Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 76
नित्यं प्रपूजयिष्यामस्तथान्येऽपि द्विजोत्तमाः । बालेनाऽनेन सार्धं ते सख्यमत्र स्थितं यतः । बालसख्यमिति ख्यातं नाम्ना तेन भविष्यति
nityaṃ prapūjayiṣyāmastathānye'pi dvijottamāḥ | bālenā'nena sārdhaṃ te sakhyamatra sthitaṃ yataḥ | bālasakhyamiti khyātaṃ nāmnā tena bhaviṣyati
आम्ही नित्य त्याची पूजा करू; तसेच इतरही श्रेष्ठ द्विज करतील. कारण येथे या बालकाशी तुझे सख्य दृढ झाले आहे, म्हणून हे ‘बालसख्य’ या नावाने प्रसिद्ध होईल।
Ṛṣis (the sages)
Tirtha: Bālasakhya
Type: ghat
Listener: Dvijottama addressed; broader audience of pilgrims implied
Scene: A gathering of dvijottamas at the tīrtha proclaim continuous worship; the child and devotee stand together, symbolizing ‘friendship’; a sign/inscription metaphorically marks the place as ‘Bālasakhya’.
FAQs
Sacred geography is born from lived dharma—relationships, vows, and worship leave enduring sanctity in a place.
Bālasakhya-tīrtha, named because of the established ‘friendship with the child’ at this location.
Nitya-prapūjā—continual worship by the sages and other dvijas, sustaining the tīrtha’s sanctity.