Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

बालभावं ततः कृत्वा वासुदेवो जनार्द्दनः । शेतेऽसौ वटपत्रेषु विश्वं निर्मातुमुत्सुकः

Transliteration

bālabhāvaṃ tataḥ kṛtvā vāsudevo janārddanaḥ | śete'sau vaṭapatreṣu viśvaṃ nirmātumutsukaḥ

Translation

Alors Vāsudeva, Janārdana, prenant l’aspect d’un enfant, s’étendit sur les feuilles du banian, désireux de créer l’univers.

Word by Word

• बालभावम्: the state of being a child
• बालभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: बालस्य भावः

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thereafter/from that)

• कृत्वा: having assumed/made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having done/made’

• वासुदेवः: Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; समानाधिकरण with वासुदेवः

• शेते: lies down, rests
• शेते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शी (धातु ‘शयने’)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• असौ: that one, he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (demonstrative pronoun)

• वटपत्रेषु: on banyan leaves
• वटपत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वट + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (locative plural); समास: वटस्य पत्रेषु

• विश्वम्: the universe
• विश्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• निर्मातुम्: to create
• निर्मातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + √मा (धातु ‘निर्माणे’) + तुमुन्
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), ‘to create’

• उत्सुकः: eager
• उत्सुकः: Karta (Predicate complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्सुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate adjective of असौ

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaṭapatraśāyī-darśana (archetype)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine infant (Vāsudeva/Janārdana) reclining on a single banyan leaf floating on endless waters, gazing serenely, poised to create the cosmos.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Vāsudeva
• Janārdana
• Vaṭa (banyan)
• Universe (viśva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme can appear in gentle, accessible forms; creation itself is guided by divine intention and compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named in this verse; it continues the cosmological prologue within the Dharmāraṇya māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a theological-cosmological description.