Shloka 39
Praise of Digging Wells and Building Water-Reservoirs
The Merit of Water-Works
तच्छ्रुत्वाद्भुतवाक्यं च मुदा तौ चागतौ ततः । दृष्ट्वा शैलं तथाभूतं कृतं तेनायुतं तथा
tacchrutvādbhutavākyaṃ ca mudā tau cāgatau tataḥ | dṛṣṭvā śailaṃ tathābhūtaṃ kṛtaṃ tenāyutaṃ tathā
وہ عجیب و غریب باتیں سن کر، خوشی سے بھرے ہوئے وہ دونوں وہاں آ پہنچے۔ اور جیسا بیان کیا گیا تھا ویسا ہی پہاڑ دیکھ کر، انہوں نے جان لیا کہ وہ اسی نے اسی طرح بنایا تھا۔
Unspecified narrator (context-dependent within Adhyaya 57)
Concept: Śraddhā grows when sacred reports are verified by direct darśana; joy becomes a vehicle for dharma when directed toward holy phenomena.
Application: Seek first-hand engagement with sacred practices—visit, see, serve—rather than remaining at the level of hearsay; let joy mature into commitment.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two travelers hurry along the ghāṭa steps, faces bright with anticipation, as they hear the crowd’s excited cries. They stop in awe at the shoreline, beholding the newly formed rock-island exactly as described, while the water glitters and the air hums with astonished voices.","primary_figures":["two travelers/pilgrims","crowd of onlookers","tīrtha attendant"],"setting":"Stone steps descending into a sacred tank; the rock-island visible mid-water; banners, pots, and offerings scattered as people gather.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["riverstone gray","turquoise water","sunlit gold","vermillion","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: two richly dressed pilgrims arriving with joyful expressions; ornate ghāṭa architecture; central rock-island in stylized waves; gold leaf on jewelry and water highlights; saturated reds/greens with temple motifs framing the scene.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate figures of two travelers with refined features; gentle landscape with trees and steps; crowd rendered in small clusters; cool water tones with warm sunlight; fine detailing on garments and gestures of wonder.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold-lined pilgrims in dynamic walking posture; expressive eyes; patterned ghāṭa steps; stylized water and rock; strong red-yellow-green palette with rhythmic crowd arrangement.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative vignette within ornate floral borders; two pilgrims at the lower edge, rock-island centered; lotus motifs floating; peacocks perched on steps; deep blues and gold accents emphasizing sacred wonder."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["crowd exclamations","footsteps on stone","water splashes","distant bell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत् + श्रुत्वा → तच्छ्रुत्वा (त् + श् → च्छ्); श्रुत्वा + अद्भुतवाक्यम् → श्रुत्वाद्भुतवाक्यम् (आ + अ → आ, द्-आगम); तौ + च + आगतौ → तौ चागतौ (च + आगतौ → चागतौ).
FAQs
It emphasizes wonder and verification: after hearing an astonishing account, the two characters arrive and directly witness the described mountain, confirming the claim through sight.
Not explicitly in this shloka alone; it mentions a “mountain” (śaila) without naming a specific tirtha. Any sacred-geography reading depends on the surrounding verses of Adhyaya 57.
It highlights the movement from testimony to experience: hearing (śravaṇa) leads to seeking and seeing (darśana), suggesting that sincere inquiry culminates in direct understanding.