Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

ज्वालयत्यनिशं सोऽग्निर्दुश्चिकित्स्योऽसुखावहः । विलोक्य हरनिःश्वासज्वालाभस्मीकृतं स्मरम्

Transliteration

jvālayatyaniśaṃ so'gnirduścikitsyo'sukhāvahaḥ | vilokya haraniḥśvāsajvālābhasmīkṛtaṃ smaram

Translation

ആ അഗ്നി ഇടവിടാതെ ജ്വലിക്കുന്നു—ചികിത്സയ്ക്ക് ദുഷ്കരം, ദുഃഖം വരുത്തുന്നതും. പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ഹരന്റെ നിശ്വാസജ്വാലയിൽ ഭസ്മമായ സ്മരനെ കണ്ടാൽ.

Word by Word

• ज्वालयति: kindles/burns
• ज्वालयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्वल् (धातु) [णिच्-प्रत्यय: ज्वालयति]
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative)

• अनिशम्: unceasingly
• अनिशम्: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनिशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• सः: that/he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अग्निः: fire
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• दुश्चिकित्स्यः: hard to cure
• दुश्चिकित्स्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुश्चिकित्स्य (प्रातिपदिक: दुर् + चिकित्स्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (अग्निः)

• असुखावहः: bringing unhappiness
• असुखावहः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असुखावह (प्रातिपदिक: अ + सुख + आवह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (अग्निः)

• विलोक्य: having seen
• विलोक्य: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• हरनिःश्वासज्वालाभस्मीकृतम्: reduced to ashes by the flame of Hara’s breath
• हरनिःश्वासज्वालाभस्मीकृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हर-निःश्वास-ज्वाला-भस्मीकृत (प्रातिपदिक: हर + निःश्वास + ज्वाला + भस्मीकृत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (हरस्य निःश्वासस्य ज्वालया भस्मीकृतम्); विशेषण (स्मरम्)

• स्मरम्: Kāma (Love-god)
• स्मरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark vision: Kāma as a charred, ash-grey figure; Śiva’s breath visualized as a flame-stream; surrounding beings recoil while an inner ‘love-fever’ still burns in the hearts of onlookers.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Hara)
• Kāma (Smara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire can become an unceasing inner disease; liberation begins by recognizing its painful, compulsive nature.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is praised in this verse; it continues the Kāma-dahana storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the implied discipline is inner restraint (saṃyama) rather than an external rite.