Sacred verses

ಪವಿತ್ರ ಶ್ಲೋಕಗಳು

The lines from the epic that are still spoken daily — in Sanskrit, with what each one means. Tap Share on any verse to get it as an image you can send to anyone.

Karmaṇye Vādhikāraste

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥

You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.

Bhagavad Gītā 2.47 — Lord Krishna to Arjuna

Yadā Yadā Hi Dharmasya

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत।
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम्॥
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे॥

Whenever there is a decline in righteousness and a rise of unrighteousness, O Arjuna, at that time I manifest myself. To protect the good, to destroy evil, and to re-establish dharma, I appear in every age.

Bhagavad Gītā 4.7-8 — Lord Krishna

Aham Ātmā Guḍākeśa

अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थितः।
अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च॥

I am the Self, O Gudakesha (Arjuna), seated in the hearts of all beings. I am the beginning, the middle, and also the end of all beings.

Bhagavad Gītā 10.20 — Krishna's self-revelation

Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinaḥ

सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः। सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु। मा कश्चिद् दुःखभाग् भवेत्।
ओम् शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥

May all beings be happy. May all be free from illness. May all see what is auspicious. May no one suffer. Om Peace, Peace, Peace.

Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad · recited throughout Mahābhārata

Yakṣa Praśna — The Greatest Wonder

अहन्यहनि भूतानि गच्छन्तीह यमालयम्।
शेषाः स्थावरमिच्छन्ति किमाश्चर्यमतः परम्॥

Every single day, countless beings go to the abode of Yama (death). Yet those who remain behind still wish to live forever, as if death will never come to them. What wonder is greater than this?

Vana Parva 313.116 — Yudhiṣṭhira's answer to Dharma

Viṣṇu Sahasranāma — Opening

विश्वं विष्णुर्वषट्कारो भूतभव्यभवत्प्रभुः।
भूतकृद्भूतभृद्भावो भूतात्मा भूतभावनः॥

He who is the universe; Vishnu; the lord of all sacrifices; the master of past, present and future; the creator of all beings; the sustainer of all beings; the soul within all — the one who manifests all existence.

Anushasana Parva 135.14 — Bhīṣma to Yudhiṣṭhira

The Bhagavad Gītā The epic Krishna

Part of Living Vedic Cosmos — a free, bilingual guide to the Hindu sky and its stories. The Mahābhārata is presented as it is told; where this site computes anything astronomical it says so and shows the arithmetic.