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

ഹേ ഭാരതാ! ശിശുവല്ലെങ്കിലും ശംഭു ശിശുരൂപം ധരിച്ചു ഗ്രാമത്തിലെ ബാലകരോടൊപ്പം ആമലകഫലങ്ങളുമായി കളിക്കുന്നു; അതു ഞാൻ നിന്നോട് പറയും.

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.