Agni Purana

अग्निरुवाच वासुदेवाद्यालयस्य कृतौ वक्ष्ये फलादिकम्। चिकीर्षोर्द्देवधामादि सहस्नजनिपापनुत्

Agni said: I will now describe the results and more of constructing a temple for Vāsudeva and others, which removes the sins of a thousand births for one who desires to create a divine abode.

मनसा सद्मकर्त़णां शतजन्माघनाशनम्। येनुमोदन्ति कृष्णस्य क्रियमाणं नरा गृहम्

For those who, with their mind, build a house for Kṛṣṇa, it destroys the sins of a hundred births; people rejoice when a house is made for Kṛṣṇa.

तेपि पापैर्व्विनिर्मुक्ताः प्रयान्त्यच्युतलोकताम्। समतीतं भविष्यञ्च कुलानामयुतं नरः

They too, freed from sins, attain the world of Acyuta; a man leads tens of thousands of past and future family members.

विष्णुलोकं नयत्याशु कारयित्वा हरेर्गृहम्। वसन्ति पितरो दृष्ट्वा विष्णुलोके ह्यलङ्‌कृताः

After building a house for Hari, he quickly leads them to Viṣṇu's world; the ancestors, adorned, dwell in Viṣṇu's realm after seeing it.

विमुक्ता नारकैर्दुः खैः कर्त्तुः कृष्णस्य मन्दिरम्। ब्रह्महत्यादिपापौघघातकं देवतालयम्

Freed from the sufferings of hell, the builder of Kṛṣṇa's temple—this abode of the gods—destroys the mass of sins such as brahminicide.

फलं यन्नाप्यते यज्ञैर्द्धाम कृत्वा तदाप्यते। देवागारे कृते सर्व्वतीर्थस्नानफलं लभेत्

The fruit gained by sacrifices is obtained by building a temple; by constructing a temple for the gods, one attains the fruit of bathing in all sacred waters.

देवाद्यर्थे हतानाञ्च रणे यत्तत्‌फलादिकम्। शाठ्येन पांशुना वापि कृतं धाम च नाकदम्

Whatever results come to those slain in battle for the sake of the gods and others, that same result is gained even if the temple is built deceitfully or with mere sand.

एकायतनकृत् स्वर्गी त्र्यगारी ब्रह्मलोकभाक्। पञ्चागारी शम्भुलोकमष्टागाराद्धरौ स्थितिः

He who builds one temple attains heaven; with three, the world of Brahmā; with five, the world of Śiva; with eight, he abides with Hari.

षोडशालयकारी तु भुक्तिमुक्तिमवाप्नुयात्। कनिष्ठं मध्यमं श्रेष्ठं कारयित्वा हरेर्गृहम्

He who builds sixteen temples attains both enjoyment and liberation; by building a lesser, middle, or excellent house for Hari—

स्वर्गं च वैष्णवं लोकं मोक्षमाप्नोति च क्रमात्। श्रेष्ठमायतनं विष्णोः कृत्वा यद्धनवान् लभेत्

He attains heaven, the world of Viṣṇu, and liberation in order; by building the most excellent temple for Viṣṇu, a wealthy man obtains this.

कनिष्ठेनैव तत् पुण्यं प्राप्नोत्यधनवान्नरः। समुत्पाद्य धनं कृत्वा स्वल्पेनापि सुरालयम्

Even with the least, a man obtains that merit, if he is wealthy; having acquired wealth, even with a little, he should build a temple for the gods.

कारयित्वा हरेः पुण्यं सम्प्राप्नोत्यधिकं वरम्। लक्षेणाथ सहस्नेण शतेनार्द्धेन वा हरेः

By building a temple for Hari, he attains greater merit; whether with a hundred thousand, a thousand, a hundred, or even half, for Hari—

कारयन् भबनं याति यत्रास्ते गरुडध्वजः। बाल्ये तु क्रीडमाना ये पांशुभिर्भवनं हरेः

He who builds a house goes to where Garuḍa-bannered Hari resides; even children, playing, who make a house for Hari with sand—

वासुदेवस्य कुर्व्वन्ति तेपि तल्लोकगामिनः। तीर्थे चायतने पुण्ये सिद्धक्षेत्रे तथाष्टमे

Those who build for Vāsudeva also go to his world; in a holy place, in a temple, in a sacred field, or in an auspicious eighth place—

कर्त्तुरायतन विष्णोर्यथोक्तात् त्रिगुणं फलम्। बन्धूकपुष्पविन्यासैः सुधापङ्केन वैष्णवम्

