Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

प्रातरुत्थाय ये केचित्पश्यन्ति बलकेशवौ । तेन ते सदृशाः स्युर्वै देवदेवेन चक्रिणा

Transliteration

prātarutthāya ye kecitpaśyanti balakeśavau | tena te sadṛśāḥ syurvai devadevena cakriṇā

Translation

Quiconque, se levantant à l’aube, contemple Bala et Keśava, par cet acte devient semblable au Dieu des dieux, le porteur du disque.

Word by Word

• प्रातर्: in the morning
• प्रातर्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातर् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb ‘in the morning’

• उत्थाय: having risen
• उत्थाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त) — gerund/absolutive ‘having risen’

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — masculine, nominative plural (relative pronoun)

• केचित्: some (persons)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (निपात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — masculine, nominative plural; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम ‘some’

• पश्यन्ति: see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — present indicative, 3rd plural

• बलकेशवौ: Bala and Keśava (Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa)
• बलकेशवौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक) + केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन — masculine, accusative dual; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (बलः च केशवः)

• तेन: thereby/by that (act)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/कारण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — neuter, instrumental singular; ‘by that/thereby’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — masculine, nominative plural

• सदृशाः: similar
• सदृशाः: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate adjective/विशेषण-प्रत्यय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — masculine, nominative plural; ‘similar’

• स्युः: would be
• स्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (संभावना/आशीर्लिङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — optative, 3rd plural ‘would be/may become’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/निश्चयार्थक) — emphatic particle

• देवदेवेन: with the God of gods
• देवदेवेन: Sambandha (Standard of comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — masculine, instrumental singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘देवानां देवः’

• चक्रिणा: with the discus-bearer (Viṣṇu)
• चक्रिणा: Sambandha (Standard of comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — masculine, instrumental singular; ‘one who has a discus’

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha with Bala-Keśava darśana

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa / king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn, devotees approach a shrine where two standing icons—Balarāma (with plough) and Keśava (with discus)—are revealed as the sun rises; devotees’ faces glow with devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Bala
• Keśava
• Devadeva
• Cakrin (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Early-morning devotion and darśana refine the devotee’s nature toward divine qualities, aligning one with the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Balakeśava sacred setting described in Revā Khaṇḍa Adhyāya 142, associated with Yodhanīpura and its tīrtha-mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prātaḥ-utthāna (rising early) and darśana (beholding) of Bala and Keśava.