Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4
अथ यः कुरुते धर्मं होमं वा जपमेव वा । सुगुप्तस्थानमासाद्य करोत्यमरतुष्टये
atha yaḥ kurute dharmaṃ homaṃ vā japameva vā | suguptasthānamāsādya karotyamaratuṣṭaye
Et quiconque accomplissait encore des actes vertueux — que ce soit le homa ou le japa — ne le faisait qu'après avoir atteint un lieu bien caché, cherchant à plaire aux Immortels.
Sūta (continuing narration)
Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (frame) / Sugupta-sthāna (motif)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)
Scene: A lone devotee or small group in a concealed grove/cave, performing a modest homa with a tiny flame and counting a mala for japa; above them, faint luminous silhouettes of devas receiving satisfaction, while daitya patrols pass at a distance unaware.
FAQs
Even in oppressive times, dharma survives through steadfast, discreet devotion; inner fidelity preserves sacred order.
No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it emphasizes protected spaces for worship within the broader Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya context.
Homa and japa are recommended as acts done to please the devas, here performed in a safeguarded/hidden location.