Shloka 28
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
एवमुक्ते स तं प्राह वासरेप्ययुतं पुनः । फलं भवति वै नित्यं पुण्यं पुण्यविदो विदुः
evamukte sa taṃ prāha vāsarepyayutaṃ punaḥ | phalaṃ bhavati vai nityaṃ puṇyaṃ puṇyavido viduḥ
ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ അവൻ മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു— “ഒരു ദിവസത്തിൽ പത്തായിരം പ്രാവശ്യം ചെയ്താലും അതിന്റെ ഫലം നിത്യമായി നിർഭ്രാന്തമായി ലഭിക്കും; പുണ്യത്തെ അറിയുന്നവർ ഇങ്ങനെ തന്നെയാണ് പറയുന്നത്.”
Unspecified (a male speaker replying in a dialogue; not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Concept: A genuinely meritorious act yields fruit unfailingly; repetition multiplies merit when the act is dharmic and properly grounded.
Application: Choose one clear dharmic service (e.g., supporting water, food, learning, temple cleanliness) and do it consistently; consistency is spiritual compounding.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two men stand in debate near a public gathering; one speaks with calm certainty, raising a hand as if counting repetitions, while the other listens, surprised. Behind them, artisans and villagers continue a meritorious work—carrying stones and water pots—suggesting that repeated service creates steady, inexhaustible merit.","primary_figures":["speaker asserting nitya-phala","listener/interlocutor","villagers/workers"],"setting":"Edge of a village sabha near a construction site for a tank or well; palm trees, tools, and water pots indicate ongoing public welfare work.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sunlit gold","clay terracotta","leaf green","sky cyan","chalk white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a didactic scene—speaker with raised instructive hand declares unfailing fruit even if repeated ten thousand times; background shows villagers building a tank/well; gold leaf highlights on gestures, ornaments, and water motifs; rich reds/greens with devotional clarity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: conversational tableau with refined expressions; subtle counting gesture; background workers in lyrical landscape; cool blues and greens, delicate brushwork, narrative clarity without heaviness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized figures in teaching posture; background of communal service with water pots; warm earthy pigments, temple-wall aesthetic, emphasis on moral instruction.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: border of repeating lotus motifs symbolizing repetition of merit; central figures in discourse; background shows a water-tank with lotuses; deep blues and gold, intricate repetition patterns echoing ‘ten thousand times’."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["steady drum tanpura drone","distant water splashes","soft crowd hush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vāsarepyayutam = vāsare + api + ayutam; puṇyavido = puṇya-vidaḥ (visarga sandhi before voiced consonant).
FAQs
It states that even if the act is repeated “ten thousand times in a day,” its result still arises certainly and is counted as lasting merit (puṇya).
Yes. The phrase “phalaṃ bhavati vai nityam” highlights that the fruit is dependable and consistently manifests as merit.
The verse encourages perseverance in meritorious practice, suggesting that sincere repetition strengthens virtue and yields reliable spiritual benefit.