Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 43
Chapter 38 — देवालयनिर्माणफलं
The Merit of Constructing a Temple
कृष्णालये परित्यज्यास्तेषां पुत्रास् तथा कुलम् येन चायतनं विष्णोः कारितं तत्कुलोद्भवम्
kṛṣṇālaye parityajyāsteṣāṃ putrās tathā kulam yena cāyatanaṃ viṣṇoḥ kāritaṃ tatkulodbhavam
就克里希纳（毗湿奴）之庙而言，其子嗣及其宗族当被排除；然而，若有人促成毗湿奴神庙之建造，且出自该家族，则应予接纳，视为具资格者。
Lord Agni (in dialogue with sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Eligibility and exclusion rules connected to Viṣṇu-temple patronage: reconcile lineage-based disqualification with merit gained by commissioning temple construction.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Lineage exclusion and reinstatement through Viṣṇu-temple construction","lookup_keywords":["kṛṣṇālaya","kula","parityājya","viṣṇv-āyatana","kārita"],"quick_summary":"Certain persons and even their descendants may be excluded in the Kṛṣṇa temple context; however, a member of that very family who commissions/builds a Viṣṇu temple becomes acceptable/eligible, indicating temple-building as a powerful purifier and social-religious reinstatement."}
Concept: Adhikāra (eligibility) can be lost by disqualifying conduct/status, yet can be restored through major meritorious acts—especially commissioning Viṣṇu’s abode—showing dharma’s emphasis on transformative karma.
Application: Temple trusts may treat major endowment/temple-building as a basis for reinstatement of participation, subject to local āgamic rules and ethical conduct.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Mandira-nirmana (Temple installation and merit rules)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A family previously barred from temple participation; one descendant commissions a Viṣṇu temple—architects measuring, workers building—while priests acknowledge renewed eligibility at the temple threshold.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, narrative panel: left side shows barred entry at temple gate; right side shows the same family member sponsoring construction of a Viṣṇu shrine, priests with palm-leaf records, strong reds/ochres, stylized faces.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central Viṣṇu shrine with gold arch; patron figure offering a deed/coins to priests; construction motifs in background; heavy ornamentation and gold work emphasizing merit.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear didactic composition: ‘exclusion’ scene contrasted with ‘reinstatement by temple-building’; fine lines, soft shading, architectural details of āyatana.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly patron commissioning temple plans from sthapati, workers laying stone, priests at gate granting entry; intricate textiles and measured geometry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: parityajyāsteṣām = parityajyāḥ + teṣām (visarga sandhi); putrās = putrāḥ (visarga sandhi before t-); cāyatanaṃ = ca + āyatanam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 38 (mandira-nirmāṇa, dāna, prāyaścitta themes)
FAQs
It gives a rule of ritual eligibility/exclusion connected to a Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu temple context, while carving out an exception for a person of that lineage who has commissioned the construction of a Viṣṇu temple.
Beyond theology, it preserves applied temple-administration norms—who is acceptable or excluded in a shrine context and how a temple-building act affects social/ritual standing—showing the Purana’s coverage of practical religious law alongside doctrine.
Commissioning a Viṣṇu temple is treated as a high-merit act that can establish or restore acceptability, indicating that temple-building (dāna/karma) has strong purifying and status-conferring religious force.