All Shlokas | Sanskrit.Today

काङ्क्षितेनाप्यलब्धेन भोगार्हे नवयौवने।
जराजीर्णशरीरस्य भारेणेव धनेन किम्॥

What use is wealth to an old, fragile body that never enjoyed youth or pleasure? Like carrying a heavy burden after missing the opportunity for joy — ...

wealth (447) regret (87) youth (261) old age (29) opportunity (37) pleasure (82) aging (53) desire (898) futility (143) philosophical musing (1)

काचं मणिं काञ्चनमेकसूत्रे
मुग्धा निबध्नन्ति किमत्र चित्रम्।
विचारवान् पणिनिरेकसूत्रे श्वानं युवानं मघवानमाह॥

Just as innocent girls string glass and gems together, Pāṇini strings even dogs, youths, and gods in a single grammatical rule. It celebrates the powe...

panini (5) grammar (17) rule (21) intellect (106) unification (1) gems (15) dogs (3) gods (66) wit (31) sanskrit (17)

काचः काञ्चनसंसर्गाद् धत्ते मारकतीं द्युतिम्।
अश्मापि याति देवत्वं महद्भिः सुप्रतिष्ठितः॥

Glass shines like emerald when rubbed with gold. A stone becomes divine when placed with gods. The company of the great elevates even the lowliest.

company (17) influence (94) elevation (28) greatness (146) association (65) transformation (252) virtue (726) gold (62) emerald (5) metaphor (1632)

काचः काञ्चनसंसर्गाद् धत्ते मारकतीं द्युतिम्।
तथा सत्संनिधानेन मूर्खो याति प्रवीणताम्॥

A dull person becomes wise in the presence of noble ones, just as even glass takes on the brilliance of gold when joined with it. The value of company...

company (17) wisdom (1611) transformation (252) knowledge (279) virtue (726) brilliance (83) metaphor (1632) friendship (209) influence (94) intellect (106)

काचकामलदोषेण पश्येन् नेत्रे विपर्ययम्।
अभ्याख्यानं वदेज्जिह्वा तत्र रागक उच्यते॥

A person sees wrong due to eye disease and speaks falsely due to biased attachment. Such behavior shows how inner desires distort both perception and ...

distortion (7) bias (15) desire (898) perception (181) speech (345) attachment (102) metaphor (1632) disease (31) error (14) clarity (135)

का चक्रे हरिणा, धने कृपणधीः कीदृग्, भुजंगेऽस्ति
किं, कीदृक्, कुम्भसमुद्भवस्य जठरं, कीदृग्यियासुर्वधूः।
श्लोकः कीदृगभीप्सितः सुकृतिनां, कीदृङ्नभो निर्मलं,
क्षोणीमाह्वय सर्वगं किमुदितं रात्रौ सरः कीदृशम्॥

A riddle-filled verse with deep metaphor: Who created the deer? How greedy is the miser? What exists in the snake’s belly? How is the water lily by ni...

riddle (24) metaphor (1632) deer (48) greed (141) snake (40) creation (117) nature (950) philosophy (290) curiosity (38) poetic play (5)

काचाः काञ्चनभूषिताः कति न वा पुष्णन्ति रत्नश्रियं
मौलौ वा कति नोद्वहन्त्यपधियस्तानेव रत्नभ्रमात्।
अक्ष्णां ये पुनरुन्मृजन्ति तिमिरं यैर्नाम रत्नाकरः सिन्धुस्ते
पृथगेव हन्त मणयस्तेष्वप्यभिज्ञाः पृथक्॥

Many wear decorated glass as if they were real gems. True jewels remove darkness, but fake ones only shine. This critiques the illusion of false wisdo...

illusion (355) truth (300) gems (15) glass (3) discrimination (65) wisdom (1611) clarity (135) light (147) darkness (138) metaphor (1632)

काचित् कराभ्यां कुसुमानि
नीत्वा दधार शंभोः पदयोः समीपे।
विवक्षया मन्मथदुष्प्रवृत्तेः
समुत्सृजन्ती विशिखानिवाग्रे॥

A maiden offered flowers to Śiva, but dropped them midway, as if casting away Cupid’s arrows. A powerful depiction of devotion overcoming desire.

shiva (328) devotion (933) flowers (85) love (1567) renunciation (267) cupid (106) offering (62) poetry (588) transformation (252) symbolism (947)

काचित् कीर्णा रजोभिर्दिवमनुविदधे भिन्नवक्रेन्दुलक्ष्मीर्
अश्रीकाः काश्चिदन्तर्दिश इव दधिरे दाहमुद्भ्रान्तसत्त्वाः।
म्रेमुर्वात्या इवान्याः प्रतिपदमपरा भूमिवत् कम्पमापुः प्रस्थाने
पार्थिवानामशिवमिति पुरोभावि नार्यः शशंसुः॥

As kings set out to war, some omen-bearing women appeared — some dusty, some distorted, others trembling. They signaled misfortune, hinting disaster a...

omen (58) war (144) women (268) disaster (14) foreboding (1) trembling (36) prophecy (13) dust (29) night (145) eerie (2)

काचित् कृता कृतिरिति त्वयि
सार्पितेति कापि प्रमोदकणिका मम नान्तरङ्गे।
मौढ्यं मदीयमिह यद्विदितं ममैव किं त्वम्ब
विश्वसिमि दीनशरण्यतां ते॥

A slight joy blossoms within me thinking I have offered something meaningful to you, O Lord. Yet, I question my own foolishness. Still, I trust your s...

devotion (933) surrender (223) humility (596) offering (62) divine (346) trust (112) foolishness (88) grace (359) introspection (83) prayer (89)