Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20
एतद्गुह्यतमं देवि मम नित्यव्यवस्थितम् । न कस्याऽपि मयाख्यातं देवेंद्रस्यापि पृच्छतः
etadguhyatamaṃ devi mama nityavyavasthitam | na kasyā'pi mayākhyātaṃ deveṃdrasyāpi pṛcchataḥ
Ô Déesse, voici mon enseignement le plus secret, établi à jamais comme une vérité constante. Je ne l’ai révélé à personne—pas même lorsque Indra, seigneur des dieux, me l’a demandé.
Śiva (deduced from the Śaiva tīrtha-context and address to Devī)
Listener: Devī
Scene: An intimate divine dialogue: Śiva-like teacher seated in a secluded grove or temple precinct, Devī listening attentively; the mood is confidential, with Indra’s unfulfilled request implied in the background as a narrative contrast.
FAQs
Sacred knowledge about tīrthas is portrayed as a guarded revelation, emphasizing reverence, readiness, and the transformative power of holy places.
No single tīrtha is named yet; the verse introduces a confidential teaching that will enumerate and glorify multiple tīrthas.
None explicitly; the focus is on the secrecy and authority of the forthcoming tīrtha-teaching.