Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 46
Chapter 38 — देवालयनिर्माणफलं
The Merit of Constructing a Temple
प्राप्नोति तत् फलं विष्णोर्यः कारयति केतनं कुलानां शतमागामि समतीतं तथा शतं
prāpnoti tat phalaṃ viṣṇoryaḥ kārayati ketanaṃ kulānāṃ śatamāgāmi samatītaṃ tathā śataṃ
Quem faz construir uma morada (santuário/templo) de Viṣṇu alcança esse mesmo fruto; e cem gerações futuras de sua linhagem, bem como cem gerações passadas, são igualmente beneficiadas.
Lord Agni (narrating the Agni Purana’s instructions to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Temple-building patronage doctrine: motivates public religious infrastructure by promising transgenerational benefit (past and future ancestors/descendants).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Fruit of building Viṣṇu’s abode and benefit to 100 past and 100 future generations","lookup_keywords":["viṣṇu-ketana","kārayati","kula","śata","puṇya-phala"],"quick_summary":"Commissioning a Viṣṇu temple yields the stated spiritual fruit to the patron and extends benefit across lineage—one hundred future and one hundred past generations—framing temple-building as a supreme public meritorious act."}
Concept: Dharma operates transgenerationally: major public-good religious acts (like temple-building) generate lineage-wide uplift, linking individual agency with ancestral and descendant welfare.
Application: Encourage endowments for temple construction/renovation and long-term maintenance funds (nitya-sevā) as a lineage-oriented dharmic investment.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Dana-mahatmya (Temple-building and merit of devotional constructions)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grand Viṣṇu temple under construction and then consecrated; the patron stands with family, while symbolic ancestral figures behind and future descendants ahead receive rays of merit, indicating ‘100 past and 100 future’ benefit.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, multi-register narrative: construction, consecration, and lineage blessing; Viṣṇu shrine glowing; ancestors in upper register, descendants in lower register; bold colors and ornamental borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, consecrated Viṣṇu temple with gold-leaf radiance; patron offering kalasha; stylized lineage figures receiving light; heavy ornamentation and sacred grandeur.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, architectural and ritual detail: sthapati plans, stone-laying, kumbhābhiṣeka; a diagrammatic lineage tree with ‘100’ markers subtly integrated; refined linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, panoramic temple-building scene with craftsmen, elephants carrying stone, patron supervising; later vignette of consecration; symbolic ancestors/descendants as faint haloed figures receiving blessings."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Madhyamavati","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: viṣṇoryaḥ = viṣṇoḥ + yaḥ (visarga sandhi); śatamāgāmi = śatam + āgāmi (vowel sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 38 (dāna-māhātmya; mandira-nirmāṇa; darśana-phala)
FAQs
It teaches the ritual-ethical principle that commissioning the construction of a Viṣṇu-ketana (a shrine/temple or sacred abode) yields a defined spiritual fruit, extending benefit across one’s lineage.
It reflects the Agni Purana’s coverage of practical religious culture—temple-building, patronage (kārayati), and merit-accounting—alongside its many other domains (ritual manuals, polity, arts, and sciences).
The verse frames temple construction for Viṣṇu as a high-merit act whose karmic result is not only personal but also lineage-linked, benefiting both ancestors and descendants (a hundred each).