Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 25
Chapter 38 — देवालयनिर्माणफलं
The Merit of Constructing a Temple
नापि कीर्त्यै न धर्माथं तस्य स्वाम्येथ को गुणः तस्माद्वित्तं समासाद्य दैवाद्वा पौरुषादथ
nāpi kīrtyai na dharmāthaṃ tasya svāmyetha ko guṇaḥ tasmādvittaṃ samāsādya daivādvā pauruṣādatha
అతని స్వామ్యానికి విలువ లేదు—కీర్తికోసం కాదు, ధర్మార్థం కోసం కూడా కాదు. కాబట్టి దైవానుగ్రహం వల్ల గానీ, పురుషార్థం వల్ల గానీ ధనాన్ని సంపాదించి, యథాయోగ్యంగా వినియోగించాలి।
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Treat wealth/ownership as an instrument for dharma and reputation (kīrti) through public benefit and generosity; pursue livelihood through both personal effort and acceptance of contingency, but always with ethical aims.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Svāmya-guṇa: ownership is worthless without kīrti and dharma; acquire wealth by effort or fortune","lookup_keywords":["svāmya guṇa","kīrti","dharma artha","pौरुष","daiva"],"quick_summary":"Mere possession has no value unless it yields dharma and good name; therefore one should obtain wealth through rightful means—by effort and opportunities—so it can be used meaningfully."}
Alamkara Type: Arthāntaranyāsa (supporting statement leading to conclusion)
Concept: Artha must be pursued (puruṣārtha) but evaluated by its dharmic yield; daiva and puruṣakāra both operate, yet responsibility remains.
Application: Earn through lawful professions, avoid sterile hoarding, invest in dharmic works that generate kīrti (public charity, temples, wells, feeding, education).
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Dhananiti (Ethics of wealth, livelihood, and rightful conduct)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: utsaha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder weighs a balance: on one side ‘mere ownership’, on the other ‘dharma and kīrti’; he then works diligently in trade/agriculture while also making public donations.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, symbolic balance scale with Sanskrit labels, figure moving from idle hoarding to active work and giving, bold contours, temple lamp motifs","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-leaf balance and inscriptions; central patron shown both in labor (accounting/trade) and in ceremonial donation, ornate pillars and rich textiles","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, diagrammatic clarity: two sources of wealth ‘daiva’ (opportunity) and ‘pauruṣa’ (effort) feeding into ‘dharma/kīrti’ outputs; fine lines and soft palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling bazaar scene of honest commerce, patron commissioning a public well/feeding house, scribes recording kīrti, architectural depth and detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नापि → न + अपि; धर्माथं → धर्मार्थम्; स्वाम्येथ → स्वाम्ये + इथ; तस्माद्वित्तं → तस्मात् + वित्तम्; दैवाद्वा → दैवात् + वा; पौरुषादथ → पौरुषात् + अथ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma/Dhananīti on artha acquisition and ethical conduct; Agni Purana Dana-dharma on kīrti from dāna
FAQs
It gives a niti principle: ownership is meaningful only when it supports dharma or social esteem; hence one should actively secure wealth through legitimate means—by personal enterprise (pauruṣa) and, where applicable, favorable circumstances (daiva).
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana also teaches statecraft and moral economics (rajadharma/niti), addressing practical questions of livelihood, property, and the social purpose of wealth.
Wealth is framed as instrumentality for dharma rather than mere possession; karmically, acquisition gains value when directed toward righteous action, charity, and duties, not sterile ownership.