Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 11
Chapter 38 — देवालयनिर्माणफलं
The Merit of Constructing a Temple
कनिष्ठेनैव तत् पुण्यं प्राप्नोत्यधनवान्नरः समुत्पाद्य धनं कृत्या स्वल्पेनापि सुरालयं
kaniṣṭhenaiva tat puṇyaṃ prāpnotyadhanavānnaraḥ samutpādya dhanaṃ kṛtyā svalpenāpi surālayaṃ
Kahit sa pinakamaliit na handog, ang dukhang tao ay nakakamit ang gayong kabutihan. Pagkaraang makalikha ng yaman sa pamamagitan ng matuwid na pagsisikap, nararapat siyang magtatag o sumuporta sa isang dambanang banal ng mga diyos—kahit kaunti lamang.
Lord Agni (in dialogue framework, teaching Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Ethics of giving and religious public works: even small offerings by the poor yield full merit; encourages wealth-generation through righteous means and then supporting/establishing a shrine.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Alpa-Dāna of the Poor and Righteous Wealth for Supporting a Shrine","lookup_keywords":["adhana","kanīṣṭha (smallest)","dāna-puṇya","kṛtya (rightful effort)","surālaya (shrine)"],"quick_summary":"Merit is accessible regardless of wealth: a poor person gains the same puṇya even with minimal offering; one should earn wealth righteously and use even a little to support a divine shrine."}
Concept: Puṇya is determined by sincerity and capacity, not magnitude; artha should be generated by righteous means and redirected toward sacred/public benefit.
Application: Adopt proportional giving; create community funds/endowments where small recurring contributions maintain shrines and services.
Khanda Section: Dana-dharma (Charity, merit, and religious giving)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A poor devotee offering a small gift with sincerity at a shrine, while a teacher explains that merit is equal; alongside, a scene of honest labor leading to modest earnings used to support temple upkeep.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: humble donor with a small lamp/flower at a shrine; compassionate priest; second vignette of honest work (weaving/farming) and a small donation box; warm palette and stylized faces.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: small shrine with gold accents; poor devotee offering a single coin/flower; gold-leaf highlights on deity and arch; inscription-like cartouche emphasizing ‘alpa-dāna’.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: instructional two-panel narrative—(1) minimal offering by the poor receiving blessing, (2) righteous earning and endowment; fine lines, soft colors, clear gestures.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: bustling town scene with artisan earning wages; later presenting a small donation at a temple; detailed architecture and everyday realism; gentle, moralizing tone."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Kapi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kaniṣṭhenaiva → kaniṣṭhena + eva; prāpnotyadhanavānnaraḥ → prāpnoti + adhanavān + naraḥ; svalpenāpi → svalpena + api; surālayaṃ → sura-ālayam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: dāna-dharma and dāna-phala chapters; Agni Purana: iṣṭāpūrta/public works merit passages
FAQs
It teaches dāna-dharma proportionality: merit depends on sincere capacity, and even small offerings—especially toward a surālaya (temple/shrine)—are ritually meaningful when made from righteously earned wealth.
By addressing practical ethics of wealth, livelihood, and religious patronage, it integrates social dharma (earning rightly) with ritual infrastructure (supporting temples), reflecting the Purana’s broad coverage of governance, household duty, and worship-economics.
It affirms that karmic merit is accessible to all: a poor person gains full religious merit through sincere, capacity-based giving, and by supporting sacred institutions with even minimal resources obtained through dharmic work.