Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 30
Chapter 66: साधारणप्रतिष्ठाविधानम्
The Procedure for General Consecration
गृहं दत्वा वसेत्स्वर्गे यावदाभूतसम्प्लवं अञ्जतेत्यनुवाकस्तु इति ग, ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः स्वाद्वन्नसंयुक्तानिति ख, ग, घ, ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकचतुष्टयपाठः समुदायप्रतिष्ठेष्टा शिवादीनां गृहात्मनां
gṛhaṃ datvā vasetsvarge yāvadābhūtasamplavaṃ añjatetyanuvākastu iti ga, ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ svādvannasaṃyuktāniti kha, ga, gha, ṅa, cihnitapustakacatuṣṭayapāṭhaḥ samudāyapratiṣṭheṣṭā śivādīnāṃ gṛhātmanāṃ
Celui qui donne une maison demeure au ciel jusqu’à la dissolution cosmique. (Une leçon manuscrite ajoute : « l’anuvāka commençant par “añjate…” » ; un autre groupe de manuscrits lit : « pourvu de nourriture douce ». ) Il convient aussi d’entreprendre l’établissement collectif afin d’installer Śiva et d’autres divinités comme présences immanentes de la demeure.
Lord Agni (in the Agni Purana’s instructional narration, typically addressing Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Merit of gifting dwellings and guidance toward household/temple-based collective installation of deities (samudāya-pratiṣṭhā) as ‘gṛhātmā’ indwelling presences.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Gṛha-dāna Phala and Gṛhātmā-Devatā Samudāya-pratiṣṭhā","lookup_keywords":["gṛha-dāna","svarga","ābhūta-samplava","samudāya-pratiṣṭhā","gṛhātmā"],"quick_summary":"Donating a house is extolled as yielding long heavenly residence; the verse also gestures to manuscript variants and to the practice of collectively establishing Śiva and other deities as the spiritual ‘soul’ of the dwelling."}
Concept: Dāna of shelter and establishment of divine presence in the home/temple sacralize social life; merit is framed on cosmic duration.
Application: Support housing/ashrams for the needy or religious functionaries; maintain a consecrated domestic shrine or participate in collective deity installations.
Khanda Section: Dāna-dharma (Gṛha-dāna and merit of gifting dwellings)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Sacred Realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A donor ceremonially hands over a house to recipients; inside, a domestic shrine where Śiva and other deities are collectively installed as the ‘soul of the house’; a cosmic backdrop hints at long-lasting heavenly reward.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, house-gifting ceremony with lamps and water-pot donation, interior shrine niche with Śiva-liṅga and attendant deities, ritual priest, cosmic band above indicating svarga duration","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-leaf highlighting the shrine icons, ornate doorway and threshold motifs, donor offering keys and cloth, divine presence radiating from the household altar","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear depiction of domestic shrine layout and installation scene, calm palette, emphasis on ritual correctness and household space as sacred diagram","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed courtyard house architecture, formal handover scene, interior vignette of consecration with priests and offerings, subtle celestial symbolism in sky"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वसेत्स्वर्गे = वसेत् + स्वर्गे; यावदाभूतसम्प्लवं = यावत् + आभूतसम्प्लवम्; अञ्जतेत्यनुवाकस्तु = अञ्जते + इति + अनुवाकः + तु; स्वाद्वन्नसंयुक्तानिति = स्वादु + अन्न + संयुक्तानि + इति. Remaining segments are editorial apparatus (manuscript readings).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 66 (Samudāya-pratiṣṭhā context); Agni Purana 67 (pratiṣṭhā and renovation continuation)
FAQs
It teaches gṛha-dāna (donating a dwelling) and hints at accompanying ritual provisions—Vedic recitation (anuvāka) and/or supplying food—plus the practice of gṛha-pratiṣṭhā: establishing Śiva and other deities as the sanctifying presences of the house.
Alongside ethical charity (dāna-dharma), it preserves ritual-technical notes (variant manuscript rubrics about anuvāka and provisions), and links donation to consecration practices—showing the Purana’s blend of dharma, liturgy, and domestic/temple ritual systems.
The verse assigns an exceptionally long heavenly reward—lasting until cosmic dissolution—to the gift of a house, framing it as a high-merit act that supports others’ shelter and sanctifies domestic life through deity establishment.