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
Pahala dan buah-buah kebajikan yang dinyatakan bagi mereka yang gugur di medan perang demi para dewa dan tujuan suci sejenis—bila dilakukan dengan tipu daya, atau sekadar sebagai sandiwara dengan debu belaka, maka perbuatan itu tidak menjadi kediaman surga dan tidak pula menganugerahkan surga.
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.