Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21
यथा तिलेस्थितं तैलं दधिसंस्थं यथा घृतम् । हविर्भुजश्च काष्ठस्थः सुगुप्तं लभ्यते न हि
yathā tilesthitaṃ tailaṃ dadhisaṃsthaṃ yathā ghṛtam | havirbhujaśca kāṣṭhasthaḥ suguptaṃ labhyate na hi
Wie Öl im Sesam verborgen liegt und wie Ghee im Dickmilchquark ruht; und wie das Feuer, der Genießer der Opfergaben, im Holz verhüllt verweilt—so wird auch das tief Verborgene nicht erlangt, ohne es hervorzubringen.
Deductive: A devotee/narrator within the Tīrthamāhātmya recitation (speaker not explicit in this verse)
FAQs
The Divine presence is subtle and concealed; realization requires purposeful practice, like extracting oil, churning ghee, or kindling fire.
No tīrtha is named; the verse gives a general teaching supporting the chapter’s devotional context.
It indirectly points to disciplined effort (sādhana) and ritual action (kindling Agni) as means to reveal what is hidden.