Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

यथा तिलेस्थितं तैलं दधिसंस्थं यथा घृतम् । हविर्भुजश्च काष्ठस्थः सुगुप्तं लभ्यते न हि

Transliteration

yathā tilesthitaṃ tailaṃ dadhisaṃsthaṃ yathā ghṛtam | havirbhujaśca kāṣṭhasthaḥ suguptaṃ labhyate na hi

Translation

Just as oil lies hidden within sesame, and ghee remains within curd; and just as Fire, the eater of oblations, abides concealed within wood—so too what is deeply hidden is not obtained without bringing it forth.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative ‘as/just as’)

• तिले: in sesame (seeds)
• तिले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्थितम्: situated
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (P.P.P. क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तैलम्)

• तैलम्: oil
• तैलम्: Upameya/Topic (illustrated entity)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दधि: curd
• दधि: Samasa-purvapada relation
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे (समासपूर्वपद), एकवचन (विग्रहे: दध्नि)

• संस्थम्: contained/settled (in)
• संस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (P.P.P. क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (घृतम्)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; उपमानवाचक

• घृतम्: ghee
• घृतम्: Upameya/Topic (illustrated entity)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हविर्भुक्: the oblation-eater (fire)
• हविर्भुक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् + भुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (हविः भुङ्क्ते इति)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• काष्ठस्थः: present in wood
• काष्ठस्थः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काष्ठ + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (काष्ठे स्थितः) विशेषणम् (हविर्भुक्)

• सुगुप्तम्: well-hidden
• सुगुप्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + गुप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक-भूतकृदन्त (गुप्/गोप् + क्त), विशेषणम् (अग्नितत्त्वम्/तत्)

• लभ्यते: is obtained; is found
• लभ्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थे (is obtained)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipata (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Deductive: A devotee/narrator within the Tīrthamāhātmya recitation (speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (implied continuation of address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych-like imagery: sesame seeds pressed to yield oil; curd being churned to reveal ghee; a sage kindling fire from wood—symbolizing the extraction of the subtle from the gross through effort and method.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Havirbhuja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine presence is subtle and concealed; realization requires purposeful practice, like extracting oil, churning ghee, or kindling fire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse gives a general teaching supporting the chapter’s devotional context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It indirectly points to disciplined effort (sādhana) and ritual action (kindling Agni) as means to reveal what is hidden.