Shloka 9
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन वापीकूपतटाककम् । कारयेच्च बलैः सर्वैस्तथा सर्वधनेन च
tasmātsarvaprayatnena vāpīkūpataṭākakam | kārayecca balaiḥ sarvaistathā sarvadhanena ca
Darum soll man mit allem Eifer Brunnen, Teiche und Wasserbecken anlegen lassen, mit aller Kraft und ebenso mit allem Vermögen.
Unspecified (narratorial injunction within Adhyaya 57; traditional dialog context not explicit from the single verse)
Concept: One should exert full effort—strength and wealth—to create water sources; dharma is enacted through tangible, community-sustaining works.
Application: Support rainwater harvesting, repair local ponds, fund community water projects, and treat such giving as sacred duty rather than charity alone.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A bustling yet sacred construction scene: villagers dig a pond while masons line the edges with stone steps, and a patron offers coins and grain to workers. A priest marks the site with a small kalasha and mantra, implying that building a reservoir is itself a consecration of the land.","primary_figures":["village patron (dānapati)","masons and diggers","priest performing sankalpa","women carrying water pots (symbolic)"],"setting":"semi-arid village outskirts with newly dug tank, stone steps, tools, carts, and a small ritual corner with kalasha","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sunlit sandstone","earth brown","turmeric yellow","peacock blue","white limestone"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: grand public-work tableau—patron commissioning a stepwell/pond, workers in dynamic poses, priest with kalasha; gold leaf accents on ritual vessels and ornaments, rich reds/greens, architectural stone-step geometry, ornate borders with lotus and conch motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lively village landscape with delicate figures digging a pond, soft hills in distance, cool sky gradients; refined expressions, detailed tools, and a lyrical sense of communal harmony.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; rhythmic procession of workers, patron offering dāna, priest at a small altar; warm earthy pigments, stylized stone steps, temple-aesthetic composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical composition centered on a newly formed tank, floral borders and lotus motifs; patron and workers arranged in devotional order, deep blue and gold highlights, auspicious kalasha iconography."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["spade striking earth","chants of sankalpa","distant conch","community murmurs"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन = तस्मात् + सर्वप्रयत्नेन; कारयेच्च = कारयेत् + च; सर्वैस्तथा = सर्वैः + तथा.
FAQs
It emphasizes dharmic public benefaction: creating water resources (wells, ponds, tanks) as a meritorious act that serves society.
Indirectly. By encouraging the creation of water bodies, it supports the broader Purāṇic ideal of sustaining places of pilgrimage and community life through accessible water.
Use one’s capacity—both effort and wealth—for common good, prioritizing essential resources like water as a form of righteous giving.