Shloka 17
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
एवं द्विस्त्रिश्चतुर्वापि गुणतो भोग्यमिष्यते । विस्तीर्णे प्रचुरं विद्धि सहस्रेणाच्युतो दिवः
evaṃ dvistriścaturvāpi guṇato bhogyamiṣyate | vistīrṇe pracuraṃ viddhi sahasreṇācyuto divaḥ
ดังนี้ ตามคุณแห่งบุญ ผลแห่งการเสวยย่อมเกิดได้สองครั้ง สามครั้ง หรือแม้สี่ครั้ง จงรู้เถิดว่าเมื่อแผ่กว้างย่อมอุดมล้นดุจพันเท่า และพระอจฺยุตะผู้ไม่เสื่อมสลายย่อมเป็นทิพย์แท้
Unspecified (context-dependent within Adhyaya 57; likely a narrator-sage speaking in the ongoing dialogue)
Concept: The experience of results multiplies according to the quality (guṇa) and extent of the act; Acyuta remains the imperishable divine ground beyond such measures.
Application: Attend to the ‘quality’ of practice—purity of intention, steadiness, and offering to Viṣṇu—rather than mere quantity; avoid reducing spirituality to tallying results.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A celestial ledger-like vision: luminous scales and garlands of numbers float among clouds, symbolizing fruits enjoyed two-, three-, and fourfold according to guṇa. Above the arithmetic of merit stands Acyuta as a calm, unmeasured radiance, dissolving the very notion of counting into divine presence.","primary_figures":["Acyuta (Viṣṇu)","celestial scribes (Chitragupta-like, symbolic)","gandharvas/apsarases (as ‘bhoga’ imagery)"],"setting":"A cloud-borne celestial hall with translucent pillars, starry canopy, and floating lotus platforms.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["opal white","sky blue","amethyst purple","golden amber","silver gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Acyuta centered with gold leaf aura; around him, symbolic scales, scrolls, and numbered garlands indicating multiplied fruits; apsarases and gandharvas in rich attire; heavy ornamentation, red-green contrasts, gem-like highlights, temple-icon framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: airy svarga scene with delicate clouds and fine-lined scrolls; subtle depiction of multiplication as repeated motifs (two/three/four garlands); Acyuta serene above, cool palette with lyrical naturalism and refined faces.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Acyuta with bold outlines and large eyes, surrounded by stylized symbols of measure (scrolls, lotuses in repeating sets); celestial musicians at the margins; strong reds/yellows/greens with deep blue deity form.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Viṣṇu-Kṛṣṇa mandala with repeated lotus clusters in sets of two, three, four; ornate borders, gold detailing on indigo ground; attendants and musicians arranged symmetrically, devotional abstraction of ‘counted’ merit."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft cymbals","distant conch","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: द्विस्त्रिश्चतुर्वापि = द्विः + त्रिः + चतुः + वा + अपि; सहस्रेणाच्युतो = सहस्रेण + अच्युतः.
FAQs
It indicates that the experienced result (bhogya) varies in multiplicity based on guṇa—i.e., the quality or merit of the cause—so superior qualities yield amplified outcomes.
Acyuta is a standard epithet of Vishnu meaning “the infallible/imperishable,” used to mark divine agency or divine nature within cosmological or merit-based descriptions.
The verse emphasizes qualitative refinement—purity of intent and excellence of action—suggesting that outcomes are not only about quantity of deeds but the inner and moral quality behind them.