What do you understand by the word “Shloka"?
A "shloka" is a poem, a mantra or a little piece of wisdom or knowledge taken from ancient Indian texts. It is not long, but just 2-4 lines. It's a concise way of passing down important teachings or ideas through words. These shlokas can be found in various Hindu books like the Bhagavad Gita, the Vedas, and the Ramayana and are a fundamental part of our cultural heritage.
It is great to teach our children shlokas. They are easy to learn, remember and can be recited in school as well. Here, we share 5 shlokas for children which have a deep meaning and impart knowledge of Vedanta - the philosophy of Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads. These shlokas and mantras impart moral values, build confidence and inculcate positive thinking in children.
Here are 5 interesting shlokas for children:
Shloka 1
Source: Rigveda
एकं सत् विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति ।
Translation:
Truth is one, but wise people speak of it in various ways.
Explanation:
One way to understand this shloka is to know that God is one, but people see God differently and call God by different names. This shloka captures the essence of Hindu view, that even though truth is one, people can have different views about it. All these views are acceptable.
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Shloka 2
Source: Devi Mahatmya
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु चेत नेत्य भिधी यते।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥
Translation:
Salutations again and again to the Devi who resides in all beings as consciousness (awareness).
Explanation:
We all are conscious-we feel 'l exist! The 'l' feels various things like 'I' feel cold, I am happy, and so on. Who is the 'I'? The 'I' is you, your consciousness. The shloka says that the consciousness in all of us is actually God. Or said another way, we get our consciousness from God or God is inside all of us.
This can also be considered as a mantra. Children can learn and recite this in their schools.
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Shloka 3
Source: Jivan-Mukti-Viveka, Garuda Purana
सर्वे सुखिनः सन्तु
सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु ।
मा कश्चिद् दुःख भाग्भवेत्॥
ॐ शान्तिः ! शान्तिः ! शान्तिः !
Translation:
May all be happy,
May all be free from disease,
May all see what is good,
May no one suffer,
Aum Peace! Peace! Peace!
Explanation:
This is a simple prayer wishing well for everyone in the universe!
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Explore and buy myNachiketa Shloka & Doha activity bookfor more such shlokas and numerous activities
Shloka 4
Source: Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते ।
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
Translation:
Aum! This universe is infinite. The infinite proceeds the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite, It remains as the infinite alone. Aum! Peace! Peace! Peace!
Explanation:
The shloka says that God is infinite. The universe that has come out of God is also infinite. But strangely, even after you take the infinite universe out of God, God still remains infinite. This is strange, since generally, if you have a glass full of water, and you take all the water out of it, the glass will be left with nothing!
Click here to hear this Shloka on YouTube
Shloka
Source: Chhandogya Upanishad
सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म
Translation:
All of this, indeed, is Brahman/God.
Explanation:
The shloka presents an important idea of Hinduism that God is everywhere. The whole universe is God.
To read more such interesting and knowledgeable shlokas buy our exclusive book
Resources:
Read the next blog: 5 meaningful Dohas for children
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