Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

बालोऽपि पूर्णचंद्राभ वदनो मदनोपमः । वृद्धिं प्रतिक्षणं प्राप शुक्लपक्ष इवोडुराट्

Transliteration

bālo'pi pūrṇacaṃdrābha vadano madanopamaḥ | vṛddhiṃ pratikṣaṇaṃ prāpa śuklapakṣa ivoḍurāṭ

Translation

Même enfant, son visage brillait comme la pleine lune, et sa beauté égalait celle de Kāma. À chaque instant il grandissait, tel l’astre lunaire croissant durant la quinzaine claire.

Word by Word

• बालः: the boy/child
• बालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपवाद/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (even/also)

• पूर्णचन्द्राभः: having the radiance of the full moon
• पूर्णचन्द्राभः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण+चन्द्र+आभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (पूर्णचन्द्रस्य आभा यस्य)

• वदनः: (his) face
• वदनः: Visheshya (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिकस्य पुंवत् प्रयोगः; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (मुखम् इत्यर्थे)

• मदनोपमः: comparable to Cupid
• मदनोपमः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मदन+उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (मदनस्य उपमः)

• वृद्धिम्: growth
• वृद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रतिक्षणम्: every moment
• प्रतिक्षणम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति+क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (each moment)

• प्राप: attained
• प्राप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी; ‘प्र+आप्’

• शुक्लपक्षः: the bright fortnight
• शुक्लपक्षः: Upamana (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल+पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (शुक्लः पक्षः)

• इव: like
• इव: Upama-dyotaka (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमार्थक अव्यय (like/as)

• उडुराट्: the moon (king of stars)
• उडुराट्: Upameya (Compared entity)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उडु+राज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (उडूनां राजा)

Speaker

Skanda (narrative voice, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous child with a face like the full moon, charming and serene; behind him a symbolic waxing moon in the bright fortnight, suggesting continual increase in auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Harikeśa (implied)
• Madana
• Moon (uḍurāṭ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic narration uses auspicious imagery to show the visible signs of divine favor gained through devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger passage is situated in Kāśī’s māhātmya, though this verse focuses on the child’s auspicious qualities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive (stuti-like) narration.