Shloka 38
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
शिलोच्चयोऽभवत्तीर्णो द्वीपवच्च जलोपरि । ततः कोलाहलः शब्दो जनानां समुपस्थितः
śiloccayo'bhavattīrṇo dvīpavacca jalopari | tataḥ kolāhalaḥ śabdo janānāṃ samupasthitaḥ
Une haute masse de roche s’éleva, se tenant au‑dessus des eaux comme une île. Alors s’éleva de toutes parts un tumulte retentissant, la rumeur d’une foule rassemblée.
Narrator (contextual voice of the Purāṇic narration; specific speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Concept: Sacred narratives portray dharma’s power to reshape the physical world; extraordinary signs arise around tīrthas to awaken faith.
Application: Treat sudden changes and ‘signs’ with humility; respond by seeking dharmic counsel rather than panic; use wonder to deepen devotion.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"From a vast expanse of churning water, a towering rock mass thrusts upward, shedding cascades and mist, forming an island-like pinnacle. Crowds gather on the shore and ghāṭa steps, pointing and shouting as spray catches the light, turning the air into glittering veils.","primary_figures":["astonished townspeople/pilgrims","tīrtha guardians/attendants"],"setting":"A broad sacred waterbody with stone ghāṭas, distant trees, and a newly risen rocky ‘island’ at the center.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["stormy slate blue","sunrise gold","granite gray","mist white","deep green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic central rock-island rising from stylized waves; gold leaf highlights on spray and sunrise; pilgrims in bright garments on ornate ghāṭa steps; rich reds and greens, heavy jewelry details, and a temple tower silhouette in the background.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical landscape with delicate wave patterns; the rock-island rendered with fine texture; small figures clustered along the bank; soft dawn gradient sky, cool blues and warm golds balanced, refined facial expressions of astonishment.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and rhythmic water motifs; the rock mass as a stylized mountain form; crowds in profile with expressive eyes; strong primary pigments with a radiant yellow dawn band across the horizon.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus-ringed waterbody with an emerging rocky mound; ornate floral borders, peacocks at the edges, deep indigo water with gold wave accents; devotional symbolism subtly integrated (lotus mandala around the ‘island’)."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["roaring water","crowd murmur","conch shell blast","temple bells"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शिलोच्चयः + अभवत् → शिलोच्चयोऽभवत् (अः + अ → ओऽ); द्वीपवत् + च → द्वीपवच्च (त् + च → च्च); जल + उपरि → जलोपरि (अ + उ → ओ); सम् + उपस्थितः → समुपस्थितः (अनुस्वार/उपसर्ग-सन्धि).
FAQs
It portrays a landform (a rocky mass) emerging above the waters like an island, a common Purāṇic motif for the manifestation of habitable space from primordial waters.
Not explicitly. It uses geographic imagery—an island-like rise above water—and notes the gathering noise of people, which may contextually precede a sacred-site narrative, but the verse itself does not name a tīrtha.
It signals a sudden collective human presence or reaction to the emerging formation, marking a shift from mere description of a phenomenon to a social event within the story.