Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

यदग्निकुण्डमध्यस्थो लिंगमूर्तिर्व्यदृश्यत । अहमेवाग्निमध्यस्थो हविर्गृह्णामि नित्यशः

Transliteration

yadagnikuṇḍamadhyastho liṃgamūrtirvyadṛśyata | ahamevāgnimadhyastho havirgṛhṇāmi nityaśaḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അഗ്നികുണ്ഡത്തിന്റെ മദ്ധ്യത്തിൽ ലിംഗമൂർത്തിയായി പ്രഭു പ്രത്യക്ഷനായി; ‘ഞാൻ തന്നേ അഗ്നിമദ്ധ്യേ വസിച്ച് നിത്യം ഹവിസ് സ്വീകരിക്കുന്നു’ എന്നു പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ.

Word by Word

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• अग्निकुण्डमध्यस्थः: standing in the middle of the fire-pit
• अग्निकुण्डमध्यस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि-कुण्ड-मध्य-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (लिङ्गमूर्तिः); सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष-समासार्थः (अग्निकुण्डस्य मध्ये स्थितः)

• लिङ्गमूर्तिः: the liṅga-form (iconic form)
• लिङ्गमूर्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग-मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गस्य मूर्तिः)

• व्यदृश्यत: was seen, appeared
• व्यदृश्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past); प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थः (appeared/was seen)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed, alone
• एव: Discourse marker (Avadharana/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• अग्निमध्यस्थः: standing in the midst of the fire
• अग्निमध्यस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि-मध्य-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (अहम्); सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष-समासार्थः (अग्नेः मध्ये स्थितः)

• हविः: oblation
• हविः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (कर्म)

• गृह्णामि: I take, accept
• गृह्णामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नित्यशः: always
• नित्यशः: Adverbial (Kriya-viseshana/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/कालवाचक (always, continually)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating; the quoted declaration is of Śiva/Mahādeva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (continuing address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the heart of the blazing yajña-kuṇḍa, a radiant Liṅga-form of Mahādeva becomes visible, steady and unmoving amid flames; the surrounding sages and devas recoil in reverent awe as the sense arises: ‘I dwell in the fire and receive the oblations eternally.’

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Liṅga
• agni (sacrificial fire)
• havis (oblations)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is immanent in sacrifice: the outer fire and the inner divine presence are one, and offerings reach Him through right ritual and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific place-name is stated; the verse glorifies the sacred ritual-space of the homa-kuṇḍa as a locus of Śiva’s manifestation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Homa is implied: offering havis into fire with the understanding that Śiva Himself receives it.