Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3
गालव उवाच । देवा रूपाण्यदृश्यानि कृत्वा देव्या महाभयात् । मनुष्यलोके सकले प्रतिमासु च संस्थिताः
gālava uvāca | devā rūpāṇyadṛśyāni kṛtvā devyā mahābhayāt | manuṣyaloke sakale pratimāsu ca saṃsthitāḥ
காலவன் கூறினான்—தேவியின் பெரும் அச்சத்தால் தேவர்கள் தங்கள் உருவங்களை மறைத்துக் கொண்டு, மனித உலகமெங்கும் பிரதிமைகளில் தங்கினர்.
Gālava
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śūdra (questioner)
Scene: The gods fade into invisibility, then appear as subtle lights entering consecrated images in temples across the human world; a montage of shrines with pratimās glowing from within, while Devī’s awe-inspiring presence looms as the cause of their concealment.
FAQs
Divinity becomes accessible in the human world through pratimās, suggesting a Purāṇic theology of presence: the sacred can be approached through consecrated forms.
No single site is named in this verse; it provides a general sacred-geography rationale within the broader tīrtha narrative.
Implicitly supports image-worship (pratimā-sevā), though no specific rite is detailed.