Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 18
Chapter 61 — द्वारप्रतिष्ठाध्वजारोहाणादिविधिः
Gateway Installation, Flag Hoisting, and Allied Rites
कुम्भाण्डवेदिविम्बानां भ्रमणाद्वायुनानघ कण्ठस्यावेष्टनाज् ज्ञेयं फलं कोटिगुणं ध्वजात्
kumbhāṇḍavedivimbānāṃ bhramaṇādvāyunānagha kaṇṭhasyāveṣṭanāj jñeyaṃ phalaṃ koṭiguṇaṃ dhvajāt
Ô toi sans faute, par la rotation mue par le vent des ornements kumbhāṇḍa, de la vedī (autel) et du vimba (emblème/disque), et par le flottement qui s’enroule autour du « cou » du mât, il faut comprendre que le mérite religieux obtenu est multiplié par koṭi (dix millions) grâce à la dhvaja (bannière sacrée).
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Vastu","practical_application":"Designing and installing temple flags/flagstaffs and moving ornaments so that wind-motion continuously ‘activates’ merit in a consecrated space; motivating dana for dhvaja-stambha and related fittings.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Dhvaja-merit from wind-driven motion (kumbhāṇḍa–vedī–vimba)","lookup_keywords":["dhvaja","kumbhāṇḍa","vedī","vimba","koṭiguṇa-phala"],"quick_summary":"Wind-driven circling of temple ornaments and fluttering around the flagstaff is taught as a multiplier of ritual merit. Practically, it encourages erecting a dhvaja and arranging fittings that move freely in wind."}
Concept: Kriyā (ritual action) and its phala can be amplified by continuous auspicious motion within a sacred field (kṣetra).
Application: In temple endowments, prioritize dhvaja-stambha, flags, and wind-moved ornaments as ‘always-on’ merit-generators alongside daily pūjā.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Tirtha–Dana–Vrata (Merit of ritual acts and sacred constructions)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A temple courtyard with a tall flagstaff; a flag fluttering and wrapping near the top; hanging kumbhāṇḍa-like ornaments and a disc/emblem rotating in the wind above an altar platform.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat yet rich colors, sanctum courtyard with dhvaja-stambha, fluttering red-gold flag wrapping the upper staff, hanging ornaments spinning, vedī platform below, devotees offering lamps, ornate borders, traditional shading","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central dhvaja-stambha with embossed gold foil highlights, jeweled flag and ornaments, vedī with lamps, strong frontal composition, deep reds and greens, gilded halo-like motifs around the emblem/vimba","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework, instructional clarity: labeled dhvaja-stambha neck area where flag wraps, rotating ornaments, vedī and vimba shown in neat perspective, soft pastel palette with gold accents","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed architectural courtyard, wind indicated by flowing textiles, attendants and priests, precise rendering of metal ornaments and disc, fine floral margins, naturalistic sky"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भ्रमणाद्वायुनानघ = भ्रमणात् + वायुनā + अनघ; कण्ठस्यावेष्टनाज् = कण्ठस्य + आवेष्टनात् (ज्/त् संधि-लेखन); कोटिगुणं = कोटि-गुणम् (समास).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 61.19 (patākā-prakṛti; daṇḍa as puruṣa); Agni Purana prāsāda-lakṣaṇa sections (dhvaja-stambha/temple fittings)
FAQs
It teaches the ritual valuation of installing and maintaining a dhvaja (temple/ritual banner) with associated ornaments (kumbhāṇḍa, vedi elements, circular emblems), stating that even their wind-driven motion and fluttering is counted as an ongoing merit-producing act.
It exemplifies the Agni Purana’s practical catalog of temple and worship procedures—down to architectural/ornamental components of standards and altars—linking material ritual design (dhvaja/vedī ornaments) to quantified religious results (phala).
The verse frames the dhvaja as a continuous generator of puṇya: as long as the banner and its ornaments move in the wind, the devotee’s merit is repeatedly accrued and amplified (koṭi-fold).