All Shlokas | Sanskrit.Today

कथय कथमुरोजदामहेतोर् यदुपतिरेष चिनोति चम्पकानि।
भवति करतले यदस्य कम्पः प्रियसखि
मत्स्मृतिरेव मत्सपत्नी॥

Why does Krishna collect champaka flowers for my beloved’s breast-garland? When his hands tremble, I know he still remembers me—his tremble is my riva...

jealousy (88) love (1567) krishna (233) memory (202) flowers (85) tremble (3) rivalry (27) longing (690) femininity (225) symbolism (947)

कथय किमपि दृष्टं स्थानमस्ति श्रुतं
वा व्रजति दिनकरोऽयं यत्र नास्तं कदाचित्।
इति विहगसमूहान् नित्यमेवास्ति पृच्छन्
रजनिविरहभीतश्चक्रवाकी वराकः॥

Is there a place where the sun never sets? The poor chakravāka bird, scared of the night, asks every day. A symbol of constant yearning and fear of se...

sun (195) separation (258) bird (28) fear (252) longing (690) night (145) questioning (27) symbolism (947) romance (506) devotion (933)

कथय किमिदं जात्या ख्यातं किमस्य वराटकैः
कतिभिरथवा लभ्यं चैतत् प्रयोजनमस्य किम्।
प्रतिपदमिति ग्रामीणानां गणेन लघूकृतं बत करतले
रत्नं कृत्वा विषीदति वाणिजः॥

A priceless gem, discarded by villagers who couldn’t grasp its value—alas! The merchant grieves, having held a treasure in hand and lost it to ignoran...

ignorance (301) value (170) gem (20) loss (191) regret (87) merchant (3) worth (34) blindness (54) treasure (23) irony (348)

कथयत इव नेत्रे कर्णमूलं प्रयाते
सुमुखि तव कुचाभ्यां वर्त्य पश्यावनीं वा।
स्खलति यदि कथंचित् ते पदाम्भोजयुग्मं तव
तनुतरमध्यं भज्यते नौ न दोषः॥

When her eyes reach the ears, and her breasts push forward, if the feet falter, blame not the body—it’s not her fault. A sensual and comic expression ...

sensuality (306) movement (82) beauty (1797) innocence (103) fault (11) grace (359) humor (128) gesture (61) body (170) attraction (147)

कथयत कथमेषा मेनया विप्रदत्ता
शिव शिव गिरिपुत्रो वृद्धकापालिकाय।
इति वदति पुरंध्रीमण्डले सिद्धिलेश-
व्ययकृतवरवेषः पातु वः श्रीमहेशः॥

“How did Menā give her daughter to an aged ascetic?” ask the women. Shiva, dressed as a beggar, marries Parvati—concealing his divine form. A verse pl...

shiva (328) parvati (56) marriage (104) disguise (39) gossip (23) divinity (206) ascetic (18) irony (348) miracle (19) femininity (225)

कथय निपुणे कस्मिन् दृष्टः कथं नु कियच्चिरं
किमभिलिखितं किं तेनोक्तं कदा स इहैष्यति।
इति बहुविधप्रेमोल्लासप्रकल्पितविस्तराः प्रियतमकथाः
स्वल्पेऽप्यर्थे प्रयान्ति न नष्टताम्॥

Even the smallest topic leads to long romantic conversations—“Where, when, what did he say, when will he return?”—illustrating how love magnifies even...

romance (506) longing (690) curiosity (38) conversation (3) details (1) emotional depth (20) memory (202) inquiry (13) intimacy (234) exaggeration (34) affection (216)

कथयानिमिषोऽस्म्यहं कथं ते वपुरालोकनमात्र एव जातः।
अधरामृतपायिनां भवत्या सुरतावाप्तिररालकेशि युक्ता॥

“I stand unmoving, breathless, by just seeing your form—how then do others who drink your nectar-kisses survive?” A passionate declaration of awe at b...

beauty (1797) awe (43) passion (501) desire (898) glance (185) stillness (19) kisses (2) divine love (53) admiration (97) poetry (588)

कथाभिर्देशानां कथमपि च कालेन बहुना
समायाते कान्ते सखि रजनिरर्धं गतवती।
ततो यावल्लीलाप्रणयकुपितास्मि प्रकुपिता सपत्नीव
प्राची दिगियमभवत् तावदरुणा॥

While speaking about her beloved, night slipped away unnoticed. As morning dawned, even the eastern sky seemed red-faced like a co-wife jealous of her...

love (1567) jealousy (88) night (145) dawn (69) storytelling (6) emotion (652) poetic metaphor (101) co-wife (3) beauty (1797) time passing (1)

कथासु ये लब्धरसाः कवीनां
ये नानुरज्यन्ति कथान्तरेषु।
न ग्रन्थिपर्णप्रणयाश्चरन्ति
कस्तूरिकागन्धमृगास् तृणेषु॥

Those who have tasted the essence of poetry cannot enjoy shallow stories, just as musk-deer don’t nibble on grass when enchanted by scent.

poetry (588) refinement (55) taste (28) literature (31) comparison (402) essence (70) depth (43) beauty (1797) metaphor (1632) discrimination (65)

कथितावधिजीवितावधिर् गणयन्ती दिवसाननुक्षणम्।
दयिताश्रुभरेण जीव्यते बत रेखा कतिचिद्विलुम्पता॥

She lives only till the tear-stained line on her hand fades—counting days since her beloved left. Time and pain are etched on her palm.

separation (258) pain (225) memory (202) destiny (289) love (1567) palm-reading (1) fate (402) sorrow (325) waiting (8) emotion (652) symbol (12)