Shloka 8
Karmas Leading to Hell and Heaven
Ethical Catalog of Destinies
सुकूपानां तडागानां प्रपानां च परंतप । सरसां चैव भेत्तारो नरा निरयगामिनः
sukūpānāṃ taḍāgānāṃ prapānāṃ ca paraṃtapa | sarasāṃ caiva bhettāro narā nirayagāminaḥ
O Feindeverbrenner, jene Männer, die gute Brunnen, Teiche, Trinkwasserstellen und Seen zerstören, sind dazu bestimmt, zur Hölle zu gehen.
Unspecified (context-dependent narrator addressing a listener as 'paraṃtapa')
Concept: Sabotaging communal water sources is a grave sin; protecting and maintaining water is a form of dharma and dāna.
Application: Support water conservation, maintain wells/ponds, avoid pollution, contribute to public drinking-water points; treat water as sacred and shared.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sun-scorched pilgrimage road shows a gleaming stepwell and a shaded prapā where travelers and animals drink; to one side, a vandal strikes the stone embankment, and the water darkens as Yama’s shadow falls behind him. Above, a translucent vision of Viṣṇu as the indwelling preserver ripples across the water’s surface, as if the lake itself were a mirror of dharma.","primary_figures":["pilgrims","village caretakers","animals (cow, deer, birds)","vandal/destroyer figure","Yama-dūta silhouettes","Vishnu (water-reflection vision)"],"setting":"Stepwell/pond complex on a pilgrimage route with a small shrine, stone ghats, and a prapā pavilion.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sunlit sandstone","turquoise water","burnt umber","conch white","shadow violet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: ornate stepwell with gold-leaf highlights on ghats and shrine; pilgrims offering water, cows drinking; a small narrative corner shows the destroyer cracking the embankment with darkened tones; Viṣṇu’s shimmering reflection in the pond rendered with gold accents; rich reds/greens, embossed borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: elegant stepwell architecture, delicate figures with water pots; dawn light on sandstone; a contrasting vignette of sabotage in cooler shadows; lyrical birds and trees, fine brushwork and gentle gradients.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized pond with geometric ghats; bold outlines; central prapā pavilion; symbolic Yama shadow behind the destroyer; Viṣṇu’s presence as a patterned water-mandala; strong primary pigments.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus-pond motif with ghats; border of water-pot (kalaśa) and lotus patterns; pilgrims and cows arranged symmetrically; a small admonitory panel of the destroyer near the edge; deep blues and gold with intricate floral filigree."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["water splashing at ghats","clay pot clinks","distant conch","morning birds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: परंतप = परम् + तप (तत्पुरुष-समास; अनुस्वार/ं लेखनभेदः); चैव = च + एव
FAQs
It frames the protection of public water sources—wells, ponds, water-stations, and lakes—as a serious moral duty; harming them is treated as a grave sin with severe consequences.
A prapā is a public drinking-water station (water-shed/rest stop). The verse highlights such facilities as communal lifelines; destroying them is condemned because it endangers and harms many beings.
Indirectly, yes: it treats water bodies and water infrastructure as sacred and socially vital assets, aligning with Purāṇic tīrtha-culture where water sites are protected and revered.