Shloka 50
Praise of the Merits of Sacred Ponds, Tree-Planting, and Water-Charities
स्वर्गाच्चैवाच्युतो मर्त्यो देवैरपि प्रपूज्यते । मासमेकं तु यो दद्यात्प्रपां ग्रीष्मेथ निर्जले
svargāccaivācyuto martyo devairapi prapūjyate | māsamekaṃ tu yo dadyātprapāṃ grīṣmetha nirjale
Selbst ein Sterblicher, der aus dem Himmel gefallen ist, wird sogar von den Göttern geehrt, wenn er im trockenen Sommer in einer wasserlosen Gegend für einen Monat eine prapā, eine öffentliche Trinkstelle, bereitstellt.
Unspecified in provided excerpt (context needed from Adhyaya 58 framing dialogue).
Concept: Compassionate public service—especially water-giving in drought—restores honor and earns divine reverence.
Application: Sponsor or maintain a clean drinking-water point in summer; ensure accessibility, hygiene, and continuity for at least a month; treat it as worship.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a blazing summer landscape, a shaded prapā stands at a crossroads: earthen pots sweat cool droplets while travelers cup their hands for water. A donor quietly replenishes the pots, and the scene subtly suggests unseen devas honoring the act with a gentle radiance.","primary_figures":["donor maintaining prapā","thirsty travelers","subtle celestial witnesses (devas, optional)"],"setting":"Dusty road in a waterless region, thatched canopy, earthen ghatas on a wooden stand, small sign of dharma (tilaka/flag) nearby.","lighting_mood":"high-noon glare softened by shade","color_palette":["sun-baked ochre","terracotta","palm-leaf green","chalk white","cool turquoise"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a roadside prapā under a decorated canopy; large terracotta pots with gold-highlighted rims; travelers receiving water; donor with devotional demeanor; faint gold-leaf aura indicating deva-approval, rich reds and greens in textiles, ornate borders with mango-leaf motifs and tiny bells.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: arid hills and a winding road; delicate figures under a small shaded kiosk; cool wash of turquoise water contrasting warm ochres; refined faces showing relief; sparse trees and distant heat haze rendered with lyrical restraint.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized canopy and pots with bold outlines; donor and travelers in rhythmic poses; warm red-yellow palette with green accents; symbolic divine presence as a haloed glow above the water pots, temple-art symmetry and patterned ground.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central prapā framed by floral borders; lotus and creeper motifs; peacocks near a water pot; deep blue decorative background with gold detailing; the act of jaladāna presented as offering to Hari through service to pilgrims."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["earthen pot water pour","distant footsteps","hot wind hush","small bell chime"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: svargāccaivācyuto → स्वर्गात् + च + एव + अच्युतः; devairapi → देवैः + अपि; dadyātprapāṃ → दद्यात् + प्रपाम्; grīṣmetha → ग्रीष्मे + अथ.
FAQs
It elevates practical compassion—ensuring drinking water in harsh summer conditions—as a supremely meritorious act that earns honor even from the gods.
A prapā is a public drinking-water arrangement—such as a shaded water-stand, booth, or rest-stop—set up for travelers and locals, especially during summer.
Though Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa includes cosmological themes, it also stresses dharma in lived society; here, social welfare (water charity) is framed as spiritually transformative merit.