Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 18
Chapter 38 — देवालयनिर्माणफलं
The Merit of Constructing a Temple
विष्णोरायतनस्येह नरो विष्णुलोकभाक् इष्टकानिचयस्तिष्ठेद् यावदायतने हरेः
viṣṇorāyatanasyeha naro viṣṇulokabhāk iṣṭakānicayastiṣṭhed yāvadāyatane hareḥ
ഇവിടെ വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ ആലയനിർമ്മാണത്തിനായി ഇഷ്ടികകളുടെ കൂമ്പാരമെങ്കിലും സ്ഥാപിക്കുന്നവൻ വിഷ്ണുലോകത്തിന്റെ പങ്കാളിയാകുന്നു. ഹരിയുടെ ആ ആലയം എത്രകാലം നിലനിൽക്കുമോ അത്രകാലം അവന്റെ പുണ്യം നിലനിൽക്കും.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s discourse frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Shilpa","secondary_vidya":"Vastu","practical_application":"Temple-building merit: even contributing bricks/materials to a Viṣṇu shrine is meritorious; supports community fundraising and endowments for mandira construction.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Iṣṭakā-nicaya-dāna for Viṣṇv-āyatana and enduring merit","lookup_keywords":["viṣṇor-āyatana","iṣṭakā","nicaya","viṣṇuloka","mandira-nirmāṇa"],"quick_summary":"Offering even a heap of bricks toward a Viṣṇu temple grants Viṣṇu-loka; the merit persists as long as the shrine stands, linking material support to long-duration puṇya."}
Concept: Alpa-dāna with sacred intent (even small material contribution) yields great fruit when tied to lasting dharmic institutions.
Application: Encourage micro-donations of building materials/labor for temples and public sacred works; maintain structures to sustain communal puṇya.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Mandira-nirmana (Temple worship and shrine-construction merits)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Devotees bring stacks of bricks to a rising Viṣṇu temple; the partially built sanctum stands firm, while a celestial suggestion of Viṣṇu-loka indicates the promised reward enduring with the temple’s lifespan.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, temple construction scene with brick heaps, craftsmen and devotees, Vishnu emblematic presence (śaṅkha-cakra) above the garbhagṛha outline, stylized scaffolding, ornate frame","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gleaming temple façade with gold highlights, devotees offering bricks at the base, Vishnu seated in a small aureole above, rich reds and greens, embossed gold work","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean architectural lines of an āyatana, labeled-like clarity showing brick offering, calm devotional faces, subtle conch-discus motifs","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed construction yard with masons, brick piles, patron overseeing, delicate perspective of the shrine, pale sky with faint Vaikuntha cloud vignette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विष्णोरायतनस्येह = विष्णोः + आयतनस्य + इह; विष्णुलोकभाक् = विष्णुलोक + भाक्; इष्टकानिचयस्तिष्ठेत् = इष्टकानिचयः + तिष्ठेत्; यावदायतने = यावत् + आयतने।
Related Themes: Agni Purana 38 (pūjā-vidhi/mandira-nirmāṇa merits); Agni Purana (śilpa/vāstu related chapters elsewhere)
FAQs
It teaches the ritual-ethical principle that contributing even foundational materials (a brick heap) toward a Viṣṇu-temple is a meritorious act whose spiritual result is linked to the continued existence of the shrine.
It integrates Vāstu/temple-building practice with soteriology (attainment of Viṣṇuloka), showing how the Agni Purāṇa maps practical civil-religious works—like construction—onto karmic and devotional outcomes.
The verse assigns enduring puṇya to temple-support: one’s reward (Viṣṇuloka) is sustained in proportion to the temple’s longevity, emphasizing lasting public religious works as a powerful form of devotion.