Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

प्रहसन्स तदा बालरूपेण कमलापतिः । उवाच मधुरां वाचं कृपालुर्बाल लीलया

Transliteration

prahasansa tadā bālarūpeṇa kamalāpatiḥ | uvāca madhurāṃ vācaṃ kṛpālurbāla līlayā

Translation

Then Kamalāpati, the Lord of Lakṣmī, smiling and appearing in the form of a child, spoke sweet words—compassionate, as though in a playful, childlike līlā.

Word by Word

• prahasan: smiling
• prahasan: Karta (Agent participle/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: has (धातु) + pra → prahasan (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि—‘smiling/laughing’

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• bālarūpeṇa: in the form of a child
• bālarūpeṇa: Karana (Means/Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/प्रकार (instrumental of manner/form)

• kamalāpatiḥ: Lord of Kamalā (Lakṣmī)
• kamalāpatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kamalā + pati (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्ष), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• madhurām: sweet
• madhurām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘vācām’ इति विशेषणम्

• vācām: speech/words
• vācām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• kṛpāluḥ: compassionate
• kṛpāluḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛpālu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘kamalāpatiḥ’ इति विशेषणम्

• bāla: O child
• bāla: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; सम्बोधन

• līlayā: playfully; by (his) sport
• līlayā: Karana (Means/Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: līlā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण/हेतु (instrumental: by/with playfulness)

Speaker

Narrator (introducing Viṣṇu’s appearance and speech)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu (Kamalāpati) appears as a radiant child, smiling; Brahmā, still marked by austerity, receives sweet compassionate words. The contrast between fierce tapas and gentle divine play is central.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (Kamalāpati)
• Lakṣmī (Kamalā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme guides creation not only with power but with compassion and līlā—making divine instruction approachable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse focuses on the deity’s manifestation and mood.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative transition to divine instruction.