What is Lokpaleshwar Mahadev in Ujjain?
Lokpaleshwar Mahadev is the twelfth of Ujjain's 84 Mahadev lingas, with its story in the Skanda Purana, Avantya Khanda, chapter 12 of the Chaturashiti Linga Mahatmya. After Daityas defeated the four guardians of the quarters, the guardians worshipped this linga in Mahakalavana. A flame rose from it, burned the Daityas to ash, and the linga took the name Lokpaleshwar.
The name joins lokapala, a guardian of a quarter, and Ishwara. The Purana gives the reason in the story itself: the guardians served this linga, so it is named after them. It is also spelled Lokapaleshwar.
Local tradition places the temple in the old city, in a lane to the right off Raghuvanshi Marg from Kartik Chowk, in the area known as Sheetla Mata Gali.
At a glance
- The Daityas came out of Hiranyakashipu's chest in thousands of groups, with no single leader named.
- Four guardians are named: Indra, Dharmaraja, Varuna and Kubera.
- Vishnu gave two pieces of advice, and the second one was the Kapalika disguise.
- One flame rose from the linga and reduced the Daityas to ash.
Lokpaleshwar Mahadev: quick facts
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Meaning of the name | Lord (Shiva) of the lokapalas, the guardians of the quarters |
| Deity | Shiva, in linga form |
| Source text | Skanda Purana, Avantya Khanda, Chaturashiti Linga Mahatmya, Chapter 12 (5.2.12) |
| Position among the 84 Mahadevs | Twelfth |
| Narrator and listener | Shiva (Hara) speaking to Parvati |
| Time of the story | "Formerly" only; no kalpa or yuga is named |
| Place in the story | Mahakalavana |
The Purana has other chapters with Kapalika themes, and they get mixed up with this one. In chapter 8, on Kapaleshwar, Shiva himself takes the Kapalika form, in the Vaivasvata Kalpa at the start of Tretayuga. In chapter 4, on Damrukeshwar, the army of Ruru's son Vajra is destroyed by a linga that appears at the sound of Shiva's damaru. In chapter 12, the guardians put on the disguise on Vishnu's advice.
What is the story of Lokpaleshwar Mahadev in the Skanda Purana?
Daityas from Hiranyakashipu's chest
Shiva begins with "Formerly, O fair lady." Thousands of groups of Daityas came out of the chest of Hiranyakashipu. The text names no single Daitya leader.
What the Daityas did to the earth
The Daityas seized the whole earth and destroyed the penance groves and sacrifices. They ate brahmins well-versed in the Vedas and Vedangas, filled the sacrificial pits with liquor and dust, and broke the sacrificial vessels. The earth lost the study of the Vedas and the calls of vashat, svadha and svaha.
The guardians go to Vishnu
The frightened guardians of the quarters took shelter with Madhava (Vishnu) and spoke with folded hands:
ऊचुः प्रांजलयः सर्वे क्षुधार्ता दुःखिताः कृताः ।
वयं ग्लानिं गता देव यज्ञभागं विना कृताः ॥
Meaning: they said, we are hungry, distressed and exhausted, O god, because we are left without our share of the sacrifice (Skanda Purana 5.2.12.7).
Vishnu's attempt, and the guardians' defeat
Vishnu set out with conch, discus and mace. The Daityas hid in the sea and came out at night to kill brahmins and ascetics. Then they conquered the guardians: Shakra (Indra) in heaven, Dharmaraja in the south, Varuna, the king of waters, in the west, and Dhanada (Kubera) in the north.
Two pieces of advice
Vishnu first told them to go to Mahakalavana and worship Shankara with a concentrated mind, purity and devotion. On the way, armed Daityas stopped them, and they went back to Janardana.
Narayana then told them to go to Mahakalavana in the guise of Kapalikas, in the company of Brahma. The text says only that the guardians came there in that guise. It does not separately describe Brahma's arrival.
The flame and the name
The guardians saw the great linga, a wonderful mass of refulgence. A flame shot up from it, burned all the Danavas and reduced them to ash.
Shiva then says the linga, duly served by the guardians of the quarters, will be famous as Lokpaleshwar. The gods went back to their own worlds under the protection of the guardians.
What does the Skanda Purana promise for worshipping Lokpaleshwar Mahadev?
The chapter's closing verses list these results:
- Merely visiting the linga frees a person from all sins (stated in the opening verse).
