Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । ततःप्रभृति तत्तीर्थं बालसख्यमिति स्मृतम् । पावनं सर्वजंतूनां बालानां रोगनाशनम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tataḥprabhṛti tattīrthaṃ bālasakhyamiti smṛtam | pāvanaṃ sarvajaṃtūnāṃ bālānāṃ roganāśanam

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അന്നുമുതൽ ആ തീർത്ഥം ‘ബാലസഖ്യം’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമായി. അത് സർവ്വജീവികൾക്കും പാവനവും, ബാലരുടെ രോഗനാശകവുമാണ്.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/कालार्थे (from then/thereafter)

• प्रभृति: from (that time) onward
• प्रभृति: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भार्थक (beginning from)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तीर्थम्: holy ford; pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• बालसख्यम्: friendship with a child; 'Bālasakhya' (name)
• बालसख्यम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल + सख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बालस्य सख्यम्)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणार्थक (quotative particle)

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/called
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘is called/remembered’

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (तत्तीर्थस्य)

• सर्वजन्तूनाम्: of all creatures
• सर्वजन्तूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (सर्वे जन्तवः)

• बालानाम्: of children
• बालानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• रोगनाशनम्: destroyer of disease
• रोगनाशनम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोग + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रोगस्य नाशनम्)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bālasakhya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / dvijas (assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates as pilgrims gather at a serene ford named Bālasakhya; mothers bring children to the water; the tīrtha is shown as luminous and soothing, symbolizing purification and healing.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Bālasakhya-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity can purify all beings and bestow tangible welfare, including relief from illness—especially for children.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bālasakhya-tīrtha, named explicitly in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied tīrtha-sevā such as snāna (bathing) at Bālasakhya-tīrtha for purification and health benefits.