Shloka 3
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
पुष्करिण्या विशेषेण पूता या यज्ञकर्मणा । यत्फलं जलदानेन सर्वमत्रास्यि तच्छृणु
puṣkariṇyā viśeṣeṇa pūtā yā yajñakarmaṇā | yatphalaṃ jaladānena sarvamatrāsyi tacchṛṇu
കേൾക്കുക—യജ്ഞകർമ്മംകൊണ്ട് വിശേഷമായി പവിത്രമായ ഈ പുഷ്കരിണി, ജലദാനത്തിൽ നിന്നുണ്ടാകുന്ന പുണ്യഫലം എല്ലാം ഇവിടെ പൂർണ്ണമായി നൽകുന്നു।
Unspecified (context-dependent dialogue within Adhyaya 57; likely a narrator/teacher addressing a listener)
Concept: Sacred waters empowered by yajña amplify the merit of toya-dāna; place and ritual consecration intensify ethical giving.
Application: Offer clean drinking water (public pots, tanks, fountains), especially at temples and pilgrimage sites; support maintenance of temple tanks and water bodies.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lotus-filled puṣkariṇī gleams beside a yajña-vedi, its steps lined with lamps and garlands. Priests complete a fire-offering while devotees pour water into a charity vessel, and the pond’s surface reflects both flame and sky, suggesting that ritual sanctity has entered the waters themselves.","primary_figures":["yajamāna (sacrificer)","ṛtvij priests","devotees performing jala-dāna"],"setting":"Temple tank with stone ghats, adjacent yajña pavilion, lotus blooms and hanging bells","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lotus pink","deep teal","lamp gold","stone gray","vermillion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: grand puṣkariṇī with lotus clusters and stepped ghats; yajña fire at one side with priests, devotees offering water into ornate vessels; heavy gold leaf on lamps, water highlights, and halos; rich reds/greens, jewel-like ornamentation, symmetrical temple architecture framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: serene temple tank scene with delicate lotus rendering, fine ripples, and slender figures; soft evening light, refined facial features, lyrical composition with a small yajña pavilion and distant shrine spire.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized ghats and lotus pond with bold outlines; priests around a bright yajña flame, devotees holding water pots; strong red/yellow/green palette, temple-wall aesthetic with decorative borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate lotus motifs dominating the puṣkariṇī; intricate floral borders, deep indigo water with gold lotuses; devotees offering jala-dāna, a small shrine backdrop, peacocks perched on the border, dense Nathdwara-like detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["temple bells","yajña fire crackle","water pouring","soft Vedic chanting"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यत्फलं → यत् फलम्; सर्वमत्रास्यि → सर्वम् अत्र असि (पाठभेद: ‘अस्यि’ = ‘असि’); तच्छृणु → तत् शृणु
FAQs
It presents a sanctified puṣkariṇī (sacred pond) as a powerful tīrtha where the full merit of jaladāna (charitable giving of water) is obtained.
The verse says the puṣkariṇī becomes especially purified through yajña-karman (sacrificial rites), implying ritual consecration intensifies the site’s spiritual efficacy.
It upholds practical compassion: providing water—an essential resource—as a meritorious act, especially when done in a sacred context and with charitable intent.