Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 18
Chapter 38 — देवालयनिर्माणफलं
The Merit of Constructing a Temple
विष्णोरायतनस्येह नरो विष्णुलोकभाक् इष्टकानिचयस्तिष्ठेद् यावदायतने हरेः
viṣṇorāyatanasyeha naro viṣṇulokabhāk iṣṭakānicayastiṣṭhed yāvadāyatane hareḥ
یہاں جو شخص وِشنو کے آیتن (مندر) کے لیے اینٹوں کا ڈھیر بھی قائم کرتا ہے، وہ وِشنولोक کا حصہ دار بنتا ہے۔ ہری کا وہ مندر جتنی دیر قائم رہے، اتنی دیر اس کا پُنّیہ برقرار رہتا ہے۔
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s discourse frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Shilpa","secondary_vidya":"Vastu","practical_application":"Temple-building merit: even contributing bricks/materials to a Viṣṇu shrine is meritorious; supports community fundraising and endowments for mandira construction.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Iṣṭakā-nicaya-dāna for Viṣṇv-āyatana and enduring merit","lookup_keywords":["viṣṇor-āyatana","iṣṭakā","nicaya","viṣṇuloka","mandira-nirmāṇa"],"quick_summary":"Offering even a heap of bricks toward a Viṣṇu temple grants Viṣṇu-loka; the merit persists as long as the shrine stands, linking material support to long-duration puṇya."}
Concept: Alpa-dāna with sacred intent (even small material contribution) yields great fruit when tied to lasting dharmic institutions.
Application: Encourage micro-donations of building materials/labor for temples and public sacred works; maintain structures to sustain communal puṇya.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Mandira-nirmana (Temple worship and shrine-construction merits)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Devotees bring stacks of bricks to a rising Viṣṇu temple; the partially built sanctum stands firm, while a celestial suggestion of Viṣṇu-loka indicates the promised reward enduring with the temple’s lifespan.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, temple construction scene with brick heaps, craftsmen and devotees, Vishnu emblematic presence (śaṅkha-cakra) above the garbhagṛha outline, stylized scaffolding, ornate frame","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gleaming temple façade with gold highlights, devotees offering bricks at the base, Vishnu seated in a small aureole above, rich reds and greens, embossed gold work","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean architectural lines of an āyatana, labeled-like clarity showing brick offering, calm devotional faces, subtle conch-discus motifs","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed construction yard with masons, brick piles, patron overseeing, delicate perspective of the shrine, pale sky with faint Vaikuntha cloud vignette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विष्णोरायतनस्येह = विष्णोः + आयतनस्य + इह; विष्णुलोकभाक् = विष्णुलोक + भाक्; इष्टकानिचयस्तिष्ठेत् = इष्टकानिचयः + तिष्ठेत्; यावदायतने = यावत् + आयतने।
Related Themes: Agni Purana 38 (pūjā-vidhi/mandira-nirmāṇa merits); Agni Purana (śilpa/vāstu related chapters elsewhere)
FAQs
It teaches the ritual-ethical principle that contributing even foundational materials (a brick heap) toward a Viṣṇu-temple is a meritorious act whose spiritual result is linked to the continued existence of the shrine.
It integrates Vāstu/temple-building practice with soteriology (attainment of Viṣṇuloka), showing how the Agni Purāṇa maps practical civil-religious works—like construction—onto karmic and devotional outcomes.
The verse assigns enduring puṇya to temple-support: one’s reward (Viṣṇuloka) is sustained in proportion to the temple’s longevity, emphasizing lasting public religious works as a powerful form of devotion.