Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 7
Chapter 38 — देवालयनिर्माणफलं
The Merit of Constructing a Temple
देवाद्यर्थे हतानाञ्च रणे यत्तत्फलादिकं शाठ्येन पांशुना वापि कृतं धाम च नाकदं
devādyarthe hatānāñca raṇe yattatphalādikaṃ śāṭhyena pāṃśunā vāpi kṛtaṃ dhāma ca nākadaṃ
દેવકાર્ય વગેરે પવિત્ર હેતુ માટે યુદ્ધમાં હત થયેલાઓ માટે જે પુણ્યફળ કહેવાયું છે—તે જ જો કપટથી, અથવા માત્ર ધૂળ જેટલા દેખાવથી કરવામાં આવે, તો તે કર્મ સ્વર્ગધામ બનતું નથી અને સ્વર્ગ પણ આપતું નથી।
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Ethical evaluation of war-death merit and religious acts: discourages fraudulent ritual/charity claims and insincere “token” performances meant to harvest merit.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Śāṭhya (Deceit) Nullifies Merit of Sacred War-Death and Acts","lookup_keywords":["śāṭhya","raṇe hata-phala","pāṃśu (token dust)","puṇya-niṣphalatā","svarga-prāpti"],"quick_summary":"Merit attributed to dying in battle for sacred causes (or similar meritorious acts) is void if pursued with deceit or mere pretence; such action does not yield heaven."}
Concept: Phala depends on sincerity and dharmic intention; deceit (śāṭhya) destroys puṇya even when the outer act resembles a meritorious one.
Application: Audit one’s motives in ritual, charity, and public piety; avoid symbolic ‘dust-only’ gestures used to claim religious credit.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Dana-Phala (Merit of gifts, war-death, and ethical conduct)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A battlefield memorial scene where a claimant tries to present a token handful of dust as ‘offering’ while sages/elders reject it, emphasizing sincerity over pretence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: battlefield edge with fallen warriors, a deceitful donor offering a pinch of dust to a yajña-fire, stern rishis with expressive eyes signaling rejection, flat warm palette, ornate borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: central dharma-figure (sage) blessing sincere warrior-sacrifice but turning away from a man holding a tiny dust-offering; gold leaf highlights on halo and ritual vessels; rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: didactic composition—left panel sincere act with proper offering, right panel deceitful token dust; fine linework, soft shading, labeled motifs (svarga vs. no-phala).","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: courtly adjudication of merit—qazi-like sage and brahmins examining a petitioner’s ‘dust offering’; detailed battlefield in background; delicate textiles and naturalistic faces."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: devādyarthe → deva-ādi-arthe; hatānāñca → hatānām + ca; yattatphalādikaṃ → yat + tat + phala-ādikam; vāpi → vā + api.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: dāna-phala discussions; Agni Purana: rājadharma/nyāya sections on truthfulness and fraud; Agni Purana: puṇya-pāpa phala-nirṇaya passages
FAQs
It teaches the dharma-technical principle that merit (phala) depends on genuine intent and truthfulness; deceptive performance—even if mimicking rites symbolically (“with dust”)—does not yield the promised heavenly result.
It adds a normative rule within the Purana’s broad coverage of rajadharma and dana-phala: ethical intent is a qualifying condition for spiritual outcomes, integrating warfare merit doctrine with general moral jurisprudence.
It warns that hypocrisy cancels religious reward: claimed merit for dharmic war-death or sacred acts becomes spiritually ineffective when tainted by fraud, and does not lead to Svarga.