Shloka 42
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
सखीनां चोपकर्तॄणां खातं खात्वाऽक्षयं फलम् । तपस्विनामनाथानां ब्राह्मणानां विशेषतः
sakhīnāṃ copakartṝṇāṃ khātaṃ khātvā'kṣayaṃ phalam | tapasvināmanāthānāṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ viśeṣataḥ
Dengan menggali perigi atau takungan air, seseorang memperoleh pahala yang tidak binasa—terutama apabila dilakukan demi sahabat dan para pembalas budi, dan khususnya untuk brāhmaṇa yang bertapa serta tidak bernaung.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from Adhyaya 57 frame dialogue).
Concept: Creating water sources as dāna (khāta-karaṇa) yields akṣaya-phala, especially when aimed at the vulnerable—ascetics and helpless brāhmaṇas.
Application: Support water access: fund wells, rainwater harvesting, community taps; prioritize those without support; dedicate the act as an offering to Viṣṇu and for loka-saṅgraha.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On a sun-warmed village edge, devotees dig a deep well lined with stone rings while a tapasvin brāhmaṇa and weary travelers wait with empty pots. As the first clear water rises, women offer lamps and flowers at the rim, transforming a practical act into a sacred gift.","primary_figures":["householder donors","laborers digging the well","tapasvin brāhmaṇa","helpless seekers (anāthāḥ)","friends/benefactors receiving water"],"setting":"Rural crossroads with neem and peepal trees, earthen pots, stone-lined well, small shrine niche with Viṣṇu symbol (śaṅkha-cakra) near the water source.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["earth ochre","turmeric yellow","leaf green","clay red","water blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a stone-lined well at center with gold-leaf haloed water surface; donors offering kalasha and flowers; a serene tapasvin brāhmaṇa seated nearby; ornate border with śaṅkha-cakra motifs, rich reds and greens, embossed gold highlights on vessels and jewelry, devotional symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: village landscape with delicate trees and distant hills; figures in gentle motion digging and offering water; refined faces, soft shading; cool blues for water contrasted with warm ochres of earth; lyrical realism and compassionate mood.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized well and figures; prominent kalasha and lotus offerings; warm red/yellow/green palette; large expressive eyes on tapasvin and donors; temple-wall compositional clarity with auspicious motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central well framed by lotus borders and floral vines; peacocks perched on nearby branches; deep blue accents for water; gold detailing on pots and ornaments; devotional abundance emphasizing jaladāna as sacred offering."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["spade striking earth","water trickle","village birds","soft bell at offering","tanpura drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: च + उपकर्तॄणाम् → चोपकर्तॄणाम् (अ + उ → ओ); खात्वा + अक्षयम् → खात्वाऽक्षयम् (आ + अ → आऽ).
FAQs
It praises digging a well or water source as a dharmic act that yields an imperishable (akṣaya) spiritual reward.
Ascetics (tapasvins), the helpless (anāthas), and particularly brāhmaṇas are singled out as especially deserving.
Public-benefit charity—especially providing water—becomes spiritually enduring when directed with compassion toward vulnerable and virtuous people.