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
അപ്പോൾ വാസുദേവ ജനാർദ്ദനൻ ബാലരൂപം ധരിച്ചു, വിശ്വസൃഷ്ടിക്കു ഉത്സുകനായി വടപത്രങ്ങളിൽ ശയിച്ചു।
Word by Word
बालभावम्the state of being a child
बालभावम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootबाल + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: बालस्य भावः
ततःthen, thereafter
ततः:
Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
Formअव्यय (adverb: thereafter/from that)
कृत्वाhaving assumed/made
कृत्वा:
Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
TypeVerb
Root√कृ (धातु) + त्वा
Formक्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having done/made’
वासुदेवःVāsudeva
वासुदेवः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootवासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन
जनार्दनःJanārdana (Viṣṇu)
जनार्दनः:
Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootजनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; समानाधिकरण with वासुदेवः
शेतेlies down, rests
शेते:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√शी (धातु ‘शयने’)
Formलट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
असौthat one, he
असौ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअसद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (demonstrative pronoun)
वटपत्रेषुon banyan leaves
वटपत्रेषु:
Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootवट + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (locative plural); समास: वटस्य पत्रेषु
विश्वम्the universe
विश्वम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootविश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular)
निर्मातुम्to create
निर्मातुम्:
Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
TypeVerb
Rootनिर् + √मा (धातु ‘निर्माणे’) + तुमुन्
Formतुमुनन्त (infinitive), ‘to create’
उत्सुकःeager
उत्सुकः:
Karta (Predicate complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootउत्सुक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, 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
Ś
ŚivaV
VāsudevaJ
JanārdanaV
Vaṭa (banyan)U
Universe (viśva)FAQs
The Supreme can appear in gentle, accessible forms; creation itself is guided by divine intention and compassion.
No specific tirtha is named in this verse; it continues the cosmological prologue within the Dharmāraṇya māhātmya.
None; it is a theological-cosmological description.