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
కొంత కాలం గడిచిన తరువాత, అతడు ధనహీనుడయ్యాడని చెబుతారు. అప్పుడు ఏదో అవసరంతో వచ్చిన ఒక ధనవంతుడు అతనిని ప్రేరేపిస్తూ, దాని ధర చెల్లించేందుకు సిద్ధంగా ఉన్నాడు.
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.