Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 21
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
उपदेष्टा च कर्त्ता च षडेते स्वर्गगामिनः । दिव्यं च पक्षिणां चैव शतं स्वर्गं विनिर्दिशेत्
upadeṣṭā ca karttā ca ṣaḍete svargagāminaḥ | divyaṃ ca pakṣiṇāṃ caiva śataṃ svargaṃ vinirdiśet
Ang tagapagturo at ang gumagawa—ang anim na uring ito’y sinasabing umaabot sa langit. Bukod dito, ipahayag din ang isang “dibinong” langit para sa mga ibon; tunay, isang daang langit ang binabanggit.
Unspecified (narrative voice within Adhyaya 57; dialogue context not provided in the input)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ṣaṭ+ete → ṣaḍete (ṭ+e → ḍe); ca+eva → caiva.
FAQs
It emphasizes that both the one who teaches (upadeṣṭā) and the one who performs (kartā) share merit, and it presents a broader cosmology where multiple kinds of “heavens” (svarga) are described.
It points to an expansive Purāṇic cosmology in which different beings can have corresponding celestial destinies, and it suggests that “svarga” is not a single uniform realm but described in many gradations or categories.
The verse implies shared responsibility and shared merit: guidance and execution are both spiritually consequential, so teaching dharma and acting upon it are jointly valued.