Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 48
Chapter 38 — देवालयनिर्माणफलं
The Merit of Constructing a Temple
तारयत्यक्षयांल्लोकानक्षयान् प्रतिपद्यते इष्टकाचयविन्यासो यावन्त्यब्दानि तिष्ठति
tārayatyakṣayāṃllokānakṣayān pratipadyate iṣṭakācayavinyāso yāvantyabdāni tiṣṭhati
वेदीच्या इष्टकाचयाचा विन्यास जितकी वर्षे टिकतो, तितक्याच काळात तो अक्षय लोकांचे तारकत्व करतो आणि स्वतःही अक्षय लोकांना प्राप्त होतो.
Lord Agni (teaching Vedic-ritual merit to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Guidance for performing and maintaining iṣṭakā-cayana (altar brick-laying) with awareness that the altar’s continued existence is linked to sustained ritual merit.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Iṣṭakā-cayana-vinyāsa-phala (Merit proportional to altar’s endurance)","lookup_keywords":["ishtaka-cayana","vinyasa","yajna-vedi","akshaya-loka","phala"],"quick_summary":"The merit of brick-altar arrangement is taught as enduring as long as the altar remains intact; it yields ‘imperishable’ realms and salvific benefit for others."}
Concept: Karma-phala continuity: physical persistence of a sacred construction is mapped to continuity of merit and loka-attainment.
Application: Maintain and protect ritual structures; treat preservation as part of the rite’s completion and ongoing dharma.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Yajna-vidhi (Iṣṭakā-cayana, altar brick-laying rite)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Priests and assistants lay consecrated bricks in a precise pattern forming a yajña-vedi; the altar is shown enduring through time, symbolized by a sequence of years.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, priests in white with sacred threads, arranging red bricks on a geometric vedi; Agni flames rising; a stylized time-band showing repeating year motifs to indicate endurance and akṣaya merit.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold highlights on the vedi outline; central brick altar with Agni; small panels around showing ‘years’ as lotus medallions; inscriptions of ‘akṣaya’.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting with instructional clarity; top-down diagram of brick layout (vinyāsa) with priests placing bricks; subtle divine aura around the vedi.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature of a yajña courtyard; detailed brickwork and ritual implements; a border of repeating calendar-like motifs to show duration; attendants recording the rite."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tārayatyakṣayāṃllokān → tārayati akṣayān lokān; yāvantyabdāni → yāvanti abdāni.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 38 (pūjā-vidhi/yajña-vidhi context)
FAQs
It teaches the ritual principle of iṣṭakā-cayana: the ordered placement of altar-bricks is itself a meritorious rite, and its benefit is linked to how long the brick arrangement physically endures.
It exemplifies the text’s practical ritual-technology—connecting altar construction (a technical procedure of Vedic worship) with measurable religious outcomes—showing how Agni Purana preserves applied liturgy alongside broader theology.
The verse states that sustaining a sacred altar-structure yields enduring (akṣaya) merit: one gains imperishable realms and becomes a cause for others’ upliftment for as long as the altar arrangement remains.