युधिष्ठिर उवाच आरामाणां तडागानां यत् फलं कुरुपुङ्गवा तदहं श्रोतुमिच्छामि त्वत्तोऽद्य भरतर्षभ॥
Yudhishthira said I wish, O Bharata, chief to hear from you what the rewards are, O best of the Kurus, of the planting of trees and the digging of tanks.
भीष्म उवाच सुप्रदर्शा बलवती चित्रा धातुविभूषिता। उपेता सर्वभूतैश्च श्रेष्ठा भूमिरिहोच्यते॥
Bhishma said A piece of land on a best sight, fertile, situate in the midst of charming adorned with various kinds of metals, and inhabited by all sorts of creatures, Is considered as the foremost of spots.
तस्याः क्षेत्रविशेषाश्च तडागानां च बन्धनम्। औदकानि च सर्वाणि प्रवक्ष्याम्यनुपूर्वशः॥
A particular portion of such land should be chosen for digging a tank. I shall tell you, in due order, the different kinds of tanks. I shall also tell you what kinds of tanks. I shall also tell you what the merits also are of the digging of tanks.
तडागानां च वक्ष्यामि कृतानां चापि ये गुणाः। त्रिषु लाकेषु सर्वत्र पूजनीयस्तडागवान्॥
The man who causes a tank to be dug becomes entitled to the respect and adoration of the three worlds.
अथवा मित्रसदनं मैत्रं मित्रविवर्धनम्। कीर्तिसंजननं श्रेष्ठं तडागानां निवेशनम्॥
A tank full of water is as agreeable and beneficial as the house of a friend. It is gratifying to the Sun himself. It also helps the growth of the celestials. It is the foremost of all things that lead to fame.
धर्मस्यार्थस्य कामस्य फलमाहुर्मनीषिणः। तडागसुकृतं देशे क्षेत्रमेकं महाश्रयम्॥ चतुर्विधानां भूतानां तडागमुपलक्षयेत्। तडागानि च सर्वाणि दिशन्ति श्रियमुत्तमाम्॥
The wise have said that the excavation of a tank brings on Virtue, Profit and Pleasure. A tank is said to be properly excavated, if it is made on a piece of land that is inhabited by respectable persons. A tank is said to be necessary for all the four purposes of living creatures. Thanks, again, are considered as forming the excellent beauty of a country.
देवा मनुष्यगन्धर्वा: पितरोरगराक्षसाः। स्थावराणि च भूतानि संश्रयन्ति जलाशयम्॥
The celestials, human beings, Gandharvas. Departed Manes Uragas, Rakshasas, and even immobile beings, all resort to a tank full of water as their refuge.
तस्मात् तांस्ते प्रवक्ष्यामि तडागे ये गुणाः स्मृताः। या च तत्र फलावाप्तिर्ऋषिभिः समुदाहृता॥
I shall, therefore, recite to you the merits attached to tanks as described by great Rishis, and the rewards in store for persons who cause them to be excavated.
वर्षाकाले तडागे सलिलं यस्य तिष्ठति। अग्निहोत्रफलं तस्य फलमाहुर्मनीषिणः॥
The wise have said that man acquires the merit of an Agnihotra sacrifice in whose tank water is held in the season of rains.
शरत्काले तु सलिलं तडागे यस्य तिष्ठति। गोसहस्रस्य स प्रेत्य लभते फलमुत्तमम्॥
The high reward in the world that is reaped by the person who makes a gift of a thousand kine is acquired by that man in whose tank water is held in the season of autumn.
हेमन्तकाले सलिलं तडागे यस्य तिष्ठति। स वै बहुसुवर्णस्य यज्ञस्य लभते फलम्॥
That person in whose tank water lics in the cold season acquires the merit of the wight who performs a sacrifice with profuse gifts of gold.
तु यस्य वै शैशिरे काले तडागे सलिलं भवेत्। तस्याग्निष्टोमयज्ञस्य फलमाहुर्मनीषिणः॥
That person in whose tank water lies in the season of dew, acquires, the wise have said, the merits of an Agnishtoma sacrifice.
तडागं सुकृतं यस्य वसन्ते तु महाश्रयम्। अतिरात्रस्य यज्ञस्य फलं स समुपाश्नुते॥
That man in whose wellmade tank water lies in the season of spring, acquires the merit of the Atiratra sacrifice.
निदाघकाले पानीयं तडागे यस्य तिष्ठति। वाजिमेधफलं तस्य फलं वै मुनयो विदुः॥
That man in whose tank water lies in the season of summer, wins, the Rishi say, the merits of a horsesacrifice.
स कुलं तारयेत् सर्वं यस्य खाते जलाशये। गावः पिबन्ति सलिलं साधवश्च नराः सदा॥
That man rescues his whole race in whose tank kine are seen to satisfy their thirst and from which pious men draw their water.
तडागे यस्य गावस्तु पिबन्ति तृषिता जलम्। मृगपक्षिमनुष्याच सोऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत्॥
That man in whose tank kine satisfy their thirst as also other animals and birds, and human being, gains the merits of of a horsesacrifice.