The builder of Viṣṇu's temple, as described, attains threefold fruit; by decorating a Vaiṣṇava temple with bandhūka flowers and sweet clay—

ये विलिम्पन्ति भवनं ते यान्ति भगवत्‌पुरम्। पतितं पतभानन्तु तथार्द्धपतितं नरः

Those who plaster the house thus go to the city of the Blessed Lord; one who has let it fall, or half-fallen, likewise—

समुद्धत्य हरेर्द्धाम प्राप्नोति द्विगुणं फलम्। पतितस्य तु यः कर्त्ता पतितस्य च रक्षिता

Whoever restores Hari's temple obtains double the merit; the one who repairs what has fallen, and the one who protects what is falling.

विष्णोरायतनस्येह स नरो विष्णुलोकभाक्। इष्टकानिचयस्तिष्ठेद् यावदायतने हरेः

Here, a man who establishes a temple of Viṣṇu attains the world of Viṣṇu, for as long as the arrangement of bricks remains in the temple of Hari.

सकुलस्तस्य वै कर्त्ता विष्णुलोके महीयते। स एव पुण्यवान् पूज्य इह लोके परत्र च

The one who constructs it, along with his family, is honored in the world of Viṣṇu; he alone is virtuous and worthy of reverence in this world and the next.

कृष्णस्य वासुदेवस्य यः कारयति केतनम्। जातःस एव सुकृती कुलन्तेनैव पावितम्

Whoever causes a shrine to be built for Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, is born as a doer of good, and his entire lineage is purified.

विष्णुरुद्रार्कदेव्यादेर्गृहकर्त्ता स कीर्त्तिभाक्। किं तस्य वित्तनिचयैर्मूढस्य परिरक्षिणः

The builder of a house for Viṣṇu, Rudra, the Sun, the Goddess, and others becomes renowned; what use are heaps of wealth to the deluded who merely guard them?

दुः खार्ज्जितैर्यः कृष्णस्य न कारयति केतनम्। नोपभोग्यं धनं यस्य पितृविप्रदिवौकसाम्

He who, though possessing wealth acquired with hardship, does not build a shrine for Kṛṣṇa—his wealth is not enjoyed by ancestors, Brāhmaṇas, or the gods.

नोपभोगाय बन्धूनां व्यर्थस्तस्य धनागमः। यथा ध्रुवो नृणां मृत्युर्वित्तनाशस्तथा ध्रुवः

His wealth is not for the enjoyment of relatives; his acquisition of riches is in vain. Just as death is certain for men, so too is the loss of wealth.

मूढस्तत्राऽनुबध्नाति जीवितेथ चले धने। यदा वित्तं न दानाय नोपभोगाय देहिनाम्

The deluded man clings to life and unstable wealth, when his riches are neither given in charity nor enjoyed by embodied beings.

नापि कीर्त्यै न धर्मार्थं तस्य स्वाम्येथ को गुणः। तस्माद्वित्तं समासाद्य दैवाद्वा पौरुषादथ

Nor for fame, nor for righteousness—what merit is there in such ownership? Therefore, having obtained wealth, whether by fate or by effort—

दद्यात् सम्यग् द्विजाग्रथेभ्यः कीर्त्तनानि च कारयेत्। दानेभ्यस्चाधिकं यस्मात् कीर्त्तनेभ्यो वरं यतः

One should properly give to worthy Brāhmaṇas and cause shrines to be built; for among gifts, the making of shrines is superior, as it is greater than other charities.

अतस्तत्‌कारयेद्धीमान् विष्ण्वादेर्म्मन्दिरादिकम्। विनिवेश्य हरेर्द्धाम भक्तिमद्भिर्न्नरोत्तमैः

Therefore, the wise should build temples and the like for Viṣṇu and others, establishing the abode of Hari with the best of devoted men.

निवेशितं भवेत् कृत्स्नं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्। भूतं भव्यं भविष्यञ्च स्थूलं सूक्ष्मं तथेतरत्

When it is established, the entire three worlds, with all that moves and is still—past, present, and future, gross, subtle, and all else—are included.

आब्रह्मस्तम्बपर्य्यन्तं सर्व्वं विष्णोः समुद्भवम्। तस्य देवादिदेवस्य सर्वगस्य महात्मनः

From Brahmā down to a blade of grass, all arises from Viṣṇu, the god of gods, the all-pervading, the great soul.