Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 3
Liṅga-māna-ādi-kathana
Measurements and Related Particulars of the Liṅga
ततो दारुमयं पुण्यं दारुजात् शैलजं वरं शैलाद्वरं तु मुक्ताजं ततो लौहं सुवर्णजं
tato dārumayaṃ puṇyaṃ dārujāt śailajaṃ varaṃ śailādvaraṃ tu muktājaṃ tato lauhaṃ suvarṇajaṃ
Ensuite, une icône en bois est méritoire; supérieure au bois est celle faite de pierre; supérieure à la pierre est celle faite de perle; puis, plus excellente encore, celle faite de fer; et la plus haute est celle faite d’or.
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as the usual Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame for technical chapters)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Shilpa","secondary_vidya":"Vastu","practical_application":"Selecting appropriate materials for consecrated images (pratimā) by a graded hierarchy of merit/superiority used in temple commissions and household worship.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Pratimā-dravya-tāratamya (Hierarchy of icon materials)","lookup_keywords":["pratima dravya","daru shaila","mukta","loha suvarna"],"quick_summary":"The verse ranks icon materials from wood up to gold, guiding patrons and artisans in choosing a medium considered progressively more auspicious and excellent."}
Concept: Sacral hierarchy of substances (dravya-tāratamya) in image-making as a support for devotion and ritual efficacy.
Application: Use the hierarchy to decide budget/availability vs. desired ritual status when commissioning icons; prioritize durable, ritually esteemed materials for long-term installations.
Khanda Section: Vastu & Pratima-Lakshana (Iconography and materials for sacred images)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sequence of sacred icons displayed from simplest to most splendid: wooden idol, stone idol, pearl-like luminous icon, iron icon, and a radiant golden icon, suggesting increasing sanctity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat yet rich colors, a row of five pratimās on a sanctum platform, each labeled by material (wood, stone, pearl, iron, gold), priests indicating the hierarchy, traditional lamp-lit ambience.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central golden pratimā with heavy gold leaf and gem inlay, surrounding smaller panels showing wood and stone icons, ornate arch (prabhāmaṇḍala), deep maroon background, devotional grandeur.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, instructional composition with neat borders, five icons in graded materials with subtle shading, artisan and patron discussing selection, calm temple interior.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly patron commissioning icons, artisans presenting samples—wood carving, stone sculpture, pearl-like object, iron casting, gold icon—fine detailing, architectural pavilion backdrop"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dārujāt = dāru-jāt (पञ्चमी एकवचन); śailādvaraṃ = śailāt varam; muktājaṃ = muktā-jam; suvarṇajaṃ = suvarṇa-jam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Pratimā-lakṣaṇa and prāṇa-pratiṣṭhā sections within the Vāstu/Śilpa khāṇḍa; Agni Purana: Dhātu/ratna-parīkṣā passages adjoining this sequence
FAQs
It gives a graded hierarchy of acceptable materials for making sacred icons (pratimā), ranking them by ritual merit—from wood up to gold.
Alongside theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical temple-arts knowledge (vāstu/śilpa): how to select icon materials and evaluate them within a ritual economy of merit.
It implies that choosing progressively purer and more valued substances for a deity’s icon increases auspiciousness and the religious merit (puṇya) associated with worship and installation.