Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 8
Chapter 38 — देवालयनिर्माणफलं
The Merit of Constructing a Temple
गृहादिकं ग, घ, चिह्नितपुस्तकद्वयपाठः नन्दन्ति इति ख, ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकद्वयपाठः वल्गन्ति इति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः हृष्टा इति ख, ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकद्वयपाठः एकायतनकृत् स्वर्गी त्र्यगारी ब्रह्मलोकभाक् पञ्चागारी शम्भुलोकमष्टागाराद्धरौ स्थितिः
gṛhādikaṃ ga, gha, cihnitapustakadvayapāṭhaḥ nandanti iti kha, ga, cihnitapustakadvayapāṭhaḥ valganti iti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ hṛṣṭā iti kha, ga, cihnitapustakadvayapāṭhaḥ ekāyatanakṛt svargī tryagārī brahmalokabhāk pañcāgārī śambhulokamaṣṭāgārāddharau sthitiḥ
Quem constrói uma morada de santuário único alcança o céu. O construtor de uma casa de três compartimentos participa do mundo de Brahmā; o de cinco compartimentos chega ao mundo de Śambhu (Śiva); e, a partir de uma casa de oito compartimentos, há prosperidade e estabilidade duradouras na terra.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Guidance for house-planning by number of units/rooms (āgāra/āyatana) and the merit-fruit mapping used to motivate dharmic construction and patronage.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Phala of Building Houses by Number of Chambers (1/3/5/8)","lookup_keywords":["ekāyatana","tryagārī","pañcāgārī","aṣṭāgāra","gṛha-phala"],"quick_summary":"The text assigns graded results to constructing dwellings of specific unit-counts: 1 leads to svarga, 3 to Brahmaloka, 5 to Śambhuloka, and 8 to stable prosperity on earth."}
Concept: Built environment (gṛha) is linked with karmic fruit; orderly construction is treated as a dharmic act with measurable outcomes.
Application: Use the scheme as a traditional decision-aid for patrons: choose scale/layout aligned with desired goals (heavenly merit vs. worldly stability).
Khanda Section: Vāstu-vidyā (Gṛha-nirmāṇa & Gṛha-praveśa-phala)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A schematic depiction of four house-plans labeled 1-unit, 3-unit, 5-unit, and 8-unit, with symbolic destinations (svarga, Brahmaloka, Śambhuloka, earthly stability) shown above each plan.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized floor-plans as geometric mandala-like houses; above them small vignettes of Svarga, Brahmaloka (Brahmā on lotus), Śambhuloka (Śiva), and a flourishing village; bold outlines and flat colors.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: four framed panels with miniature house icons; gold-leaf halos for Brahmā and Śiva above corresponding plans; ornate borders and jewel tones.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: instructional architectural chart—clean linework, measured proportions, annotations in Devanagari for ekāyatana/tryagārī/pañcāgārī/aṣṭāgāra; soft pastel wash.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: patron and architect reviewing illustrated plan folios; in the margins, small celestial scenes of Brahmā and Śiva worlds; fine detailing of instruments and paper."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Text contains manuscript-variant notes (ga/gha/kha/ṅa etc.) which are not part of the metrical pada analysis; analyzed the main readable pādas: ekāyatanakṛt ... sthitiḥ. aṣṭāgārāddharau → aṣṭa-agārāt + dharau.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Vāstu chapters on gṛha-vinyāsa and gṛha-praveśa; Agni Purana: dāna and pratiṣṭhā merit sections
FAQs
Vāstu-vidyā instruction on gṛha (house) planning by counting functional chambers/units (agāra/āyatana) and the corresponding phala (result) attributed to each layout.
It shows the Purāṇa treating architecture (Vāstu) as a technical discipline, mapping built-form choices (number of chambers) to cosmological and karmic outcomes—blending practical design norms with religious merit.
It frames house construction as a meritorious act: certain layouts are said to yield higher posthumous destinations (Svarga, Brahmaloka, Śambhuloka), while the eight-chambered form emphasizes stable prosperity and grounded well-being in earthly life.