All Shlokas | Sanskrit.Today

कषायसङ्गौ सहते न वृत्तं
समार्द्रचक्षुर्न दिनं च रेणुम्।
कषायसङ्गौ विधुनन्ति तेन चारित्रवन्तो मुनयः सदापि॥

The virtuous sages never tolerate even a day's worth of dust or passion—poetic call for constant vigilance.

sages (66) vigilance (45) passion (501) metaphor (1632) discipline (380) renunciation (267) dust (29) purity (356) asceticism (87) daily practice (4)

कषायान् शत्रुवत् पश्येद् विषयान् विषवत् तथा।
मोहं च परमं व्याधिम् एवमूचुर्विचक्षणाः॥

The wise see passions like enemies, pleasures like poison, and delusion as the greatest disease.

wisdom (1611) passion (501) desire (898) poison (101) delusion (175) metaphor (1632) philosophy (290) awareness (73) enemy (92) spiritual insight (19)

कषाया विषया योगाः प्रमादाविरती तथा।
मिथ्यात्वमार्तरौद्रे चेत्य् अशुभं प्रति हेतवः॥

Attachment to passions, pleasures, delusion, and false belief—all lead to evil paths according to seers.

sin (135) causes (4) attachment (102) false view (2) delusion (175) passion (501) wrong path (2) wise counsel (1) inner danger (1) degradation (19)

कषायास्तन्निहन्तव्यास् तथा तत्सहचारिणः।
नोकषायाः शिवद्धारा गलीभूता मुमुक्षुभिः॥

One must destroy passions and their allies—no liberation is possible through a door clogged with passions.

liberation (230) blockage (1) passion (501) seeker (8) destruction (292) metaphor (1632) path to freedom (1) obstacles (34) clarity (135) effort (289)

कषायैरुपवासैश्च कृतामुल्लाघतां नृणाम्।
निजौषधकृतां वैद्यो निवेद्य हरते धनम्॥

Just as a doctor charges for curing illness, even ascetic practices done for show become transactional—highlighting hypocrisy.

hypocrisy (141) asceticism (87) passion (501) pretense (35) renunciation (267) vanity (38) doctor metaphor (1) money (12) irony (348) false spirituality (1)

कष्टं कर्मेति दुर्मेधाः कर्तव्याद् विनिवर्तते।
न साहसमनारभ्य श्रेयः समुपलभ्यते॥

The dull-minded avoid their duty calling it difficult work, but no noble success is ever achieved without courageous effort and initiative.

duty (198) cowardice (16) laziness (49) effort (289) courage (146) initiative (11) success (142) responsibility (133) resolve (40) ethics (803)

कष्टं खलु मूर्खत्वं कष्टं
खलु यौवने च दारिद्र्यम्।
कष्टादपि कष्टतरं परगृहवासः प्रवासश्च॥

Foolishness is painful, youth in poverty is worse, but worst is living in another’s house or in foreign lands—each causing deep helplessness.

ignorance (301) poverty (128) youth (261) exile (20) hardship (47) dependence (24) suffering (358) comparison (402) foreign living (1) struggle (49)

कष्टं च खलु मूर्खत्वं कष्टं च खलु यौवनम्।
कष्टात् कष्टतरं चैव परगेहनिवासनम्॥

A reiteration emphasizing the compounded misery of ignorance, youth with no means, and homelessness—heightening the emotional pathos.

repetition (30) emphasis (3) misery (8) helplessness (100) layered suffering (1) poetic device (8) youth (261) wisdom-lack (1) displacement (3) pain (225)

कष्टं जीवति गणको गणिका कथकश्च सेवको वैद्यः।
दिवसे दिवसे मरणं परजनमनरञ्जनी वृत्तिः॥

Astrologers, dancers, and physicians live sorrowfully—like a servant or a healer whose services never bring joy to others, only survival.

survival (91) profession (5) dissatisfaction (14) service (114) sorrow (325) livelihood (17) emotional neglect (2) healer (5) artist (1) struggle (49)

कष्टं नैव परिस्थिते समुदियात् कार्येषु नो जातुचित्
संजायेत न चापि तद्व्यतिकराद् बाह्यादकिंचित्करात्।
कस्माच्चित् खलु भावतोऽन्तरभवात् त्वस्माकमुत्पद्यते
प्राणस्यैव विशेषतोऽन्तरशयाद् भावात् समुज्जृम्भते॥

Hardship does not always stem from surroundings or fate but from inner turmoil—real struggle is born from within.

inner struggle (4) circumstance (3) perspective (44) suffering (358) self-reflection (17) origin (25) hardship (47) philosophical insight (6) introspection (83) awareness (73)