Shloka 18
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
सहस्राद्द्विगुणेनैव सुरपूज्यो भवेन्नरः । जंतवस्तत्र ये संति यावंतो जीवनं ययुः
sahasrāddviguṇenaiva surapūjyo bhavennaraḥ | jaṃtavastatra ye saṃti yāvaṃto jīvanaṃ yayuḥ
सहस्राद्द्विगुणेनैव सुरपूज्यो भवेन्नरः । जन्तवस्तत्र ये सन्ति यावन्तो जीवनं ययुः ॥
Unspecified (context not provided; likely within a Purāṇic narrator-dialogue frame)
Concept: Greatly intensified merit can elevate a person to deva-honored stature; beings there experience life to its full ordained span.
Application: Aim for integrity and sustained practice rather than short bursts; remember that even the highest worldly/celestial honor is secondary to devotion and liberation.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A human ascetic-devotee stands on a lotus dais in a celestial court as devas offer garlands and arghya, acknowledging merit magnified beyond measure. Around them, serene beings move unhurriedly, suggesting lives that unfold to their full allotted span beneath a star-laced canopy.","primary_figures":["meritorious human (ascetic/devotee)","Indra (as representative deva)","devas","apsarases","gandharvas"],"setting":"Svarga’s assembly hall with crystal columns, cloud-thrones, and lotus platforms.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sunlit gold","cloud white","turquoise","coral pink","lapis blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: celestial sabhā with Indra and devas garlanding a human devotee on a lotus pedestal; gold leaf everywhere—halos, pillars, ornaments; rich reds/greens, gem-studded crowns, symmetrical court composition, ornate arch framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate svarga court with soft clouds and fine jewelry details; devas offering garlands; the honored human calm and humble; cool mountain-like palette with lyrical spacing and refined facial features.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold-outlined Indra and devas in temple-wall aesthetic; the human devotee centered on lotus; stylized clouds and floral motifs; strong red/yellow/green with deep blues, characteristic eyes and ornaments.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional court scene framed by lotus borders; repeated garland motifs indicating ‘thousandfold’; musicians and peacocks at margins; deep blue ground with gold highlights, symmetrical Nathdwara-inspired layout."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"celebratory","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","temple bells","celestial drums (mridanga-like)","soft choir-like humming"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sahasrāt+dviguṇena+eva → sahasrāddviguṇenaiva; bhavet+naraḥ → bhavennaraḥ; jaṃtavaḥ+tatra → jaṃtavastatra; ye+santi → ye saṃti (anusvāra); yāvantaḥ+jīvanam → yāvaṃto jīvanaṃ (anusvāra); jīvanam+yayuḥ → jīvanaṃ yayuḥ (anusvāra).
FAQs
It promises extraordinarily increased merit—so great that a person becomes worthy of worship even by the gods—and it also states that beings living there attain their full allotted lifespan.
Not in this shloka alone. It refers to “there” (tatra), implying a location described in the surrounding verses of Adhyaya 57.
It emphasizes the Purāṇic idea that association with a highly sacred place or practice yields amplified spiritual merit and supports well-being (here, longevity) for those who dwell within its sphere.