Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 41
Chapter 38 — देवालयनिर्माणफलं
The Merit of Constructing a Temple
नावलोक्या भवद्भिस्ते तद्गता यान्ति तद्गतिम् आनेयास्त्वविशेषत इति ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः नियमो मे ऽनुपाल्यतामिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः जन्तवः क्वचिदिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः ये पुष्पधूपवासोभिर्भूषणैश्चातिवल्लभैः
nāvalokyā bhavadbhiste tadgatā yānti tadgatim āneyāstvaviśeṣata iti ga, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ niyamo me 'nupālyatāmiti kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ jantavaḥ kvaciditi kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ ye puṣpadhūpavāsobhirbhūṣaṇaiścātivallabhaiḥ
«لا ينبغي لكم أن تنظروا إليهم بازدراء؛ فالذين اتخذوا هناك ملجأً يبلغون مصير ذلك (الإله/العالم) بعينه. حقًّا، ينبغي أن يُؤتَى بهم ويُقبَلوا بلا تمييز»—وهذه قراءةٌ مُعلَّمة. «فلتُراعَ قاعدتي على الوجه اللائق»—قراءةٌ مُعلَّمة أخرى. «الكائنات الحيّة، أحيانًا…»—قراءةٌ مُعلَّمة أخرى. (وهم) الذين يعبدون بالزهور والبخور والملابس العطرة والحُليّ المحبوبة جدًّا.
Lord Agni (narrating purāṇic instruction, commonly to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Establish non-discrimination and non-contempt toward devotees; recognize that sincere worship with offerings leads to the deity’s destination; note textual variants for ritual/legal instruction.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Aparādha-nivṛtti and phala: do not despise devotees; worship with upacāras; variant readings","lookup_keywords":["avajñā-nivṛtti","tad-gati","anāyāsa-anupraveśa","pāṭha-bheda","puṣpa-dhūpa-vāsa-bhūṣaṇa"],"quick_summary":"Do not look upon devotees with contempt; those devoted attain the deity’s state. The verse also preserves variant readings and lists common worship-upacāras (flowers, incense, fragrant garments, ornaments)."}
Alamkara Type: List (upacāra-saṅgraha) with ritual imagery; scholastic aside via pāṭha-bheda
Concept: Respect for devotees and impartial acceptance; sincere upacāra-based worship conduces to ‘tad-gati’ (attainment of the Lord’s state).
Application: In community practice: prohibit devotee-disparagement; welcome sincere practitioners; standardize pūjā with basic upacāras (flowers, incense, clean/fragrant cloth, ornaments as available).
Khanda Section: Pūjā-vidhi / Dharma (Ritual observance and karmic result)
Primary Rasa: Śānta
Secondary Rasa: Bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A temple pūjā scene: devotees offer flowers, incense, fragrant cloth, and ornaments; an elder instructs others not to scorn them and to accept them without bias; marginal notes symbolize variant readings.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, sanctum with lamp-lit Viṣṇu shrine, devotees presenting puṣpa and dhūpa, richly patterned garments, a scribe/teacher at side indicating pāṭha-bheda on palm-leaf manuscript","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate shrine with gold work, offerings of flowers and incense, devotees adorned, inclusion gesture by priest, manuscript motif in corner for variant readings","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear ritual diagram feel: upacāras arranged neatly, priest instructing ‘do not despise’, subtle manuscript annotations showing alternate readings","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed interior of a shrine room, attendants with incense and garlands, a scholar holding a manuscript with marginal variants, calm dignified mood"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नावलोक्याः = na + avalokyāḥ; भवद्भिस्ते = bhavadbhiḥ + te; तद्गता = tat + gatāḥ; तद्गतिम् = tat + gatim; आनेयास्त्वविशेषतः = āneyāḥ + tu + aviśeṣataḥ; पुष्पधूपवासोभिः = puṣpa-dhūpa-vāsaḥbhiḥ; भूषणैश्च = bhūṣaṇaiḥ + ca; चातिवल्लभैः = ca + ati-vallabhaiḥ. (Apparatus notes in the input are excluded from pada analysis.)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 38 (pūjā-vidhi and bhakti norms)
FAQs
It emphasizes pūjā-upacāras (offerings such as flowers, incense, garments, ornaments) and the niyama (discipline) of honoring devotees/recipients without contempt or discrimination.
Alongside cataloging ritual items (upacāras), it also encodes a dharmic rule of social-ritual conduct (how to treat those devoted to a deity/abode), blending liturgy with ethical discipline.
It links respectful, rule-bound worship and impartial acceptance of devotees with attaining the same spiritual destination (tad-gati) associated with the deity/realm worshipped.