Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5
गुप्तस्तेपे तपो यस्मात्तस्माद्गुप्तेश्वरः स्मृतः । सर्वकुष्ठहरो देवो दर्शनात्स्पर्शनादपि
guptastepe tapo yasmāttasmādgupteśvaraḥ smṛtaḥ | sarvakuṣṭhaharo devo darśanātsparśanādapi
രഹസ്യമായി തപസ്സു ചെയ്തതിനാൽ അദ്ദേഹം ‘ഗുപ്തേശ്വരൻ’ എന്നു സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. ആ ദേവൻ ദർശനത്താലും സ്പർശത്താലും എല്ലാ കുഷ്ഠവും അകറ്റുന്നു.
Śiva (deduced from section context)
Tirtha: Guptēśvara
Type: temple
Listener: Implied Devī as addressee in the surrounding passage; also the frame audience of ṛṣis
Scene: A secluded grove or cave-like sanctum: Soma performs secret austerities; the Guptēśvara liṅga radiates healing power, with devotees receiving blessing by sight and touch.
FAQs
Hidden tapas yields manifest grace: sincere austerity culminates in a deity whose presence heals and purifies.
Guptēśvara in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.
Seeking the deity’s darśana (seeing) and sparśa (touch) as purificatory, healing acts at the sacred site.