Śivasaṃhitā 3.116

The verse imposes an obligation of secrecy: the technique must be gopanīya—kept hidden, guarded—and not given (na deyam) to just any person indiscriminately. The expression yasya kasyacit (literally ‘to whoever it may be’) underscores the prohibition of indiscriminate transmission. Knowledge here is not public information but a sacred good requiring custodianship.

Gopanīya derives from the root gup (to protect, guard, conceal), the same root that yields gopa (cowherd, guardian) and gopī (cowherdess). Prayatnena means ‘with effort, with deliberate care’, indicating that secrecy is not passive but active. Na deyam is a negative obligation construction: ‘it must not be given’, with the gerundive deyam expressing duty.

The doctrine of secrecy (gopyatā) is a structural feature of Tantric and haṭhayogic tradition. Direct transmission from teacher to student (guru-śiṣya-paramparā) ensured that techniques reached only those who were prepared and committed. Divulging these practices to uninitiated persons was considered dangerous both for the recipient and for the integrity of the lineage.