Shloka 42
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
सखीनां चोपकर्तॄणां खातं खात्वाऽक्षयं फलम् । तपस्विनामनाथानां ब्राह्मणानां विशेषतः
sakhīnāṃ copakartṝṇāṃ khātaṃ khātvā'kṣayaṃ phalam | tapasvināmanāthānāṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ viśeṣataḥ
స్నేహితులకూ ఉపకారకులకూ, ముఖ్యంగా తపస్వులు మరియు అనాథ బ్రాహ్మణుల హితార్థం బావి/చెరువు తవ్వితే అక్షయ ఫలం లభిస్తుంది.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from Adhyaya 57 frame dialogue).
Concept: Creating water sources as dāna (khāta-karaṇa) yields akṣaya-phala, especially when aimed at the vulnerable—ascetics and helpless brāhmaṇas.
Application: Support water access: fund wells, rainwater harvesting, community taps; prioritize those without support; dedicate the act as an offering to Viṣṇu and for loka-saṅgraha.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On a sun-warmed village edge, devotees dig a deep well lined with stone rings while a tapasvin brāhmaṇa and weary travelers wait with empty pots. As the first clear water rises, women offer lamps and flowers at the rim, transforming a practical act into a sacred gift.","primary_figures":["householder donors","laborers digging the well","tapasvin brāhmaṇa","helpless seekers (anāthāḥ)","friends/benefactors receiving water"],"setting":"Rural crossroads with neem and peepal trees, earthen pots, stone-lined well, small shrine niche with Viṣṇu symbol (śaṅkha-cakra) near the water source.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["earth ochre","turmeric yellow","leaf green","clay red","water blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a stone-lined well at center with gold-leaf haloed water surface; donors offering kalasha and flowers; a serene tapasvin brāhmaṇa seated nearby; ornate border with śaṅkha-cakra motifs, rich reds and greens, embossed gold highlights on vessels and jewelry, devotional symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: village landscape with delicate trees and distant hills; figures in gentle motion digging and offering water; refined faces, soft shading; cool blues for water contrasted with warm ochres of earth; lyrical realism and compassionate mood.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized well and figures; prominent kalasha and lotus offerings; warm red/yellow/green palette; large expressive eyes on tapasvin and donors; temple-wall compositional clarity with auspicious motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central well framed by lotus borders and floral vines; peacocks perched on nearby branches; deep blue accents for water; gold detailing on pots and ornaments; devotional abundance emphasizing jaladāna as sacred offering."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["spade striking earth","water trickle","village birds","soft bell at offering","tanpura drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: च + उपकर्तॄणाम् → चोपकर्तॄणाम् (अ + उ → ओ); खात्वा + अक्षयम् → खात्वाऽक्षयम् (आ + अ → आऽ).
FAQs
It praises digging a well or water source as a dharmic act that yields an imperishable (akṣaya) spiritual reward.
Ascetics (tapasvins), the helpless (anāthas), and particularly brāhmaṇas are singled out as especially deserving.
Public-benefit charity—especially providing water—becomes spiritually enduring when directed with compassion toward vulnerable and virtuous people.