Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 35
Chapter 38 — देवालयनिर्माणफलं
The Merit of Constructing a Temple
यमो यमभटानाह देवमन्दिरकारिणः यम उवाच प्रतिमापूजादिकृतो नानेया नरकं नराः
yamo yamabhaṭānāha devamandirakāriṇaḥ yama uvāca pratimāpūjādikṛto nāneyā narakaṃ narāḥ
Yama said to his attendants (the Yamabhaṭas): “Men who have built temples for the gods, and those who have performed acts such as the worship of sacred images (pratimā), are not to be taken to hell.”
Yama (as quoted within the narration)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vastu","practical_application":"Establishing a normative rule for afterlife adjudication: temple builders and image-worshippers are exempt from being dragged to hell—used to encourage public religious works and daily pūjā.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Yama’s Injunction: Do Not Seize Deva-mandira-kārins and Pratimā-pūjaka","lookup_keywords":["Yama","yamabhaṭa","deva-mandira-kārin","pratimā-pūjā","naraka"],"quick_summary":"Yama instructs his attendants that those who build temples and those who perform image-worship and allied rites are not to be taken to hell, underscoring the protective power of such dharmic acts."}
Alamkara Type: Itivṛtta (narrativized injunction)
Concept: Dharma as a protective force recognized even by the lord of death; ritual and public piety alter karmic trajectory.
Application: Support temple construction/maintenance and perform regular pratimā-pūjā as a sustained dharmic discipline.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Vastu (Temple-construction merit and image-worship)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: Cosmic realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In Yama’s court, Yama commands yamabhaṭas to release or not seize temple-builders and image-worshippers; a scroll-like decree is shown.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Yama seated with mace and buffalo emblem, attendants with stern faces; Yama gestures ‘stop’; below, a devotee holding temple blueprint and another offering flowers to a pratimā; bold outlines and decorative flames subdued.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Yama in regal posture with gold embellishments; attendants halted mid-step; lower panel shows a gleaming temple and a worshipper; gold leaf highlights on throne and ornaments.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear narrative: Yama issuing an injunction to yamabhaṭas; side vignette of temple construction and pratimā-pūjā; fine linework, readable gestures, instructional clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court scene with Yama as a kingly figure, attendants in formation; a petitioner group of temple patrons; intricate textiles, architectural arches, and a written decree motif."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yamabhaṭānāha = yama-bhaṭān + āha; yama uvāca = yamaḥ + uvāca; pratimāpūjādikṛtaḥ = pratimā-pūjā-ādi-kṛtaḥ; nāneyā = na + āneyāḥ (visarga loss/phonetic coalescence).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Naraka/pretakalpa-style moral passages (where present); Agni Purana: Devalaya-nirmāṇa and pūjā-vidhi sections contiguous to this verse
FAQs
It states a practical dhārmic rule: those who build deva-temples and perform pratimā-pūjā (image-worship and allied rites) are exempt from being seized by Yama’s messengers for hellish punishment.
Alongside architecture/temple-making (vāstu, deva-mandira-karaṇa), it also encodes a doctrine of karmic jurisprudence (Yama’s adjudication), linking ritual action to post-mortem consequence—showing the text’s breadth across ritual, ethics, and eschatology.
It elevates temple-building and image-worship as high-merit acts (puṇya) that protect the devotee from naraka, presenting devotion expressed through public religious works and daily worship as spiritually safeguarding.