Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 48
Chapter 38 — देवालयनिर्माणफलं
The Merit of Constructing a Temple
तारयत्यक्षयांल्लोकानक्षयान् प्रतिपद्यते इष्टकाचयविन्यासो यावन्त्यब्दानि तिष्ठति
tārayatyakṣayāṃllokānakṣayān pratipadyate iṣṭakācayavinyāso yāvantyabdāni tiṣṭhati
So long as the arranged piling of the altar-bricks (iṣṭakā-caya) endures for as many years, for that same duration one delivers imperishable worlds and oneself attains imperishable realms.
Lord Agni (teaching Vedic-ritual merit to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Guidance for performing and maintaining iṣṭakā-cayana (altar brick-laying) with awareness that the altar’s continued existence is linked to sustained ritual merit.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Iṣṭakā-cayana-vinyāsa-phala (Merit proportional to altar’s endurance)","lookup_keywords":["ishtaka-cayana","vinyasa","yajna-vedi","akshaya-loka","phala"],"quick_summary":"The merit of brick-altar arrangement is taught as enduring as long as the altar remains intact; it yields ‘imperishable’ realms and salvific benefit for others."}
Concept: Karma-phala continuity: physical persistence of a sacred construction is mapped to continuity of merit and loka-attainment.
Application: Maintain and protect ritual structures; treat preservation as part of the rite’s completion and ongoing dharma.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Yajna-vidhi (Iṣṭakā-cayana, altar brick-laying rite)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Priests and assistants lay consecrated bricks in a precise pattern forming a yajña-vedi; the altar is shown enduring through time, symbolized by a sequence of years.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, priests in white with sacred threads, arranging red bricks on a geometric vedi; Agni flames rising; a stylized time-band showing repeating year motifs to indicate endurance and akṣaya merit.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold highlights on the vedi outline; central brick altar with Agni; small panels around showing ‘years’ as lotus medallions; inscriptions of ‘akṣaya’.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting with instructional clarity; top-down diagram of brick layout (vinyāsa) with priests placing bricks; subtle divine aura around the vedi.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature of a yajña courtyard; detailed brickwork and ritual implements; a border of repeating calendar-like motifs to show duration; attendants recording the rite."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tārayatyakṣayāṃllokān → tārayati akṣayān lokān; yāvantyabdāni → yāvanti abdāni.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 38 (pūjā-vidhi/yajña-vidhi context)
FAQs
It teaches the ritual principle of iṣṭakā-cayana: the ordered placement of altar-bricks is itself a meritorious rite, and its benefit is linked to how long the brick arrangement physically endures.
It exemplifies the text’s practical ritual-technology—connecting altar construction (a technical procedure of Vedic worship) with measurable religious outcomes—showing how Agni Purana preserves applied liturgy alongside broader theology.
The verse states that sustaining a sacred altar-structure yields enduring (akṣaya) merit: one gains imperishable realms and becomes a cause for others’ upliftment for as long as the altar arrangement remains.