Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 14
Chapter 38 — देवालयनिर्माणफलं
The Merit of Constructing a Temple
वासुदेवस्य कुर्वन्ति तेपि तल्लोकगामिनः तीर्थे चायतने पुण्ये सद्धक्षेत्रे तथाष्टमे
vāsudevasya kurvanti tepi tallokagāminaḥ tīrthe cāyatane puṇye saddhakṣetre tathāṣṭame
വാസുദേവനെ സേവിക്കുന്നവരും പൂജിക്കുന്നവരും അവന്റെ ലോകത്തിലേക്കു പോകുന്നു—വിശേഷിച്ച് തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ, പുണ്യായതനത്തിൽ, പുണ്യസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ, സദ്ധർമ്മക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ, അതുപോലെ അഷ്ടമ പവിത്ര വിഭാഗത്തിലും।
Lord Agni (narrating to Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Performing Vāsudeva worship/service with special emphasis on doing it at tīrthas and sanctified kṣetras to intensify merit and spiritual destination.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Vāsudeva-sevā at tīrtha/āyatana/kṣetra—gati to His loka","lookup_keywords":["Vasudeva-puja","tirtha","ayatana","punya-sthana","ksetra"],"quick_summary":"Service to Vāsudeva grants access to His realm, and the verse lists sacred settings (tīrtha, shrine, meritorious place, righteous kṣetra, etc.) where such worship is especially efficacious."}
Concept: Kṣetra-māhātmya: dharmic acts gain heightened potency when performed in sanctified spaces dedicated to the divine.
Application: Plan worship, vows, charity, and seva during pilgrimages or at established shrines; maintain purity and right conduct in sacred precincts.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Tirtha-ksetra-mahatmya (Vaishnava devotion and sacred places)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Pilgrims worshipping Vāsudeva at a riverside tīrtha and at a temple āyatana; multiple sacred locales shown as vignettes—river steps, shrine, holy grove, kṣetra boundary markers.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: panoramic sacred landscape—river tīrtha with lamps, temple with flagstaff, devotees in orderly worship; bold contours and earthy palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central Vāsudeva icon with gold halo; surrounding small panels depicting tīrtha, āyatana, and kṣetra; ornate borders and gold embossing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: diagrammatic yet elegant depiction of sacred categories—riverbank, temple sanctum, kṣetra gate—devotees performing archana; fine linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed pilgrimage scene with river ghats, temple courtyard, travelers; careful rendering of architecture and landscape, subdued jewel tones."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तेपि = ते + अपि; तल्लोकगामिनः = तत् + लोकगामिनः (तद् + ल → तल्ल); चायतने = च + आयतने (अ + आ → आ).
Related Themes: Agni Purana tīrtha-kathana/kṣetra-mahātmya passages; Agni Purana puja-vidhi on place/time suitability (deśa-kāla)
FAQs
It teaches the ritual principle that Vāsudeva-bhakti (worship/service of Viṣṇu) gains heightened efficacy when performed in consecrated sacred geographies—tīrthas, temples (āyatanas), and recognized kṣetras.
It connects theology (Vāsudeva devotion) with sacred geography and ritual praxis (tīrtha/temple/kṣetra frameworks), showing how the text integrates doctrine, pilgrimage culture, and merit-based ritual outcomes.
The verse promises tal-loka-gamana—attainment of Vāsudeva’s realm—as the karmic fruit of sincere worship, especially when undertaken in places considered intrinsically purifying and merit-amplifying.