Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अबालो बालरूपेण ग्रामण्यैर्बालकैः सह । आमलैः क्रीडते शम्भुस्तत्ते वक्ष्यामि भारत

Transliteration

abālo bālarūpeṇa grāmaṇyairbālakaiḥ saha | āmalaiḥ krīḍate śambhustatte vakṣyāmi bhārata

Translation

Bien qu’il ne soit pas un enfant, Śambhu s’ébat sous l’apparence d’un enfant, avec les garçons du village, jouant avec les fruits d’āmalaka. Je te le dirai, ô Bhārata.

Word by Word

• अबालः: not a child (though appearing so)
• अबालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-प्रत्ययार्थक विशेषण (negating adjective)

• बालरूपेण: in the form of a child
• बालरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla-rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (बालस्य रूपम्)

• ग्रामण्यैः: with the village leaders/chiefs
• ग्रामण्यैः: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāmaṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• बालकैः: with the boys
• बालकैः: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपपद (postposition meaning 'with')

• आमलैः: with āmalaka fruits (Indian gooseberries)
• आमलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āmala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• क्रीडते: plays
• क्रीडते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: krīḍ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• शम्भुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śambhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (to you/for you)

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhārata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Āmaleśvara / Āmalakeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata / Pāṇḍava (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śambhu, radiant yet gentle, appears as a village child among boys, playing a throwing game with green āmalaka fruits in a rustic riverside settlement; subtle signs (third eye glow, crescent moon) hint at divinity.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Bhārata (listener epithet)
• Bālakāḥ
• Āmalaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s bāla-līlā shows divine accessibility—God meets devotees in ordinary village life, turning play into sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) region context; the specific village/tīrtha name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is narrative līlā intended for devotional hearing and remembrance.