Shloka 22
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
क्रोडो वर्षसहस्रं तु महिष्ययुतहायनम् । देवरूपं समास्थाय करिण्या लक्षमुच्यते
kroḍo varṣasahasraṃ tu mahiṣyayutahāyanam | devarūpaṃ samāsthāya kariṇyā lakṣamucyate
‘کروڑ’ کو ہزار برس کہا گیا ہے؛ اور ‘مہیشی یُت’ دس ہزار برس کی مدت ہے۔ دیویہ روپ اختیار کرکے، ہتھنی اس پیمانے کو ‘لکش’ کہتی ہے۔
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from Adhyaya 57 framing dialogue).
Concept: Cosmic time is vast and tiered; beings and forms (even animals in divine mode) participate in a larger ontological scale than ordinary perception.
Application: Use awareness of time’s immensity to reduce anxiety and ego; prioritize sādhana and dharma over short-term gain.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A majestic female elephant stands at the threshold of a celestial grove, her skin shimmering as if woven from starlight. Above her, floating glyphs of time-units—kroḍa, mahiṣīyuta, lakṣa—spiral like constellations, while a sage records the measures on a palm-leaf manuscript.","primary_figures":["divine-form female elephant (karīṇī)","a time-measuring rishi","celestial attendants"],"setting":"Celestial garden with kalpavṛkṣas and a luminous sky where time-units appear as astral symbols.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["silver","midnight blue","jade green","soft gold","smoky violet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: divine karīṇī with gold leaf highlights on tusks and ornaments, a rishi holding palm-leaf manuscript, astral time-glyphs in a circular halo, rich maroon and emerald background panels, gem-like detailing and ornate borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: elegant elephant rendered with delicate shading, cool nocturne palette, floating Devanāgarī-like time symbols among stars, a seated rishi writing, lyrical trees and gentle clouds, refined facial features and fine brushwork.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized elephant with bold outlines and patterned body, large expressive eyes, flat fields of blue and green, circular time-wheel motif above, temple-wall composition with rhythmic ornamentation.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical celestial grove with floral borders, the elephant centered like a sacred motif, time-glyphs arranged as a mandala, deep blue ground with gold accents, intricate vines and lotus patterns."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft mridangam pulse","night insects","distant temple bell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: varṣa+sahasram → varṣasahasraṃ (anusvāra); kariṇyā+lakṣam+ucyate → kariṇyā lakṣamucyate (m+u → mu).
FAQs
It functions as an enumerative definition of named measures (e.g., kroḍa, lakṣa) using year-based spans, a common Purāṇic style for expressing vast quantities and durations.
Purāṇic passages sometimes attribute classifications or counts to symbolic speakers or exemplars; here, the kariṇī is presented as the source/voice by which the term ‘lakṣa’ is ‘said’. The broader narrative context of Adhyaya 57 would clarify the rhetorical purpose.
The verse reinforces the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa’s encyclopedic tendency to systematize creation-era concepts—here, by formalizing large-scale measures through named units and expansive time spans.