Shloka 39
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
तच्छ्रुत्वाद्भुतवाक्यं च मुदा तौ चागतौ ततः । दृष्ट्वा शैलं तथाभूतं कृतं तेनायुतं तथा
tacchrutvādbhutavākyaṃ ca mudā tau cāgatau tataḥ | dṛṣṭvā śailaṃ tathābhūtaṃ kṛtaṃ tenāyutaṃ tathā
فلما سمعا تلك الكلمات العجيبة، أقبلا وهما مفعمان بالفرح. ولما رأيا الجبل على تلك الهيئة، رأيا أيضاً أنه قد صيغ حقّاً بيده على ذلك النحو بعينه.
Unspecified narrator (context-dependent within Adhyaya 57)
Concept: Śraddhā grows when sacred reports are verified by direct darśana; joy becomes a vehicle for dharma when directed toward holy phenomena.
Application: Seek first-hand engagement with sacred practices—visit, see, serve—rather than remaining at the level of hearsay; let joy mature into commitment.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two travelers hurry along the ghāṭa steps, faces bright with anticipation, as they hear the crowd’s excited cries. They stop in awe at the shoreline, beholding the newly formed rock-island exactly as described, while the water glitters and the air hums with astonished voices.","primary_figures":["two travelers/pilgrims","crowd of onlookers","tīrtha attendant"],"setting":"Stone steps descending into a sacred tank; the rock-island visible mid-water; banners, pots, and offerings scattered as people gather.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["riverstone gray","turquoise water","sunlit gold","vermillion","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: two richly dressed pilgrims arriving with joyful expressions; ornate ghāṭa architecture; central rock-island in stylized waves; gold leaf on jewelry and water highlights; saturated reds/greens with temple motifs framing the scene.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate figures of two travelers with refined features; gentle landscape with trees and steps; crowd rendered in small clusters; cool water tones with warm sunlight; fine detailing on garments and gestures of wonder.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold-lined pilgrims in dynamic walking posture; expressive eyes; patterned ghāṭa steps; stylized water and rock; strong red-yellow-green palette with rhythmic crowd arrangement.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative vignette within ornate floral borders; two pilgrims at the lower edge, rock-island centered; lotus motifs floating; peacocks perched on steps; deep blues and gold accents emphasizing sacred wonder."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["crowd exclamations","footsteps on stone","water splashes","distant bell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत् + श्रुत्वा → तच्छ्रुत्वा (त् + श् → च्छ्); श्रुत्वा + अद्भुतवाक्यम् → श्रुत्वाद्भुतवाक्यम् (आ + अ → आ, द्-आगम); तौ + च + आगतौ → तौ चागतौ (च + आगतौ → चागतौ).
FAQs
It emphasizes wonder and verification: after hearing an astonishing account, the two characters arrive and directly witness the described mountain, confirming the claim through sight.
Not explicitly in this shloka alone; it mentions a “mountain” (śaila) without naming a specific tirtha. Any sacred-geography reading depends on the surrounding verses of Adhyaya 57.
It highlights the movement from testimony to experience: hearing (śravaṇa) leads to seeking and seeing (darśana), suggesting that sincere inquiry culminates in direct understanding.