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
ਜੋ ਸ਼੍ਰੀਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ ਵਾਸੁਦੇਵ ਦਾ ਕੇਤਨ (ਧੁਜ/ਪਤਾਕਾ) ਬਣਵਾਉਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਹੀ ਜਨਮ ਤੋਂ ਸুক੍ਰਿਤੀ ਹੈ। ਉਸੇ ਕਰਮ ਨਾਲ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਸਾਰਾ ਕੁਲ ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।
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.