Shloka 25
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
कालेन कियता चापि क्षीणवित्तोऽभवत्किल । कश्चिदर्थी धनी तस्य मूल्यदानाय चोद्यतः
kālena kiyatā cāpi kṣīṇavitto'bhavatkila | kaścidarthī dhanī tasya mūlyadānāya codyataḥ
कालेन कियता चापि सः क्षीणवित्तोऽभवत् किल। ततः कश्चिदर्थी धनी तस्य मूल्यदानाय चोद्यतः।
Unspecified narrator (contextual narration within Adhyaya 57; dialogue pair not explicit from this single verse)
Concept: Worldly fortune changes; dharma is tested when one becomes ‘kṣīṇa-vitta’ and is pressured by wealth and need—setting the stage for integrity, generosity, or compromise.
Application: Prepare for reversals: keep ethical boundaries, avoid selling sacred trust for quick gain, and cultivate simple living and steady devotion.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A once-prosperous patron sits in a modest hut, his empty granary and worn garments showing the passage of hard time. At the doorway stands a richly dressed man with a purse of coins, leaning forward with persuasive urgency, while the patron’s face reveals a quiet struggle between need and principle.","primary_figures":["the impoverished benefactor","a wealthy petitioner/buyer","a silent family member or witness (optional)"],"setting":"A humble village dwelling near the earlier reservoir, with distant steps of the water tank faintly visible—linking past merit to present trial.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["dusty brown","muted saffron","steel gray","pale turquoise","deep maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: interior-exterior threshold scene with gold leaf accenting the coin purse and a faint sacred aura from past merit, rich textile patterns on the wealthy man, subdued tones on the poor patron, ornate border framing a moral drama.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate domestic scene with delicate expressions, soft shading, a persuasive figure at the doorway, minimal props (empty jars, worn mat), distant reservoir hinted in the landscape, refined linework emphasizing emotion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and simplified forms, strong contrast between the rich petitioner’s saturated colors and the poor patron’s muted palette, expressive eyes conveying inner conflict, narrative clarity like a temple-panel episode.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: stylized hut and doorway framed by ornate floral borders, coin motifs repeated as pattern elements, distant reservoir rendered as a lotus-water emblem, deep background hues with gold accents to heighten moral tension."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["dry wind","soft footsteps","coin jingle (subtle)","distant water sound","brief silence after the verse"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kṣīṇavitto'bhavatkila = kṣīṇa-vittaḥ + abhavat + kila; kaścidarthī = kaścit + arthī; codyataḥ = ca + udyataḥ.
FAQs
It describes a person who, over time, becomes poor, and then a wealthy man approaches him seeking something and is ready to pay the proper price.
Implicitly, it highlights changing fortune and suggests a norm of fair exchange—someone seeking a thing should be prepared to give its due value.
This single verse does not identify the speaker; it reads like narrative exposition. The exact speaker can be confirmed by surrounding verses in Adhyaya 57.