Shloka 47
Praise of the Merits of Sacred Ponds, Tree-Planting, and Water-Charities
लक्षणं च प्रवक्ष्यामि प्रपायाः कीर्तिवर्धनम् । निर्जलेऽध्वनि पृक्ते च स्थाने कृत्वा च मंडपम्
lakṣaṇaṃ ca pravakṣyāmi prapāyāḥ kīrtivardhanam | nirjale'dhvani pṛkte ca sthāne kṛtvā ca maṃḍapam
Ipahahayag ko ngayon ang wastong katangian ng prapā na nagpapalago ng dangal: sa daang walang tubig, at sa angkop na pook, magtayo ng isang maṇḍapa, isang silungang pahingahan.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context-dependent narrator within Adhyaya 58)
Concept: Dharma is practical: choose the right place (deśa-kāla suitability) and build a shelter where need is greatest; fame (kīrti) follows service.
Application: Place help where it matters: identify ‘waterless roads’ in your context—underserved communities, transit hubs, hospitals—and create shade, water, and rest.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A barren, sun-cracked road stretches across a dry plain; at a carefully chosen crossroads, artisans raise a wooden-and-stone pavilion with carved posts and a thatched shade. A donor supervises with calm resolve as travelers approach from afar, the maṇḍapa standing like a dharmic oasis.","primary_figures":["Donor (gṛhastha)","Carpenters/masons","Approaching travelers"],"setting":"Waterless highway with sparse trees; newly constructed maṇḍapa beside a cleared resting area.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["sand beige","burnt sienna","palm green","stone gray","sky blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: construction of a roadside maṇḍapa with ornate pillars, donor holding a plan/scroll, workers lifting beams; gold-leaf accents on carvings, rich reds and greens, traditional architectural motifs and decorative borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle documentary scene—dry road, small pavilion rising, delicate brushwork on tools and timber; cool shadows under the new roof, distant travelers as tiny figures, lyrical realism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized workers and donor in profile, bold outlines; pavilion rendered as a temple-like canopy; warm pigment blocks, rhythmic patterning of the road and trees.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central pavilion framed by floral borders and lotus motifs; peacocks perched on beams, travelers approaching; deep blue ground with gold and white detailing, intricate textile ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["hammering wood","wind over dry road","footsteps","distant bell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nirjale'dhvani = nirjale adhvani.
FAQs
It frames public service—especially providing drinking water and shelter to travelers—as a meritorious dharmic act that brings lasting good reputation (kīrti).
It emphasizes need-based charity: the prapā should be placed where water is scarce and where travelers can practically access it, maximizing real benefit rather than symbolic giving.
The ethical focus is compassionate foresight—anticipating hardship on journeys and relieving it through infrastructure (a maṇḍapa and water provision) offered for the common good.