All Shlokas | Sanskrit.Today

का काली का मधुरा का शीतलवाहिनी गङ्गा।
कं संजघान कृष्णः कं बलवन्तं न बाधते शीतम्॥

Who is Kāli? Who is sweet Ganga? Who did Krishna slay? Who, despite strength, is not harmed by cold? A series of riddles evoking divinity, mystery, an...

riddle (24) krishna (233) ganga (83) kāli (1) divinity (206) strength (359) cold (21) myth (65) questioning (27) metaphor (1632)

काकाल्लौल्यं यमात् क्रौर्यं स्थपतेर्दृढघातिताम्।
एकैकाक्षरमादाय कायस्थः केन निर्मितः॥

The crow gives greed, Yama cruelty, the sculptor firmness — but who made the scribe who extracts a letter from each and combines it into a complex man...

scribe (1) sarcasm (74) creation (117) traits (19) manipulation (21) metaphor (1632) satire (211) greed (141) cruelty (55) wit (31)

काका वृका घुकबकाश्च भेकाः
प्रणम्य युष्मानिदमेव याचे।
कोलाहलं मा कुरुत क्षमध्वं पुंस्कोकिलः
कूजति मञ्जुरावम्॥

O crows, wolves, owls, frogs — I beg you: don't make noise while the sweet-voiced male cuckoo sings. A poetic plea for silence in favor of divine soun...

sound (90) silence (94) cuckoo (46) noise (21) plea (26) nature (950) metaphor (1632) listening (10) sweetness (104) poetry (588)

काकिन्याः पत्रमूलं सहचरसहितं केतकीनां च कन्दं
छायाशुष्कं च भृङ्गं त्रिफलरसयुतं तैलमध्ये निधाय।
लौहे पात्रे प्रणीतं धरणितलगतं मासमात्रस्थितं तत् केशाः
काशप्रकाशा अलिकुलसदृशाः सम्भवन्त्यस्य लेपात्॥

A recipe for luxurious hair: take ingredients like Ketakī root, dried Bhṛṅgarāja, and trifala in oil, stored for a month in an iron vessel. Apply to g...

hair (47) beauty (1797) ayurveda (78) herbs (28) blackness (1) gloss (1) remedy (43) natural cure (2) traditional formula (1) shine (3)

काकुं करोषि गृहकोणकरीषपुञ्ज-
गूढाङ्ग किं ननु वृथा कितव प्रयाहि।
कुत्राद्य जीर्णतरणिभ्रमनातिभीत-
गोपाङ्गनागणविडम्बनचातुरी ते॥

You hide in a corner of the house pretending to clean waste — your tricks are pointless. Where is your skill in mocking village women who fear old boa...

satire (211) trickery (11) behavior (249) cleaning (1) pretense (35) sarcasm (74) mockery (46) fear (252) women (268) social commentary (43)

काकुत्स्थस्य दशाननो न कृतवान् दारापहारं यदि
क्वाम्भोधिः क्व च सेतुबन्धघटना क्वोत्तीर्य लङ्काजयः।
पार्थस्यापि पराभवं यदि रिपुर्नादात् क्व तादृक् तपो नीयन्ते
रिपुभिः समुन्नतिपदं प्रायः परं मानिनः॥

If Rāvaṇa did not abduct Sītā, how could the ocean be bridged? How could Lanka be conquered? Similarly, if enemies did not oppose Arjuna, his greatnes...

arjuna (34) ravana (28) sita (37) lanka (10) opposition (4) greatness (146) valor (156) metaphor (1632) divine plan (7) enemy (92)

काकुत्स्थस्य प्रतापाग्निर् दीप्तपिङ्गैर्वलीमुखैः।
निर्वाणो राक्षसेन्द्रस्य मन्ये नीलैर्निशाचरैः॥

The fire of Rāma's glory was not extinguished by the blue-skinned demons. The blazing wrath of his valor consumed Rāvaṇa. A fiery praise of the hero’s...

rama (81) glory (92) fire (219) demons (29) rāvaṇa (3) victory (118) battle (121) metaphor (1632) power (396) resistance (13)

काकुत्स्थेन शिरांसि यानि शतशश्छिन्नानि मायानिधेः
पौलस्त्यस्य विमानसीमनि तथा भ्रान्तानि नाकौकसाम्।
तान्येवास्य धनुःश्रमप्रशमनं कुर्वन्ति सीतापतेः
क्रीडाचामरडम्बरानुकृतिभिर्लोलायमानै ः कचैः॥

The heads Rāma severed from Rāvaṇa in Lanka now sway like fans in his playful sport — metaphorically transformed into decorations by Sītā’s fluttering...

rama (81) rāvaṇa (3) lanka (10) play (46) hair (47) severed heads (3) victory (118) metaphor (1632) valor (156) poetic imagery (180)

का कृता विष्णुना कीदृग् योषितां कः प्रशस्यते।
असेव्यः कीदृशः स्वामी को निहन्ता निशातमः॥

Which woman was praised by Vishnu? Who is the unworthy master? Who is the deadliest slayer? A philosophical riddle exploring worth, devotion, and ethi...

riddle (24) vishnu (122) women (268) ethics (803) slayer (1) devotion (933) worthiness (29) praise (189) questioning (27) metaphor (1632)

काके कर्णपुटीकठोरनिनदे पीयूषधारारस-
स्यन्दोदञ्चितचारुपञ्चमरुते साधारणे मय्यपि।
वन्यां वृत्तिमयं व्यधादिति मुधा वत्स व्यथां मा कृथाः क्व
कैवं न कृतं जनेषु निकृतं दुर्मेधसा वेधसा॥

Don’t be upset if your sweet song is ignored while the crow’s harsh cry is heard in royal ears. Even among humans, foolish fate often glorifies the wi...

injustice (73) voice (36) fate (402) frustration (39) crow (45) cuckoo (46) talent (20) neglect (55) destiny (289) poetic lament (16)