Shloka 22
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
क्रोडो वर्षसहस्रं तु महिष्ययुतहायनम् । देवरूपं समास्थाय करिण्या लक्षमुच्यते
kroḍo varṣasahasraṃ tu mahiṣyayutahāyanam | devarūpaṃ samāsthāya kariṇyā lakṣamucyate
‘ക്രോഡ’ എന്നു പറയുന്നത് ആയിരം വര്ഷമത്രെ; ‘മഹിഷ്യയുതഹായനം’ പത്തായിരം വര്ഷത്തിന്റെ അളവ്. ദേവരൂപം സ്വീകരിച്ച് അതേ അളവിനെ കരിണി ‘ലക്ഷ’ എന്നു പറയുന്നു.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from Adhyaya 57 framing dialogue).
Concept: Cosmic time is vast and tiered; beings and forms (even animals in divine mode) participate in a larger ontological scale than ordinary perception.
Application: Use awareness of time’s immensity to reduce anxiety and ego; prioritize sādhana and dharma over short-term gain.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A majestic female elephant stands at the threshold of a celestial grove, her skin shimmering as if woven from starlight. Above her, floating glyphs of time-units—kroḍa, mahiṣīyuta, lakṣa—spiral like constellations, while a sage records the measures on a palm-leaf manuscript.","primary_figures":["divine-form female elephant (karīṇī)","a time-measuring rishi","celestial attendants"],"setting":"Celestial garden with kalpavṛkṣas and a luminous sky where time-units appear as astral symbols.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["silver","midnight blue","jade green","soft gold","smoky violet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: divine karīṇī with gold leaf highlights on tusks and ornaments, a rishi holding palm-leaf manuscript, astral time-glyphs in a circular halo, rich maroon and emerald background panels, gem-like detailing and ornate borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: elegant elephant rendered with delicate shading, cool nocturne palette, floating Devanāgarī-like time symbols among stars, a seated rishi writing, lyrical trees and gentle clouds, refined facial features and fine brushwork.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized elephant with bold outlines and patterned body, large expressive eyes, flat fields of blue and green, circular time-wheel motif above, temple-wall composition with rhythmic ornamentation.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical celestial grove with floral borders, the elephant centered like a sacred motif, time-glyphs arranged as a mandala, deep blue ground with gold accents, intricate vines and lotus patterns."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft mridangam pulse","night insects","distant temple bell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: varṣa+sahasram → varṣasahasraṃ (anusvāra); kariṇyā+lakṣam+ucyate → kariṇyā lakṣamucyate (m+u → mu).
FAQs
It functions as an enumerative definition of named measures (e.g., kroḍa, lakṣa) using year-based spans, a common Purāṇic style for expressing vast quantities and durations.
Purāṇic passages sometimes attribute classifications or counts to symbolic speakers or exemplars; here, the kariṇī is presented as the source/voice by which the term ‘lakṣa’ is ‘said’. The broader narrative context of Adhyaya 57 would clarify the rhetorical purpose.
The verse reinforces the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa’s encyclopedic tendency to systematize creation-era concepts—here, by formalizing large-scale measures through named units and expansive time spans.