which scripture says "parokshakama hi devah", and what does it mean?‘

Question

Does it mean the Gods have caused scriptures to be composed in a way that they are hard to understand?

Answer 1

If it is "parokshapriya iva hi devah" then it's from the Aitreya Upanishad. Quoting from page 14 of this PDF:

tasmAdidandro nAmedandro ha vai nAma . tamidandra.n santami.ndra ityAchakShate parokSheNa . parokShapriyA iva hi devAH parokShapriyA iva hi devAH .. 14.

Therefore He is called Idandra. Idandra, indeed is His name. Him who is Idandra they call indirectly Indra. For the gods appear to be fond of cryptic epithets; yea, the gods appear to be fond of cryptic epithets (paroksha priyaahi iva devah).

It basically means Gods love to be mysterious and veiled and do not want themselves to be revealed.

Quoting an alternate translation from this page:

tasmādidandro nāmedandro ha vai nāma | tamidandraṁ santamiṁdra ityācakṣate parokṣeṇa | parokṣapriyā iva hi devāḥ parokṣapriyā iva hi devāḥ || Anvaya

तस्मात् इदन्द्रः ह वै नाम इदन्द्रः। इदन्द्रं सन्तं तं परोक्षेण इन्द्रः इति आचक्षते। हि देवाः परोक्षप्रियाः इव ॥

tasmāt idandraḥ ha vai nāma idandraḥ| idandraṁ santaṁ taṁ parokṣeṇa indraḥ iti ācakṣate| hi devāḥ parokṣapriyāḥ iva || Meaning

Therefore is He Idandra; for Idandra is the true name of Him. But though He is Idandra, they call Him Indra because of the veil of the Unrevelation; for the gods love the veil of the Unrevelation, yea, verily, the gods love the Unrevelation.