Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 14
Chapter 326 — देवालयमाहात्म्यम्
The Glory of Temples
सर्वयज्ञतपोदाने तीर्थे वेदेषु यत् फलं तत् फलं कोटिगुणितं स्थाप्य लिङ्गं लभेन्नरः
sarvayajñatapodāne tīrthe vedeṣu yat phalaṃ tat phalaṃ koṭiguṇitaṃ sthāpya liṅgaṃ labhennaraḥ
ಎಲ್ಲ ಯಜ್ಞ, ತಪ, ದಾನ, ತೀರ್ಥಸೇವೆ ಮತ್ತು ವೇದಪಠಣದಿಂದ ದೊರೆಯುವ ಫಲ—ಶಿವಲಿಂಗವನ್ನು ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸಿದರೆ ಅದೇ ಫಲ ಕೋಟಿ ಪಟ್ಟು ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿ ಮನುಷ್ಯನಿಗೆ ಲಭಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.
Lord Agni (narrating the Agni Purana’s ritual sections to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Motivating liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation) as a high-merit public religious act; guiding patrons toward temple/shrine endowment.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Liṅga-Pratiṣṭhā Phala: Merit Beyond Yajña, Tapa, Dāna, Tīrtha, Veda","lookup_keywords":["liṅga-pratiṣṭhā","koṭi-guṇa-phala","yajña-tapas-dāna","tīrtha-phala","veda-phala"],"quick_summary":"Installing a Śiva-liṅga is declared to yield the combined merits of sacrifice, austerity, charity, pilgrimage, and Vedic study—multiplied immensely—thus elevating pratiṣṭhā as a premier dharmic act."}
Alamkara Type: Atiśayokti (hyperbolic exaltation of merit)
Concept: Public, enduring sacred acts (pratiṣṭhā) are framed as dharma with amplified phala, surpassing transient personal rites.
Application: Channel resources into establishing and maintaining a liṅga/shrine for community worship, alongside personal sādhanā.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Linga-pratishtha and Shaiva merit)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Śānta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A patron and priests installing a Śiva-liṅga on a pedestal, with kumbha, kalasha, sacred threads, and offerings—suggesting that this single act outweighs many other meritorious deeds.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, consecration scene: priests in white dhoti performing abhiṣeka over a newly set black liṅga on pīṭha, lamps and temple pillars, ochre-red background, solemn sacred grandeur.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, richly ornamented shrine with gold-leaf arch; central liṅga on jeweled pedestal; donors and priests at sides; kalasha and conch; heavy gold detailing to convey ‘koṭi-guṇa’ magnificence.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional pratiṣṭhā tableau: labeled ritual items (kalaśa, pātra, pīṭha), neat arrangement, soft colors, focus on the act of setting the liṅga firmly and ritually.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed temple courtyard with craftsmen and priests placing a liṅga; patron overseeing; fine architectural lines, subdued palette, documentary realism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सर्वयज्ञतपोदाने = सर्व-यज्ञ-तपो-दानॆ (समाहार-द्वन्द्वे सप्तमी एकवचन); लभेन्नरः = लभेत् + नरः (त् + न → न्न)
Related Themes: Agni Purana sections on pratiṣṭhā-vidhi and temple merit; Agni Purana dāna-mahātmyas comparing phalas
FAQs
It teaches the ritual principle of liṅga-sthāpana (installing/establishing a Śiva-liṅga) and states its exceptional merit compared to yajña, tapas, dāna, tīrtha, and Vedic observances.
It exemplifies the Purana’s compendium-style dharma and ritual manual content by quantifying comparative religious merit across multiple domains—sacrifice, asceticism, charity, pilgrimage, and Vedic practice—then prioritizing a specific temple/installation act.
The verse frames liṅga installation as a highly potent dharmic act whose पुण्य (merit) amplifies karmic benefit massively—described as the combined fruits of major religious disciplines multiplied many times.