Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 20
Chapter 63 — सुदर्शनचक्रादिप्रतिष्ठाकथनं
Procedure for Consecrating the Sudarśana Discus and Other Divine Emblems
विद्यादानफलं दत्वा मस्यन्तं पत्रसञ्चयं यावत्तु पत्रसङ्ख्यानमक्षराणां तथानघ
vidyādānaphalaṃ datvā masyantaṃ patrasañcayaṃ yāvattu patrasaṅkhyānamakṣarāṇāṃ tathānagha
โอ้ผู้ปราศจากบาป เมื่อถวายทานแห่งความรู้คือชุดคัมภีร์ที่จารด้วยหมึกแล้ว บุญกุศลย่อมดำรงอยู่ตามสัดส่วนจำนวนแผ่น และเช่นเดียวกันตามจำนวนอักษรด้วย
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Organize and donate written learning (manuscripts, copied texts, educational materials) as a durable form of charity; merit is framed as proportional to the material extent of the text.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Vidyā-dāna-phala (Merit of gifting manuscripts)","lookup_keywords":["vidyādāna","patra-saṃcaya","akṣara-saṅkhyā","lekhya-dāna","puṇya-phala"],"quick_summary":"Donating a written collection of knowledge is praised as a high charity; its merit is said to endure in proportion to the number of leaves and letters, encouraging careful copying and preservation of texts."}
Concept: Knowledge as a sacred, transmissible gift; dharma-fruit is linked to preservation and dissemination of śāstra.
Application: Support libraries, gurukulas, and text-preservation by copying, sponsoring scribes, and donating complete, legible manuscripts.
Khanda Section: Dana-dharma (Charity and its merits)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A donor presents a neatly bundled palm-leaf manuscript (patra-saṃcaya) written in dark ink to a learned recipient; scribes and students sit nearby, counting leaves and letters as a symbolic measure of merit.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat warm palette, donor in traditional attire offering a palm-leaf manuscript bundle to a seated ācārya, stylized script marks on leaves, serene scholastic setting, ornamental borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, donor offering manuscript bundle to guru, rich textiles, gold-leaf highlights on manuscript edges and ornaments, temple-pillared interior, devotional yet instructional mood","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework, detailed palm-leaf folios with inked akṣaras, calm gurukula scene with students, emphasis on the act of gifting knowledge","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly library scene, donor presenting a manuscript bundle, scribes with reed pens and inkpots, delicate architectural background, meticulous detailing of folios and calligraphy"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vidyādānaphalaṃ = vidyā-dāna-phalam; patrasañcayaṃ = patra-sañcayam; yāvattu = yāvat + tu; patrasaṅkhyānamakṣarāṇāṃ = patra-saṅkhyānam + akṣarāṇām; tathānagha = tathā + anagha.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 63 (Dāna-dharma; deva-pratiṣṭhā and pustaka-pratiṣṭhā context in chapter colophon nearby)
FAQs
It teaches the dharmic principle that donating written knowledge (an inked manuscript set) generates merit measurable by the manuscript’s physical extent—its folios and even its letters.
By treating manuscript production and donation as a formal category of dāna (charitable practice), it extends dharma beyond ritual offerings into textual culture—copying, preserving, and transmitting knowledge.
It frames each written unit—page and letter—as a multiplier of puṇya, implying that preserving and sharing learning yields enduring karmic merit.