Shloka 3
Praise of the Merits of Sacred Ponds, Tree-Planting, and Water-Charities
अन्यत्र रोपणं कृत्वा शाखिनां यत्फलं लभेत् । ततो जलसमीपे तु लक्षकोटिगुणं भवेत्
anyatra ropaṇaṃ kṛtvā śākhināṃ yatphalaṃ labhet | tato jalasamīpe tu lakṣakoṭiguṇaṃ bhavet
Welches Verdienst man auch durch das Pflanzen von Bäumen anderswo erlangt—dieselbe Tat, nahe am Wasser vollbracht, wird um hundert Millionen (lakṣa-koṭi) vervielfacht.
Not explicitly identifiable from the single verse (context needed from surrounding verses of Adhyāya 58).
Concept: The same righteous act yields exponentially greater fruit when performed in a sanctifying context—near water—showing that intention plus sacred setting intensifies karma-phala.
Application: Prioritize dharmic acts that combine spiritual and public benefit: plant and maintain trees near rivers/ponds/ghats; support water conservation and green belts around sacred waters.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two parallel scenes unfold like a diptych: on one side, a lone planter sets a sapling in dry inland soil; on the other, the same act occurs beside shimmering water, where the sapling’s aura erupts into a vast mandala of light—suggesting ‘lakṣa-koṭi’ multiplication. The river reflects the sky like a mirror of dharma, and the planted grove forms a protective green halo around the water’s edge.","primary_figures":["householder planter","riverbank pilgrims","symbolic personification of Puṇya as radiant mandala"],"setting":"Split-scene landscape: inland field vs river/pond edge with ghats and reeds","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["emerald green","radiant gold","cerulean blue","white shimmer","earth umber"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: split-panel composition showing inland planting versus riverbank planting, gold leaf mandala exploding from the riverbank sapling to signify lakṣa-koṭi multiplication, ornate borders with lotus and conch, rich crimson/green garments, stylized waves with gold highlights, temple ghat elements and gem-like detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: elegant diptych landscape with delicate brushwork, one side dry ochre plains, the other side cool blue river with reeds, a sapling near water glowing softly, subtle visual metaphor of expanding light rings, refined figures and lyrical naturalism, distant hills and a small shrine.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and symbolic geometry, two scenes separated by a decorative vine, river rendered with patterned blue waves, the near-water sapling surrounded by concentric golden circles, planters in red-yellow-green, temple-wall aesthetic with floral borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical composition with a central river band, repeated lotus motifs, saplings arranged like a garland around water, deep indigo and gold highlights, peacocks and cows near the ghat, a radiant circular motif around the near-water planting to represent multiplied puṇya."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"celebratory","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","river surge","hand cymbals (tāla)","temple bells"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यत्फलं = यत् + फलम् (त् + फ → त्फ).
FAQs
It implies that proximity to water—rivers, lakes, ponds, or other water bodies associated with tīrtha-culture—intensifies the spiritual merit of good deeds, reflecting the Purāṇic view of waters as especially sanctifying places.
While not explicitly devotional in wording, it promotes a practical dharmic act (planting trees) linked to sacred waters, a common bhakti-adjacent ethic where service to creation and tīrtha-spaces is treated as spiritually potent and pleasing to the divine.
It teaches environmental and social ethics: planting trees is meritorious everywhere, but doing so where it benefits living beings most (near water sources that sustain life and pilgrimage) is portrayed as exceptionally fruitful.