Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 20
Chapter 38 — देवालयनिर्माणफलं
The Merit of Constructing a Temple
कृष्णस्य वासुदेवस्य यः कारयति केतनं जातः स एव सुकृती कुलन्तेनैव पावितं
kṛṣṇasya vāsudevasya yaḥ kārayati ketanaṃ jātaḥ sa eva sukṛtī kulantenaiva pāvitaṃ
クリシュナ・ヴァースデーヴァの旗印（ケータナ）を作らせる者は、その者こそ生来まことの功徳を具える。まさにその行いによって、一族全体が清められる。
Lord Agni (in narration to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the usual Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Stotra","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Commissioning or crafting a Vaiṣṇava dhvaja (banner/ensign) for Kṛṣṇa-Vāsudeva in temples, festivals, and processions; supports ritual identity and communal devotion.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Kṛṣṇa-Vāsudeva-dhvaja-karaṇa (making the banner/ensign) and kula-pāvanatva","lookup_keywords":["kṛṣṇa","vāsudeva","ketana","dhvaja","kula-pāvana"],"quick_summary":"Making/commissioning Vāsudeva’s banner is praised as a powerful devotional act that purifies one’s lineage, emphasizing visible symbols of bhakti in public worship."}
Concept: External devotional service (bāhya-sevā) like dhvaja-making is treated as potent inner purification affecting the whole kula.
Application: Participate in temple service through crafting, sponsoring, and maintaining ritual insignia; align craftsmanship with devotional intent.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Vaishnava-dharma (Iconography, devotion, and religious merit)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Artisans paint and stitch a grand banner for Kṛṣṇa Vāsudeva; the dhvaja is raised on a temple flagstaff as devotees watch, suggesting lineage purification through the act.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, temple courtyard with dhvaja-stambha, artisans holding a large Vaishnava banner with conch-discus motifs, Krishna-Vasudeva icon in a small shrine panel, rhythmic figures and ornate borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, towering golden flagstaff, richly patterned banner with gold embossing, Krishna in regal Vasudeva form in an aureole, devotees offering lamps, jewel tones","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, precise depiction of banner-making (cloth, pigments, emblem layout), calm didactic scene, temple flagstaff in background, delicate shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, workshop scene with textile artisans, patron commissioning the banner, later scene of raising it in a courtyard, intricate architectural detail and fine patterns"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Madhyamavati","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कुलन्तेनैव = कुलन्तेन + एव; (पावितम् का कर्तृ/कर्म संदर्भ ‘कुलम्’ आदि से अभिप्रेत)।
Related Themes: Agni Purana 38 (vaiṣṇava-dharma/pūjā-vidhi merits)
FAQs
It prescribes a devotional-ritual act: commissioning the making of Vāsudeva’s ketana (sacred banner/ensign), implying formal iconographic worship-support (upacāra) connected with Vaiṣṇava practice.
Alongside cosmology and theology, the Agni Purāṇa catalogs concrete religious practices and their results—here, a specific worship-associated act (making an emblem/banner) and its stated fruit—showing its practical handbook character.
The verse assigns strong puṇya (merit): the doer is deemed truly virtuous, and the benefit extends beyond the individual to the purification of the entire lineage.