Shloka 8
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
वस्त्रस्य धावनं रुच्यं भाजनानां तथैव च । तेनैव सर्वकार्यं च पानीयं मेध्यमेव च
vastrasya dhāvanaṃ rucyaṃ bhājanānāṃ tathaiva ca | tenaiva sarvakāryaṃ ca pānīyaṃ medhyameva ca
Dengan air itu, membasuh pakaian terasa menyenangkan, demikian juga membersihkan bejana; dengan air yang sama segala urusan terlaksana, dan air minum menjadi suci benar.
Unspecified (verse presented without explicit dialogue attribution in the provided excerpt)
Concept: Water enables śauca in daily life—washing garments and vessels—and makes drinking water wholesome; purity is both practical and spiritual.
Application: Keep water for drinking separate and protected; maintain cleanliness of kitchen and worship space; treat cleaning as seva rather than drudgery.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a simple yet orderly home, a devotee rinses brass vessels beside a stone water-pot while freshly washed white cloth dries on a line. A small altar with a lamp and conch indicates that cleanliness is in service of worship, and the scene feels crisp, bright, and quietly devotional.","primary_figures":["devotee गृहिणी/गृहस्थ","child helper (optional)"],"setting":"household courtyard/kitchen area with brass utensils, water pot, drying cloth, small Viṣṇu altar niche","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["brass gold","lime-washed white","indigo shadow","terracotta","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: domestic śauca scene—devotee washing brass vessels with pure water, white garments drying, small Viṣṇu shrine with gold leaf halo; rich reds/greens, ornate borders, gem-like highlights on utensils.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate household courtyard with delicate detailing of utensils and cloth folds; soft daylight, cool shadows, refined faces, and a calm devotional undertone.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; stylized kitchen courtyard, rhythmic patterns on vessels, lamp-lit shrine niche, warm ochres and greens with characteristic facial features.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical courtyard composition with floral borders; repeated vessel motifs, small shrine at center, deep blue background with gold and white accents, lotus patterns subtly integrated."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["water splashing softly","clink of brass vessels","distant bell","quiet household ambience"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तथैव = तथा + एव; तेनैव = तेन + एव; मेध्यमेव = मेध्यम् + एव.
FAQs
It praises a particular kind of water (or cleansing agent implied by context) as effective for washing garments and utensils, useful for all tasks, and capable of rendering drinking water ritually pure (medhya).
Both: it speaks in the language of ritual purity (medhya) while also describing practical cleansing of clothes and vessels.
'Medhya' indicates not only physical cleanliness but also ritual acceptability—fit for sacred use and for consumption according to dharmic norms.