Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23
शांडिल्युवाच । शृणु साध्वि प्रवक्ष्यामि तवाहं गुह्यमुत्तमम् । यथा ममाभवद्वश्यो मुखप्रेक्षस्तथा पतिः
śāṃḍilyuvāca | śṛṇu sādhvi pravakṣyāmi tavāhaṃ guhyamuttamam | yathā mamābhavadvaśyo mukhaprekṣastathā patiḥ
ശാണ്ഡില്യൻ പറഞ്ഞു— “ഹേ സാധ്വി, കേൾക്കുക; ഞാൻ നിനക്കു ശ്രേഷ്ഠമായ ഗുഹ്യരഹസ്യം പറയുന്നു. അതിനാൽ എന്റെ ഭർത്താവ് വശഗനായി, എപ്പോഴും മുഖപ്രേക്ഷനായി; അതുപോലെ നിന്റെ ഭർത്താവും ആകട്ടെ.”
Śāṇḍilya
Listener: a virtuous lady (the petitioner; contextually Kātyāyanī or the addressed sādhvī)
Scene: Śāṇḍilya (as authoritative teacher) speaks with a calm, confident gesture, revealing a ‘secret’ practice; the listener sits attentive, eyes fixed, hands folded; a manuscript or rosary indicates instruction and discipline.
FAQs
Puranic dharma often transmits practical household guidance through “guhya” counsel given with compassion and restraint.
No tīrtha name appears in this verse; it introduces an instruction within the chapter’s Tīrthamāhātmya setting.
Not yet; this verse announces that a secret method/observance will be explained.