राज्ञः स्तब्धतेति सुविस्मयः॥

A bow, acquiring only one virtue—flexibility—becomes humble. Yet a king with countless virtues becomes arrogant. A commentary on humility and pride.

humility (596) pride (317) virtue (726) bow (31) king (200) character (259) arrogance (135) moral (7) contrast (206) symbolism (947)

एकमेव तु शूद्रस्य प्रभुः कर्म समादिशत्।
एतेषामेव वर्णानां शुश्रूषामनसूयया॥

A single duty is prescribed to a Shudra—service to the other classes without envy. This highlights social roles in ancient varna system, emphasizing h...

duty (198) caste (24) service (114) humility (596) varna (2) shudra (3) social role (1) tradition (283) order (41) ethics (803)

एकमेव दहत्यग्निर् नरं दुरुपसर्पिणम्।
कुलं दहति राजाग्निः सपशुद्रव्यसंचयम्॥

A domestic fire harms an individual, but a royal fire (king’s wrath) can destroy an entire family with its wealth and animals. It warns of political o...

fire (219) danger (229) destruction (292) royalty (92) punishment (78) warning (153) household (30) wrath (27) loss (191) metaphor (1632)

एकमेव पुरस्कृत्य दश जीवन्ति मानवाः।
विना तेन न शोभन्ते यथा संख्याङ्कबिन्दवः॥

A single digit (0) gives value to all other numbers—likewise, one principle or virtue gives life to humanity. Without it, nothing holds worth.

unity (88) principle (9) zero (2) value (170) mathematics (3) symbolism (947) worth (34) digit (2) life (126) essential (1)

एकमेव बलिं बद्ध्वा जगाम हरिरुन्नतिम्।
अस्यास्त्रिबलिबन्धेन सैव मध्यस्य नम्रता॥

By binding Bali once, Hari (Vishnu) attained greatness. But it was through that binding that humility emerged in the mighty one. A paradox of power an...

vishnu (122) bali (6) power (396) humility (596) binding (4) greatness (146) submission (23) mythology (86) symbolism (947) balance (185)

एकमेव हि दारिद्र्यं क्लिश्नाति सकलं जगत्।
तमहं शाब्दिकं वन्दे यश्चकार नपुंसकम्॥

Poverty tortures the world like nothing else. The poet humorously salutes the grammarian who made the word 'poverty' a neuter gender—powerless!

poverty (128) suffering (358) grammar (17) satire (211) language (42) neuter (1) humor (128) hardship (47) linguistics (7) misery (8)