- The worshipper gains wealth in every birth, and knows no poverty, epidemic or untimely death.
- Whatever wish a person has when visiting is fulfilled, and after death the person reaches the supreme state.
- Worship brings the fruit of an Ashvamedha sacrifice performed by the rules.
- Even one who visits by chance rejoices in heaven in the company of the guardians of the quarters.
- Those who visit devoutly at the equinoxes, on Mondays, and especially on the fourteenth or eighth lunar day in both ayanas become invincible to enemies in battle. After death they go by aerial chariot to Shakra's world, then in due course to Varunaloka, Kuberaloka and Brahmaloka.
The two ayanas are the two halves of the sun's yearly journey, north and south.
Which popular claims about Lokpaleshwar Mahadev don't match the text?
The story of Lokpaleshwar Mahadev is often retold with changes. These are the claims that do not match the Skanda Purana.
| Popular claim | What the Skanda Purana says | Status |
|---|---|---|
| The Daityas were born in Hiranyakashipu's time | Thousands of groups of Daityas came out of his chest; no leader is named | Contradicts the text |
| The sacrificial pits were fouled with meat, liquor and blood | They were filled with liquor and dust, the vessels were broken, and brahmins were eaten | Partly in the text |
| The Daityas seized all ten directions | Only four guardians are named: Indra, Dharmaraja, Varuna and Kubera | Not in the text |
| Vishnu had killed "Vrishabharavan" | The asura is Vrishaparvan; the list is Namuci, Vrishaparvan, Mura, Hiranyakashipu and Naraka | Contradicts the text |
| Flames spread in ten directions from the middle of the linga | One flame rose from the linga | Contradicts the text |
| Visiting on every Ashtami brings victory | Victory in battle is tied to the equinoxes, Mondays, and the fourteenth or eighth lunar day in both ayanas | Partly in the text |
| The linga gives victory over inner enemies | The text speaks of enemies in battle | Not in the text |
| Offering water removes all obstacles, and Shravan or Shivaratri are the main days | No water offering, month or festival is named | Popular belief |
Tagare's own introduction warns that the author of this section sometimes modifies a Puranic legend to suit his purpose or adds a new one. The story of Lokpaleshwar Mahadev is best told as a traditional account of a linga's greatness, and it gives no date and no recorded event.
What else do people ask about Lokpaleshwar Mahadev?
What did the guardians wear in the Kapalika disguise?
Narayana tells the guardians to adorn themselves with skulls, carry khatvanga staffs and keep a quiet manner. They should also show the five mudras, smear every limb with sacred ash, and tie shining small bells and anklets to the legs. He sends them to Mahakalavana in this guise in the company of Brahma.
Which asuras had Vishnu already killed?
When the guardians describe the Daityas to Vishnu, the chapter lists asuras killed earlier: Namuci, Vrishaparvan, Mura, the terrible Hiranyakashipu and Naraka. Hiranyakashipu is the same figure from whose chest the new Daitya groups come, so the chapter treats him as a past enemy. The popular spelling "Vrishabharavan" is a mistake for Vrishaparvan.
Who rules which quarter in this story?
The chapter names four guardians and their quarters. Shakra, or Indra, holds heaven, Dharmaraja holds the south, Varuna, the king of waters, holds the west, and Dhanada, or Kubera, holds the north. Agni, Nirriti, Vayu and Ishana are not named, so the chapter does not count ten directions.
Is today's temple the spot the Purana describes?
The identity of today's Lokpaleshwar shrine rests on tradition. The Purana gives no landmark inside Mahakalavana, only that the linga is a mass of refulgence. So the match between the text and the present lane cannot be tested, and it remains a matter of faith.
Why is Lokpaleshwar the twelfth in Ujjain's 84 Mahadev order?
In the Avanti Khanda, chapter 11 on Siddheshwar ends with the line "Now listen to that of Lokapaleshwar," and chapter 12 is Lokpaleshwar. Chapter 13 is titled Kameshwar.
The Skanda Purana also carries a separate list of tirtha names (5.1.70), where Karkoteshwar is followed by Siddheshwar, Svargadvareshwar Rudra, and then another Lokapaleshwar. That list is in a different order. The pilgrimage follows the chapter order. For the full sequence, see the complete guide to Ujjain's 84 Mahadev temples.
Which linga comes after Lokpaleshwar in the 84 Mahadevs?
The next chapter, 13, is Kameshwar. Siddheshwar, the 11th, comes just before.
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