Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 43
Chapter 38 — देवालयनिर्माणफलं
The Merit of Constructing a Temple
कृष्णालये परित्यज्यास्तेषां पुत्रास् तथा कुलम् येन चायतनं विष्णोः कारितं तत्कुलोद्भवम्
kṛṣṇālaye parityajyāsteṣāṃ putrās tathā kulam yena cāyatanaṃ viṣṇoḥ kāritaṃ tatkulodbhavam
Im Falle des Heiligtums Kṛṣṇas (Viṣṇus) sollen ihre Söhne wie auch ihr Geschlecht ausgeschlossen werden; wer jedoch den Bau eines Viṣṇu-Tempels veranlasst hat und aus eben dieser Familie stammt, ist anzunehmen und als berechtigt zu gelten.
Lord Agni (in dialogue with sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Eligibility and exclusion rules connected to Viṣṇu-temple patronage: reconcile lineage-based disqualification with merit gained by commissioning temple construction.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Lineage exclusion and reinstatement through Viṣṇu-temple construction","lookup_keywords":["kṛṣṇālaya","kula","parityājya","viṣṇv-āyatana","kārita"],"quick_summary":"Certain persons and even their descendants may be excluded in the Kṛṣṇa temple context; however, a member of that very family who commissions/builds a Viṣṇu temple becomes acceptable/eligible, indicating temple-building as a powerful purifier and social-religious reinstatement."}
Concept: Adhikāra (eligibility) can be lost by disqualifying conduct/status, yet can be restored through major meritorious acts—especially commissioning Viṣṇu’s abode—showing dharma’s emphasis on transformative karma.
Application: Temple trusts may treat major endowment/temple-building as a basis for reinstatement of participation, subject to local āgamic rules and ethical conduct.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Mandira-nirmana (Temple installation and merit rules)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A family previously barred from temple participation; one descendant commissions a Viṣṇu temple—architects measuring, workers building—while priests acknowledge renewed eligibility at the temple threshold.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, narrative panel: left side shows barred entry at temple gate; right side shows the same family member sponsoring construction of a Viṣṇu shrine, priests with palm-leaf records, strong reds/ochres, stylized faces.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central Viṣṇu shrine with gold arch; patron figure offering a deed/coins to priests; construction motifs in background; heavy ornamentation and gold work emphasizing merit.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear didactic composition: ‘exclusion’ scene contrasted with ‘reinstatement by temple-building’; fine lines, soft shading, architectural details of āyatana.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly patron commissioning temple plans from sthapati, workers laying stone, priests at gate granting entry; intricate textiles and measured geometry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: parityajyāsteṣām = parityajyāḥ + teṣām (visarga sandhi); putrās = putrāḥ (visarga sandhi before t-); cāyatanaṃ = ca + āyatanam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 38 (mandira-nirmāṇa, dāna, prāyaścitta themes)
FAQs
It gives a rule of ritual eligibility/exclusion connected to a Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu temple context, while carving out an exception for a person of that lineage who has commissioned the construction of a Viṣṇu temple.
Beyond theology, it preserves applied temple-administration norms—who is acceptable or excluded in a shrine context and how a temple-building act affects social/ritual standing—showing the Purana’s coverage of practical religious law alongside doctrine.
Commissioning a Viṣṇu temple is treated as a high-merit act that can establish or restore acceptability, indicating that temple-building (dāna/karma) has strong purifying and status-conferring religious force.