Vamana Purana — Birth of Skanda (Kartikeya), Shloka 20
The Birth and Consecration of Skanda (Kartikeya) at Kurukshetra
ततो दशसु पूर्णेषु शरद्दशशतेष्वथ बालार्कदीप्तिः संजातो बालः कमललोचनः
tato daśasu pūrṇeṣu śaraddaśaśateṣvatha bālārkadīptiḥ saṃjāto bālaḥ kamalalocanaḥ
Então, quando se completaram dez centenas de outonos, surgiu uma criança, radiante como o sol nascente—um infante de olhos semelhantes ao lótus.
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FAQs
Yes. Purāṇic diction often uses seasons as year-markers; ‘ten hundreds of autumns’ indicates an extraordinarily long gestation/interval, heightening the miraculous nature of the ensuing birth.
It is a strong Vaiṣṇava epithet, but Purāṇic poetry can apply it more broadly as a marker of divinity and auspiciousness. Identification should be made from the surrounding narrative (next verses often clarify the figure’s identity and role).
The ‘bāla-arka’ simile conveys both gentleness and irresistible brilliance—an omen that the newborn is not ordinary but a world-affecting presence, appropriate to a sacred-grove setting already ‘golden’ from Śiva’s tejas.