Shloka 6
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
तोयैरन्नादिपाकैश्च प्रसन्नो मानवो भवेत् । प्राणानां च विनान्नैश्च धारणन्नैव जायते
toyairannādipākaiśca prasanno mānavo bhavet | prāṇānāṃ ca vinānnaiśca dhāraṇannaiva jāyate
तोयैः पक्तान्नादिभिश्च प्रसन्नो मानवो भवेत्; अन्नविना तु प्राणधारणं कदाचन न जायते।
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from Adhyaya 57 to identify the dialogue frame).
Concept: Embodied life (prāṇa-dhāraṇa) depends upon anna and jala; contentment arises from basic sustenance, so providing these is a primary dharmic good.
Application: Cultivate gratitude before meals, avoid waste of food and water, and prioritize feeding and watering others as daily seva.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene village threshold at dawn: a householder offers a brass lota of water and a leaf-plate of freshly cooked rice to travelers and ascetics. In the background, a small shrine to Viṣṇu with a lamp suggests that daily sustenance is also worship, and the air feels cool and life-giving.","primary_figures":["householder (gṛhastha)","travelers/wayfarers","wandering ascetic (bhikṣu)","Vishnu (small shrine icon)"],"setting":"rural courtyard with tulasi platform hinted at the side, cooking hearth, earthen pots, and a path leading to fields","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["saffron ochre","brass gold","rice-white","leaf green","sky blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a gṛhastha offering anna (steaming rice) and jala in a brass vessel to a seated ascetic, with a small Viṣṇu shrine behind; gold leaf halos, rich vermilion and emerald textiles, ornate jewelry, carved wooden doorway, and stylized lotus borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: dawn in a quiet village courtyard, delicate lines and soft washes; a humble food-and-water offering scene with refined faces, distant fields and trees, cool blue shadows, and lyrical naturalism emphasizing calm contentment.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; central figure offering water and cooked rice, a lamp-lit Viṣṇu niche, rhythmic decorative patterns, large expressive eyes, and a warm red-yellow-green palette.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional courtyard scene framed by lotus and creeper borders; subtle Viṣṇu presence as shrine icon, attendants offering water and prasāda, intricate floral motifs, deep indigo background with gold highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft temple bell","morning birds","gentle water pour","low silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तोयैरन्नादिपाकैश्च → तोयैः अन्नादिपाकैः च; विनान्नैश्च → विना अन्नैः च; धारणन्नैव → धारणम् न एव
FAQs
It states that water and properly prepared food are foundational for human contentment and that life cannot be sustained without nourishment.
It directly links the maintenance of the life-breaths (prāṇa-dhāraṇa) to the presence of food, asserting that without food such sustaining is impossible.
It supports the dharmic value of providing food and water—implying that feeding others and ensuring access to basic sustenance is a life-supporting act.