Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

पाचको रजकश्चैव साधकालोचकौ तथा । भ्राजकश्च तथा देहे पञ्चधा पावकः स्थितः

Transliteration

pācako rajakaścaiva sādhakālocakau tathā | bhrājakaśca tathā dehe pañcadhā pāvakaḥ sthitaḥ

Translation

ਦੇਹ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਾਵਕ ਅਗਨਿ ਪੰਜ ਰੂਪਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਥਿਤ ਹੈ: ਪਾਚਕ, ਰੰਜਕ, ਸਾਧਕ, ਆਲੋਚਕ ਅਤੇ ਭ੍ਰਾਜਕ।

Word by Word

• pācakaḥ: pācaka (digestive fire)
• pācakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pācaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अग्नेः/पित्तस्य भेदः

• rajakaḥ: rājaka (one of the fires)
• rajakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• eva: indeed
• eva: Emphasis (Avadhāraṇa/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• sādhaka-alocakau: sādhaka and ālocaka
• sādhaka-alocakau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhaka (प्रातिपदिक) + ālocaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व)

• tathā: and also
• tathā: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थ

• bhrājakaḥ: bhrājaka
• bhrājakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrājaka (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• tathā: also
• tathā: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• dehe: in the body
• dehe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• pañcadhā: fivefold
• pañcadhā: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pañcadhā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संख्याविशेषण-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: “in five ways”)

• pāvakaḥ: fire (pāvaka)
• pāvakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sthitaḥ: is situated
• sthitaḥ: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (स्था धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “situated/abides”

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A five-flame mandala within a human silhouette: each flame labeled (Pācaka at navel, Rañjaka near liver/blood symbolism, Sādhaka at heart, Ālocaka at eyes, Bhrājaka at skin aura), unified by a central sacrificial glow.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The body is a sacred field where divine ‘fire’ works in many modes; recognizing this fosters disciplined living and reverence for embodied dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse describes inner fires rather than external sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the teaching parallels the Vedic idea of agni as sustaining life and practice.