Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Instructions to Bali, Shloka 43

Prahlada’s Instructions to Bali on Vishnu Worship, Monthly Gifts, and Building Hari’s Temple

Devanagari script

महापातकयुक्तो वा पातकी चोपपातकी विमुक्तपापो भवति विष्ण्वायतनचित्रकृत्

Transliteration

mahāpātakayukto vā pātakī copapātakī vimuktapāpo bhavati viṣṇvāyatanacitrakṛt

Translation

“Even one burdened with a great sin, or a sinner guilty of (ordinary) sins and subsidiary sins, becomes freed from sin if he makes (or commissions) decorative work for a temple of Viṣṇu.”

Speakers

• Narrative voice continuing the Pitṛ-instruction to the king (contextually Pitṛs’ teaching)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Tirtha Mahima
• Prāyaścitta through bhakti and seva
• Temple patronage and sacred art
• Karma purification

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What does ‘viṣṇvāyatanacitrakṛt’ practically mean—painting, building, or sponsoring?

The compound can cover both direct craftsmanship and patronage: producing murals/ornamentation, commissioning decorative panels, or funding beautification of a Viṣṇu shrine. Purāṇic usage often treats ‘kṛt’ as inclusive of ‘kārita’ (caused to be done) in merit contexts.

How can temple decoration remove even mahāpātakas?

Māhātmya passages frequently employ hyperbolic soteriology to elevate tīrtha and temple-sevā as powerful prāyaścitta. The doctrinal point is that sustained devotion and service to the deity—especially in a sanctified kṣetra—can counteract heavy karmic burdens, often presuming repentance and continued dharmic conduct.

Is this a general rule or specific to this chapter’s sacred region?

The phrasing is general (Viṣṇvāyatana), but its placement inside a kṣetra-māhātmya suggests an intensified efficacy in that particular sacred geography. Many Purāṇas universalize the act while implying heightened fruit at the featured tīrtha.