Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43
त्वं वेत्सि शंकरेणैतत्कर्मजालं न विंदितम् । त्रैलोक्येऽपि मयाऽप्यस्ति गूढं तत्स्यात्कथं विधे । यत्किञ्चित्त्रिषु लोकेषु जंगमं स्थावरं तथा । तस्याहं मध्यगो मूढ तैलं यद्वत्तिलांतगम्
tvaṃ vetsi śaṃkareṇaitatkarmajālaṃ na viṃditam | trailokye'pi mayā'pyasti gūḍhaṃ tatsyātkathaṃ vidhe | yatkiñcittriṣu lokeṣu jaṃgamaṃ sthāvaraṃ tathā | tasyāhaṃ madhyago mūḍha tailaṃ yadvattilāṃtagam
“ਤੂੰ ਸਮਝਦਾ ਹੈਂ ਕਿ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਇਹ ਸਭ ਪਤਾ ਹੈ, ਪਰ ਸ਼ੰਕਰ ਨੇ ਵੀ ਇਸ ਕਰਮ-ਜਾਲ ਨੂੰ ਨਹੀਂ ਜਾਣਿਆ। ਤਿੰਨਾਂ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਮੇਰੇ ਲਈ ਵੀ ਕੁਝ ਗੁਪਤ ਹੈ—ਫਿਰ ਹੇ ਵਿਧਾਤਾ, ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਜਾਣਿਆ ਜਾ ਸਕੇ? ਤਿੰਨਾਂ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਜੋ ਕੁਝ ਚਲਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਜਾਂ ਅਚਲ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦੇ ਮੱਧ ਵਿੱਚ ਮੈਂ ਵੱਸਦਾ ਹਾਂ, ਜਿਵੇਂ ਤਿਲ ਦੇ ਦਾਣੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਲੁਕਿਆ ਤੇਲ, ਹੇ ਮੂੜ੍ਹ!”
Brahmā (addressing Śiva; self-referential cosmological speech within the episode)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A contemplative tableau: Śiva speaking to Brahmā (Vidhātṛ), with the universe symbolically shown—moving beings, trees, mountains—while a sesame seed motif illustrates hidden oil, signifying immanence.
FAQs
Karma is subtle and difficult to fully comprehend; the divine presence pervades beings invisibly, like oil within sesame.
The verse is part of the origin-story sequence in Nāgarakhaṇḍa that leads to the sanctification and fame of Rudraśiraḥ tīrtha.
No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse is doctrinal, explaining the subtlety of karma and immanence.
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