Shloka 12
भाण्डीरवट-क्रीडा: प्रलम्बासुरवधः, मानुष्यलीला, एक-कारण-तत्त्वम्
हरिणाक्रीडनं नाम बालक्रीडनकं ततः प्रकुर्वन्तो हि ते सर्वे द्वौ द्वौ युगपद् उत्पतन्
hariṇākrīḍanaṃ nāma bālakrīḍanakaṃ tataḥ prakurvanto hi te sarve dvau dvau yugapad utpatan
Alors ils commencèrent tous un jeu d’enfants nommé « hariṇa-krīḍā », le “jeu du cerf” : par paires, deux à deux, ils bondissaient ensemble au même instant, ravis de leur divertissement.
Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya
FAQs
They ground the royal-genealogical narrative in lived culture, showing how refinement and community bonds are formed even in childhood through orderly, shared play.
Parāśara briefly names the game, defines it as a children’s sport, and depicts its key action—pairs leaping simultaneously—using concise narrative description typical of Purāṇic storytelling.
Even in seemingly ordinary scenes, the Purana’s larger frame remains Vishnu-centered: human life, lineage, and culture unfold within the cosmic order sustained by Vishnu as the supreme regulator.