Shloka 12
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
एवं जन्माष्टकं प्राप्य एकस्याक्षयमिष्यते । क्षत्त्रियाणां कुले जातः सार्वभौमो भवेन्नृपः
evaṃ janmāṣṭakaṃ prāpya ekasyākṣayamiṣyate | kṣattriyāṇāṃ kule jātaḥ sārvabhaumo bhavennṛpaḥ
So heißt es: Wer diese Folge von acht Geburten erlangt (oder beachtet), dem wird die Frucht eines einzigen Ritus unvergänglich. In der Linie der Kṣatriyas geboren, wird ein König zum Weltherrscher.
Unspecified (narratorial verse within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa; exact dialogue speaker not provided in the input)
Concept: A properly obtained/observed rite yields akṣaya (imperishable) fruit across births, culminating in high station and universal rulership when born among kṣatriyas.
Application: Invest in actions whose benefits compound—ethical discipline, charity, and devotion—so results become stable rather than fleeting; treat authority as service, not entitlement.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A symbolic wheel of eight births encircles a central altar, each segment showing a different life-stage, culminating in a crowned kṣatriya king receiving a radiant, imperishable boon. Above, a subtle celestial script glows, implying that one pure rite can echo through time into universal sovereignty.","primary_figures":["symbolic person across eight births","a crowned kṣatriya king (sārvabhauma)","sages witnessing the rite"],"setting":"Mythic court blended with a ritual pavilion—yajña-kuṇḍa in the foreground, royal throne in the background","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["royal blue","burnished gold","crimson","ivory","smoky sandalwood brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central yajña altar with flames, around it a circular mandala of eight life-panels, culminating in a jeweled king on a throne; heavy gold leaf on crown, halo, and mandala borders; rich reds/greens, ornate pillars, traditional symmetry and iconographic clarity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined court scene with a ritual pavilion, delicate depiction of sages and a young king receiving a boon; soft pastel architecture, lyrical clouds, fine textile patterns; cool palette with gold accents and gentle facial expressions.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines forming an eight-petaled mandala of births, central altar, and a large-eyed king figure; flat planes of red/yellow/green with stylized flames and ornamental borders, temple-wall gravitas.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: mandala composition with lotus-petal segments representing births, ornate floral borders, deep indigo ground with gold highlights; central auspicious altar and a crowned ruler as dharma-protector, peacocks and lotuses filling negative space."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["mridanga pulse","soft cymbals","courtly ambience","conch accent at key phrase","ritual fire crackle"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: एकस्याक्षयम् = एकस्य + अक्षयम्; भवेन्नृपः = भवेत् + नृपः (त् + न् → न्न्)
FAQs
It states that through attaining/observing the “eight births” (janmāṣṭaka), the result of a single act becomes imperishable, and that one born in a kṣatriya lineage becomes a universal sovereign king.
Sārvabhauma refers to a ruler whose sovereignty extends over the whole realm/earth—an idealized “universal monarch” in Purāṇic political imagination.
It emphasizes the Purāṇic theme that disciplined observances and meritorious acts yield enduring results, and it links spiritual merit with the ideal of righteous kingship and worldly responsibility.