Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

यथा तिलस्थितं तैलं यथा दधिगतं घृतम् । तथैवाधिष्ठितं कृत्स्नं त्वया गुप्तेन वै जगत्

Transliteration

yathā tilasthitaṃ tailaṃ yathā dadhigataṃ ghṛtam | tathaivādhiṣṭhitaṃ kṛtsnaṃ tvayā guptena vai jagat

Translation

De même que l’huile demeure cachée dans le sésame et que le ghee est présent dans le caillé, ainsi ce monde entier est pénétré et soutenu par Toi, secrètement présent en toute chose.

Word by Word

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; upamā-vācaka (comparative particle)

• tila-sthitam: situated in sesame (seed)
• tila-sthitam: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tila (प्रातिपदिक) + sthita (स्था धातु, क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; kta-participle used adjectivally; tatpuruṣa (locative/adhikaraṇa sense: ‘in sesame’ + ‘situated’)

• tailam: oil
• tailam: Upameya (Object of comparison/उपमेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; upamā-vācaka (comparative particle)

• dadhi-gatam: contained in curd
• dadhi-gatam: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dadhi (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (गम् धातु, क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; kta-participle used adjectivally; tatpuruṣa (locative/adhikaraṇa sense: ‘in curd’ + ‘gone/contained’)

• ghṛtam: ghee
• ghṛtam: Upameya (Object of comparison/उपमेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• tathā: so, in the same way
• tathā: Sambandha (Correlative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; tathā-śabda (correlative adverb)

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; avadhāraṇa-nipāta (emphatic particle)

• adhiṣṭhitam: presided over, pervaded
• adhiṣṭhitam: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhi-√sthā (स्था धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; kta-participle; ‘presided over/inhabited’

• kṛtsnam: entire
• kṛtsnam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛtsna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; sarva-vācaka (meaning ‘entire’)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Instrument/Agentive instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Second person pronoun; Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• guptena: hidden, protecting
• guptena: Visheshana (Qualifier of ‘tvayā’/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gupta (√gup रक्षणे, क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; kta-participle used adjectivally; agrees with tvayā (implicit ‘you who are hidden/protecting’)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; niścaya/avadhāraṇa-nipāta (assertive particle)

• jagat: the world
• jagat: Karma/Adheya (That which is pervaded/आधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage offers a contemplative hymn: sesame pods and a curd-pot are shown as metaphors; behind them, a subtle cosmic form of the Lord pervades the three worlds, barely visible like a translucent aura.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Jagat (world)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine is inwardly present everywhere; pilgrimage and worship awaken awareness of that hidden, sustaining presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a universal metaphysical statement used within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter; it implies every sacred place reveals the same indwelling Lord.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it supports contemplative worship (inner dhyāna) alongside external tīrtha practices.