Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 30
Chapter 38 — देवालयनिर्माणफलं
The Merit of Constructing a Temple
निवेश्य भवनं विष्णोर् न भूयो भुवि जायते यथा विष्णोर्धामकृतौ फलं तद्वद्दिवौकसां
niveśya bhavanaṃ viṣṇor na bhūyo bhuvi jāyate yathā viṣṇordhāmakṛtau phalaṃ tadvaddivaukasāṃ
Kapag naitatag at naitalaga ang isang tahanan ni Viṣṇu, ang tao ay hindi na muling isisilang sa lupa; ganyan ang bunga ng paglikha ng banal na tirahan ni Viṣṇu—gayundin ang itinuturing para sa mga nananahan sa langit (mga diyos).
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional dialogue style)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Stotra","practical_application":"Motivating temple-consecration as a soteriological act: establishing Viṣṇu’s abode is taught to yield liberation from rebirth, encouraging patronage and sustained worship.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Viṣṇu-dhāma-kṛti-phala (fruit of establishing Viṣṇu’s abode)","lookup_keywords":["Viṣṇu-bhavana","dhāma-kṛti","punarjanma-nivṛtti","phala","pratiṣṭhā"],"quick_summary":"Consecrating a dwelling for Viṣṇu is praised as granting freedom from rebirth on earth; the act is presented as exceptionally meritorious, acknowledged even among heavenly beings."}
Concept: Karma leading to mokṣa-like result through bhakti-infused sacred construction and consecration (dhāma-kṛti).
Application: Treat temple establishment as a long-term sādhana: build, consecrate, and maintain worship; dedicate the act and its fruits to Viṣṇu.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Vishnu-bhakti (Vaishnava worship and merit of establishing Vishnu’s abode)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Cosmic-Region
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A consecration scene: Viṣṇu’s shrine newly established, priests performing rites, devotees offering lamps; a symbolic depiction of the patron’s soul ascending beyond rebirth.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: priests at the garbhagṛha doorway performing pratiṣṭhā with kalasha and lamps; Viṣṇu’s presence as a radiant form within; a subtle upper register showing liberation motif (soul moving upward) in traditional iconographic language.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: richly ornamented Viṣṇu shrine with gold; priests with conch and lamps; patron offering; above, a gold-embossed celestial realm indicating freedom from earthly rebirth.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: orderly ritual depiction—pratiṣṭhā steps suggested (kalasha, mantra-japa, āratī); calm didactic layout emphasizing the ‘phala’ outcome with a small symbolic vignette of release from saṃsāra.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed temple courtyard consecration; attendants, offerings, lamps; a poetic allegory in the sky showing the patron’s spirit journeying upward, rendered with delicate clouds."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Madhyamavati","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विष्णोः + न → विष्णोर् न (रेफ-सन्धि); विष्णोः + धामकृतौ → विष्णोर्धामकृतौ; तत् + वत् → तद्वत्; तद्वत् + दिवौकसाम् → तद्वद्दिवौकसाम् (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Puja-vidhi and pratiṣṭhā-phala passages in the same Vāstu/Pūjā sequence (ch. 38 vicinity); Agni Purana: Dāna-vrata and tīrtha/puṇya discussions where specific acts yield rebirth-transcending merit
FAQs
It states the phala (ritual result) of dhāma-kṛti/pratiṣṭhā—establishing Viṣṇu’s shrine/abode—namely freedom from further earthly rebirth.
It exemplifies the Purāṇa’s catalog of ritual acts and their results (karma-phala): alongside architecture/temple establishment, it records soteriological outcomes (mokṣa-oriented merit), integrating ritual practice with doctrine.
The verse assigns exceptionally high merit to creating Viṣṇu’s sacred abode—merit so strong that it is said to end the cycle of rebirth on earth.