1st verse of Kalidasa's Raghuvamsa

This beautiful invocation is the first verse of the first canto of the great poem, The Raghuvamsa, by the poet and dramatist Kalidasa, who is believed to have lived in the fifth century AD. This verse, which invokes the ability to accurately comprehend words and their meanings, is a saluatation to Parvati and Siva, the "parents of the universe," who are inseparable—like words and their meanings. It is often chanted just before studying literature or practicing music.

Sanskrit

Transliteration

Translation

So that I might attain right knowledge and understanding of words and their meanings, I worship the parents of the universe, Parvati and Paramesvara (Siva), who are perfectly united just like words and their meanings.