Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21
यथा तिलेस्थितं तैलं दधिसंस्थं यथा घृतम् । हविर्भुजश्च काष्ठस्थः सुगुप्तं लभ्यते न हि
yathā tilesthitaṃ tailaṃ dadhisaṃsthaṃ yathā ghṛtam | havirbhujaśca kāṣṭhasthaḥ suguptaṃ labhyate na hi
എള്ളിനുള്ളിൽ എണ്ണ മറഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ, തൈരിനുള്ളിൽ നെയ്യ് നിലകൊള്ളുന്നതുപോലെ; ഹവിർഭോജി അഗ്നി മരക്കട്ടയിൽ സുഖുപ്തമായി വസിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ—ആഴത്തിൽ മറഞ്ഞത് വെളിപ്പെടുത്താതെ ലഭ്യമാകില്ല.
Deductive: A devotee/narrator within the Tīrthamāhātmya recitation (speaker not explicit in this verse)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Devī (implied continuation of address)
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.
FAQs
The Divine presence is subtle and concealed; realization requires purposeful practice, like extracting oil, churning ghee, or kindling fire.
No tīrtha is named; the verse gives a general teaching supporting the chapter’s devotional context.
It indirectly points to disciplined effort (sādhana) and ritual action (kindling Agni) as means to reveal what is hidden.