Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

सर्वलिंगेषु हुंकारः स्मशानेषु भयावहः । महालक्षो वने घोरे ज्वालाक्षो वसतौ स्थितः

Transliteration

sarvaliṃgeṣu huṃkāraḥ smaśāneṣu bhayāvahaḥ | mahālakṣo vane ghore jvālākṣo vasatau sthitaḥ

Translation

എല്ലാ ലിംഗക്ഷേത്രങ്ങളിലും അദ്ദേഹം ‘ഹുങ്കാര’; ശ്മശാനങ്ങളിൽ ‘ഭയാവഹൻ’. ഭീകരവനങ്ങളിൽ ‘മഹാലക്ഷ’യും, ഗൃഹവാസത്തിൽ ‘ജ്വാലാക്ഷ’യും ആയി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सर्वलिङ्गेषु: in all liṅgas
• सर्वलिङ्गेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषु लिङ्गेषु)

• हुंकारः: Hūṃkāra (name/roar)
• हुंकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्मशानेषु: in cremation grounds
• स्मशानेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• भयावहः: fear-bringing, terrifying
• भयावहः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय + आवह (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (भयं आवहति इति)

• महालक्षः: Mahālakṣa (name)
• महालक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (great-marked/large-eyed as epithet)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• घोरे: terrible, dreadful
• घोरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (वनस्य)

• ज्वालाक्षः: Jvālākṣa (flame-eyed; name)
• ज्वालाक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वाला + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (flame-eyed)

• वसतौ: in the dwelling/settlement
• वसतौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्थितः: standing, stationed
• स्थितः: Karta (Predicate/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarva-liṅga-kṣetra (all liṅga sites) / Śmaśāna / Vana / Gṛha thresholds

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-panel tableau: (1) a liṅga shrine with the deity as Huṃkāra (mantric presence), (2) a cremation-ground with Bhayāvaha amid pyres, (3) a dark forest with Mahālakṣa watching from shadows, (4) a village/home threshold with Jvālākṣa, flame-eyed, guarding the doorway.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga (Śiva shrine)
• Huṃkāra
• Smaśāna (cremation ground)
• Bhayāvaha
• Mahālakṣa
• Jvālākṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine protection of Śiva’s domain is omnipresent, adapting to each sacred and liminal space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tirtha is named; the verse maps guardian-manifestations across common sacred locales (liṅga, smaśāna, forest).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit guidance for contextual invocation—remembering the guardian-name appropriate to the place of worship or passage.