ācāreṇa bālaṁ nindati

 The phrase "ācāreṇa bālaṁ nindati" literally means 

"A child is censured or reproached for misbehavior" 

or "By conduct, one reproaches the child."

Word-by-word breakdown:

• ācāreṇa (आचारेण) — instrumental singular of "ācāra" (आचार),
• meaning behavior, conduct, or moral practice. The instrumental
• case shows the means by which something happens, so it can
• be translated as "by the conduct" or "through behavior"

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• bālaṁ (बालं) — accusative singular of "bāla" (बाल), meaning child 
• or young person

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   .
• nindati (निन्दति) — third person singular present tense of the
• verb nind (निन्द्), meaning to blame, censure, or criticize

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• 

  

  2 Sources

Combined meaning:

The sentence conveys that a child is reproached or disciplined 

based on their conduct. Often, in Sanskrit literature, such expressions 

are used to indicate moral teaching or admonition: behavior leads 

to praise or blame, and children learn through guidance or correction.

This phrase emphasizes ethical instruction and correction through 

observation of conduct.

Contextual usage:

In classical texts, such phrases are commonly found in educational, 

ethical, and dharmashastra contexts, where young learners are 

guided by instruction and examples. It underscores that proper 

conduct invites approval, while misbehavior leads to reproach.

This phrase could also be metaphorically applied to any learner 

or person being corrected according to their practical behavior, 

extending beyond literal children.