All Shlokas | Sanskrit.Today

काकस्य वृष्टिहेतोर् नीडं दिक्षु प्रशस्यते तिसृषु।
दुर्भिक्षमरणहेतुर् भवति सयाम्येषु कोणेषु॥

A crow builds nests in the three auspicious directions. If it builds in the southeast, southwest, or northwest corners, it foretells famine or death. ...

omen (58) crow (45) direction (34) superstition (30) belief (43) nest (2) famine (6) death (241) folklore (15) symbolism (947)

काकाः किं किं न कुर्वन्ति
क्रोङ्कारं यत्र तत्र वा।
शुक एव परं वक्ति नृपहस्तोपलालितः॥

Crows chatter mindlessly everywhere, but only the parrot that speaks well is caressed by the king. This shows how meaningful speech, not mere noise, e...

speech (345) wisdom (1611) noise (21) value (170) parrot (17) crow (45) discernment (142) recognition (52) rhetoric (6) courtly favor (1)

काकाः प्रभुप्रणिहितैः पिकपट्टबद्धेर्
माकन्दबृन्दमकरन्दरसं लभन्ताम्।
प्राप्ते वसन्तसमये कथमाचरन्ति
कर्णामृतानि कलपञ्चमकूजितानि॥

With spring's arrival, kings treat crows as cuckoos by dressing them in peacock robes. Yet, how can they imitate the nectar-like sound of a real cucko...

deception (224) disguise (39) spring (134) cuckoo (46) crow (45) voice (36) reality (54) nature (950) king (200) superficiality (32)

काकानां कोकिलानां च सीमाभेदः कथं भवेत्।
यदि विश्वसृजा साक्षं न कृता कर्णशष्कुली॥

Had the Creator not made ears, how would one distinguish crows from cuckoos? The verse highlights that while appearances may be similar, inner essence...

identity (65) sound (90) ears (11) creator (10) discrimination (65) truth (300) hearing (9) metaphor (1632) wisdom (1611) nature (950)

काकानां प्रीतियोगं चिरसहवसतिं कोकिलापेक्षसे चेत्
तर्हि त्वं तद्वदेव श्रवणपुटपटून् कुत्सितान् कूज शब्दान्।
अभ्यासस् तत्र नो चेत् तव गलदमृता गीरियं गुप्यतां वा
तामाकर्ण्य स्वजातेरननुगुणगुणं त्वाममी सन्त्यजेयुः॥

If you desire a crow’s company, train your ears to bear its unpleasant sounds. If not, hide your sweet cuckoo-like voice, or else others may abandon y...

adaptation (10) voice (36) identity (65) tolerance (37) metaphor (1632) cuckoo (46) crow (45) training (22) community (14) poetic warning (7)

का कान्ता कालियारातेः पुनरर्थे किमव्ययम्।
किं वन्द्यं सर्वदेवानां फलेषु किमु सुन्दरम्॥

What is the beloved of Kāliya’s enemy (Krishna)? What is eternal? What’s worth worshiping among all deities? What is the highest beauty among results?...

krishna (233) love (1567) riddle (24) philosophy (290) eternity (18) beauty (1797) devotion (933) questioning (27) spiritual truth (7) metaphor (1632)

का का प्रिया प्रियतमं परिरभ्य दोर्भ्याम्
अभ्यागतेऽपि मिहिरे न जहाति निद्राम्।
जागर्तु सज्जयतु चोलमितीव काकाः
काकालिरालिरिव गूढगिरश्चकार॥

Which beloved clings to her lover even after sunrise? As dawn breaks, crows caw softly like doves, whispering secret messages to sleeping lovers. A po...

romance (506) dawn (69) lover (13) crow (45) whisper (7) poetic scene (8) love (1567) metaphor (1632) subtlety (175) passion (501)

का काबला निधुवनश्रमपीडिताङ्गी
निद्रां गता दयितबाहुलतानुबद्धा।
सा सा तु यातु भवनं मिहिरोद्गमोऽयं
सम्केतवाक्यमिति काकचया वदन्ति॥

Which maiden, exhausted from lovemaking, fell asleep in her lover’s arms? Crows declare, “The sun rises! Return home!” as morning brings separation fr...

romance (506) exhaustion (34) night (145) secret love (3) crow (45) dawn (69) eroticism (60) poetic scene (8) metaphor (1632) separation (258)

का कामधेनुरिह कश् चिन्तामणिरपि च कल्पशाखी कः।
सर्वाण्यमूनि भुवने पर्यायवचांसि पुण्यस्य॥

Who is the wish-yielding cow, the magical gem, the celestial tree? All these are metaphors for the fruits of virtue. Righteousness alone is the true s...

virtue (726) metaphor (1632) wish (5) divinity (206) rewards (3) dharma (540) magic (8) philosophy (290) righteousness (134) symbols (9)

काका मूर्ध्नि सुखं वसन्ति शतशः शाखासु शाखामृगा
घूकाः कोटरगह्वरेषु मशलैर्दंशैश्च सान्द्रं दलम्।
आधारः कियतामसि स्थिरतरं शुद्धं च लब्धं यशः पान्था
नोपसरन्ति चेत् क्षतमितः किं वृक्षराजस्य ते॥

Crows sit on your head, owls live in your hollows, and mosquitoes swarm around — if noble travelers avoid you, what use is your fame, O great tree? Tr...

worth (34) fame (166) tree (45) shelter (19) guests (4) symbolism (947) poetic metaphor (101) hospitality (42) reputation (56) nobility (253)