Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 58
Annadāna and the Obstruction of Viṣṇu-Darśana; Vāmadeva’s Teaching and the Vāsudeva Stotra Prelude
मानवानां महाराज वापिताः प्रददंति च । फलमेवं न संदेहो यादृशं तादृशं ध्रुवम्
mānavānāṃ mahārāja vāpitāḥ pradadaṃti ca | phalamevaṃ na saṃdeho yādṛśaṃ tādṛśaṃ dhruvam
اے مہاراج! لوگ جو تالاب اور آبی ذخیرے بنواتے ہیں وہ بھی اپنا پھل عطا کرتے ہیں۔ اس میں کوئی شک نہیں؛ جیسا عمل ویسا ہی یقینی نتیجہ ہوتا ہے۔
Unspecified (addressing a king: 'mahārāja')
Concept: Public welfare works (like building reservoirs) yield definite fruits proportionate to the deed.
Application: Support water conservation, wells/ponds, and community resources without expecting immediate praise; treat civic service as worship.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A drought-touched village edge transforms as a newly built stone-lined reservoir fills with clear water. Travelers, cows, and ascetics gather at the steps while a king listens to a sage who points to the shimmering pond as a living emblem of karma’s sure return.","primary_figures":["a listening king (rājan)","a teaching sage/narrator","villagers","cows","pilgrims"],"setting":"earthy rural landscape with a stepped tank (vāpī), banyan tree, small shrine to Viṣṇu nearby, water pots and lotus leaves at the edge","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","turquoise water","lotus pink","leaf green","sunlit gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a benevolent king receiving instruction from a sage beside a newly consecrated stepped reservoir, Viṣṇu’s small shrine in the background, gold leaf halos, rich crimson and emerald textiles, ornate jewelry, embossed gold detailing on the tank steps and lotus motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical riverside-tank scene with delicate brushwork, soft dawn sky, slender figures of king and sage under a banyan, cool greens and blues, fine architectural lines of the vāpī, gentle pastoral details—cows, pilgrims, and lotus pads.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined king and sage near a temple-tank, stylized lotus and water ripples, warm ochres and reds with green accents, large expressive eyes, sacred geometry borders framing the reservoir as a dharmic symbol.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a grand temple-tank filled with lotus blooms, intricate floral borders, peacocks and cows at the water’s edge, subtle presence of Śrī Viṣṇu icon in a niche, deep indigo background with gold highlights emphasizing ‘phala’ as radiant motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["flowing water","temple bells","soft conch shell","morning birds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: phalamevaṃ = phalam + evam; अन्यत्र स्पष्ट-सन्धि नहीं।
FAQs
It teaches karma-phala: results are निश्चित (certain) and correspond exactly to the nature of one’s action—especially acts like building public water reservoirs.
Because providing water is a lasting public benefit; such welfare works are treated as dharmic acts that generate merit proportional to their intent and impact.
That moral causality is reliable: one should choose actions carefully, since the outcome will mirror the quality and character of the deed.