यत् पिबन्ति जलं तत्र स्नायन्ते विश्रमन्ति च। तडागे यस्य तत् सर्वं प्रेत्यानन्त्याय कल्पते।॥
Whatever quantity of water is drunk from one's tank and whatever quantity is taken therefrom by others for purposes of bathing, all become stored for the benefit of the excavater of the tank and he enjoys the same eternally in the next world.
दुर्लभं सलिलं तात विशेषेण परत्र वै। पानीयस्य प्रदानेन प्रीतिर्भवति शाश्वती॥
Water, especially in the other world, is difficult to get, O son. A gift of drink yields eternal happiness.
तिलान् ददत पानीयं दीपान् ददत जाग्रत। ज्ञातिभिः सह मोदध्वमेतत् प्रेत्य सुदुर्लभम्॥
Make gifts of sesame here. Make gifts of water. Do you also give lamps. While alive and awake, do you sport happily with kinsmen. These are acts which you shall not be able to achieve in the other world.
सर्वदानैर्गुरुतरं सर्वदानैर्विशिष्यते। पानीयं नरशार्दूल तस्माद् दातव्यमेव हि॥
The gift of drink, O chief of men, is superior to every other gift. In point of merit, it is superior to all other gifts. Therefore, do you make gifts of water.
एवमेतत् तडागस्य कीर्तितं फलमुत्तमम्। अत ऊर्ध्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि वृक्षाणामवरोपणम्॥
Thus have the Rishis described the high merits of the excavation of tanks, I shall now describe to you the planting of trees.
स्थावराणां च भूतानां जातयः षट् प्रकीर्तिताः। वृक्षगुल्मलतावल्ल्यस्त्वक्सारास्तृणजातयः॥
Of immobile objects, six classes have been spoken. They are Vrikshas, Gulmas, Latas, Vallis, Tvaksaras, and Trinas of diverse kinds.
एता जात्यस्तु वृक्षाणां तेषां रोपे गुणस्त्विमे। कीर्तिश्च मानुषे लोके प्रेत्य चैव फलं शुभम्॥
These are the several kinds of vegetables. Listen now to the merit of their planting, By planting trees one acquires fame in the world of men and auspicious rewards in the next world.
लभते नाम लोके च पितृभिश्च महीयते। देवलोके गतस्यापि नाम तस्य न नश्यति॥
Such a man is applauded and respected in the world of the Departed Manes. Such a man's name does not die even when he goes to live in the world of celestials.
अतीतानागते चोभे पितृवशं च भारत। तारयेद् वृक्षरोपी च तस्माद् रोपयेत्॥
The man who plants trees rescues the ancestors and descendants of both his paternal and maternal lines. Do you, therefore, plant trees, O Yudhishthira.
तस्य पुत्रा भवन्त्येत पादपा नात्र संशयः। परलोकगतः स्वर्ग लोकांश्चात्पोति सोऽव्ययान्॥
The trees that a man plants become the planter's children. There is no doubt in this, Departing from this world, such a man goes to the celestial region, Indeed, he enjoys many cternal regions of bliss.
पुष्पैः सुरगणान् वृक्षाः फलैचापि तथा पितॄन्। छायया चातिथिं तात पूजयन्ति महीरुहः॥
Trees please the deities by their flowers; the Departed Manes by their fruits; and all guests and strangers by the shadow they afford.
किन्नरोरगरक्षांसि देवगन्धर्वमानवाः। तथा ऋषिगणाश्चैव संश्रयन्ति महीरुहान्॥
Kinnaras, Uragas, Rakshasas, deities Gandharvas, and human beings, as also Rishis, all resort to trees as their refuge.
पुष्पिताः फलवन्तश्च तर्पयन्तीह मानवान्। वृक्षदं पुत्रवद् वृक्षास्तारयन्ति परत्र तु॥
Trees that bear flowers and fruits please all men. The planter of trees is saved in the next world by the trees he plants like children saving their own father.
तस्मात् तडागे सवृक्षा रोप्याः श्रेयोऽर्थिना सदा। पुत्रवत् परिपाल्याश्च पुत्रास्ते धर्मतः स्मृताः॥
Therefore, the man who is desirous of achieving his own good, should plant trees by the side of tanks and rear them like his own children. The trees which a man plants are, according to both reason and the scriptures, the children of the planter.
तडागकृद् वृक्षरोपी इष्टयज्ञश्च यो द्विजः। एते स्वर्गे महीयन्ते ये चान्ये सत्यवादिनः॥
That Brahmana who excavates a tank, and he who plants trees, and he who performs sacrifices, are all adored in the celestial region as men who are devoted to truth fullness of speech.
तस्मात् तडागं कुर्वीत आरामांश्चैव रोपयेत् यजेच्च विविधैर्यज्ञैः सत्यं च सततं वदेत्॥
Hence, one should cause tanks to be excavated and trees to be planted, adore the deities in diverse sacrifices, and speak the truth.