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
Mesmo aqueles que prestam culto e serviço a Vāsudeva tornam-se caminhantes para o Seu mundo—sobretudo quando isso é feito num tīrtha, num santuário santo, num lugar meritório, num kṣetra verdadeiramente justo, e igualmente na oitava categoria do sagrado.
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.