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
Ainsi, celui qui offre un réservoir d’eau en une contrée sans eau—jour après jour, pour lui l’on déclare un séjour au ciel durant un kalpa.
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.