Shloka 10
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
ततो विनिर्जले देशो यो ददाति जलाशयम् । वासरे वासरे तस्य कल्पं स्वर्गं विनिर्दिशेत्
tato vinirjale deśo yo dadāti jalāśayam | vāsare vāsare tasya kalpaṃ svargaṃ vinirdiśet
So gilt: Wer in einem wasserlosen Land ein Wasserbecken stiftet — Tag um Tag wird für ihn ein Aufenthalt im Himmel für die Dauer eines Kalpa verkündet.
Unspecified (narrative voice; speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Concept: Sustaining life through water-giving yields extraordinary merit—kalpa-long svarga—because the gift continuously serves beings day after day.
Application: Prioritize long-term, maintenance-based giving (build + maintain water sources), especially where scarcity is severe; measure charity by sustained impact.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A parched landscape cracks under the sun, yet at its center a newly built reservoir gleams like a mirror, drawing people, cattle, and birds in grateful circles. Above, a subtle celestial vision opens: apsarases scatter flowers and a radiant svarga-path appears, suggesting the donor’s kalpa-long heavenly reward earned through daily relief of thirst.","primary_figures":["donor (jalāśaya-kartā)","villagers and travelers","cattle and birds","celestial beings (apsaras/gandharvas)"],"setting":"arid plain with a stone-lined tank/stepwell, sparse trees, water carriers, and a faint celestial aperture in the sky","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sun-bleached ochre","aquamarine","white stone","marigold gold","sky cobalt"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic contrast of arid earth and luminous reservoir; donor in regal attire, villagers and animals drinking; celestial beings above with gold leaf radiance, flower shower, ornate jewelry, and richly patterned borders emphasizing svarga-phala.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: poetic arid landscape softened by a bright water tank; delicate figures gathering, birds swooping; a translucent celestial realm in the upper register, cool blues against warm ochres, refined and lyrical.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; central reservoir as a sacred mandala, donor and beneficiaries arranged rhythmically; celestial band above with stylized clouds, warm pigments and iconic eyes, temple-wall grandeur.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: reservoir centered like a lotus pond motif; floral borders, repeated water-pot patterns, animals and devotees in symmetrical arcs; deep blue and gold highlights with a celestial garland canopy indicating svarga."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"celebratory","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","temple bells","water filling a tank","crowd murmurs","distant thunder (rain omen)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: No major external sandhi beyond standard euphony; vinirjale is locative used adverbially with deśaḥ (sense: 'in a waterless place').
FAQs
It praises jalāśaya-dāna—creating or donating a water reservoir (pond/tank) especially in a water-scarce region.
The verse states a kalpa-long enjoyment of heaven (svarga) for the one who provides such a water source.
Sustaining life through public benefit—ensuring access to water in difficult places—is presented as a supremely meritorious and socially responsible form of giving.