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
ജലത്തിന്മേൽ ദ്വീപുപോലെ ഒരു ഉയർന്ന പാറക്കൂട്ടം ഉയർന്ന് നിലകൊണ്ടു, കടന്നെത്തിയതുപോലെ തോന്നി. തുടർന്ന് എല്ലാടവും ജനങ്ങളുടെ കോലാഹലശബ്ദം ഉയർന്നു।
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.