Changes

● A crab, frog, crow and shishumar (शिशुमार a water creature similar to crocodile), made of copper.

● A crab, frog, crow and shishumar (शिशुमार a water creature similar to crocodile), made of copper.

Dust from elephant stables, horse stables, valmeek (ant-hill), river confluence, cow-hoof dust, cow-shed and cross-roads is also used in the ceremonies. After the rituals, 25-100 cows are given as dakshina to Brahmins. Finally, one of the cows is made to enter the pond briefly, and the donor is required to wade after her, holding on to her tail. The metal tortoise, etc. from the jewelled pot are then placed in the pond at various places. The pot itself, containing curd, rice and water from a great river, is emptied in to the pond. The pond is then dedicated for public use.

Dust from elephant stables, horse stables, valmeeka (ant-hill), river confluence, cow-hoof dust, cow-shed and cross-roads is also used in the ceremonies. After the rituals, 25-100 cows are given as dakshina to Brahmins. Finally, one of the cows is made to enter the pond briefly, and the donor is required to wade after her, holding on to her tail. The metal tortoise, etc. from the jewelled pot are then placed in the pond at various places. The pot itself, containing curd, rice and water from a great river, is emptied in to the pond. The pond is then dedicated for public use.

The havana ritual continues for another four days, when finally the mandapa is broken up. The items used in the havana are distributed to the Brahmins who performed the ceremonies. The ceremony ends with a feast for 20-1000 Brahmins. If funds are a constraint, a simpler dedication ceremony can be performed.  

The havana ritual continues for another four days, when finally the mandapa is broken up. The items used in the havana are distributed to the Brahmins who performed the ceremonies. The ceremony ends with a feast for 20-1000 Brahmins. If funds are a constraint, a simpler dedication ceremony can be performed.  

=== Mahabharata ===

=== Mahabharata ===

The Danadharma parva of Anushasana parva describes the greatness of danas of various things and the rewards for doing so in a detailed manner.<ref>Pt. Ramnarayandatt Shastri. ''[https://archive.org/stream/Mahabharata04SanskritHindiPanditRamnarayanGitaPress/Mahabharata06_Sanskrit-hindi_panditRamnarayan_gitaPress#page/n267/mode/2up Mahabharata with Hindi Translation, Volume 6.]'' Gorakhpur : Gita Press</ref> Digging of ponds, wells and setting up of gardens for public use has been highly recommended in the Danadharma parva (Adhyaya 58).<ref name=":02" /> Upon being questioned by Yudhisthira, Bhishma explains the rewards of making jalashayas and gardens for the community.  

The Danadharma parva of Anushasana parva describes the greatness of danas of various things and the rewards for doing so in a detailed manner.<ref>Pt. Ramnarayandatt Shastri. ''[https://archive.org/stream/Mahabharata04SanskritHindiPanditRamnarayanGitaPress/Mahabharata06_Sanskrit-hindi_panditRamnarayan_gitaPress#page/n267/mode/2up Mahabharata with Hindi Translation, Volume 6.]'' Gorakhpur : Gita Press</ref> Digging of ponds, wells and setting up of gardens for public use has been highly recommended in the Danadharma parva (Adhyaya 58).<ref name=":02" /> Upon being questioned by Yudhisthira, Bhishma explains the rewards of making jalashayas and gardens for the community. <blockquote>त्रिषु लोकेषु सर्वत्र पूजनीयस्तडागवान्॥ (Maha. Anush. 13.58.4) </blockquote><blockquote>धर्मस्यार्थस्य कामस्य फलमाहुर्मनीषिणः। तडागसुकृतं देशे क्षेत्रमेकं महाश्रयम्॥ (Maha. Anush. 13.58.6)</blockquote>

=== Vishnu Smrti ===

 

 

== Verses and Meanings ==

The following are the details from Vishnu Smrti (Adhyaya 91)<ref name=":1" /> outlining the rewards of digging wells and planting trees.<blockquote>अथ कूपकर्तुस्तत्प्रवृत्ते पानीये दुष्कृतस्यार्धं विनश्यति । । ९१.१ । । तडागकृन्नित्यतृप्तो वारुणं लोकं अश्नुते । । ९१.२ । । जलप्रदः सदा तृप्तो भवति । । ९१.३ । ।</blockquote>The digger of a well has the half of his evil acts destroyed as soon as water springs forth in it.  One who digs water reservoirs is for ever freed from thirst and attains Varuna loka. One who gives water will be satisfied for ever (never suffer from thirst).<blockquote>वृक्षारोपयितुर्वृक्षाः परलोके पुत्रा भवन्ति । । ९१.४ । ।वृक्षप्रदो वृक्षप्रसूनैर्देवान्प्रीणयति । । ९१.५ । ।फलैश्चातिथीन् । । ९१.६ । ।छायया चाभ्यागतान् । । ९१.७ । । देवे वर्षत्युदकेन पितॄन् । । ९१.८ । । सेतुकृत्स्वर्गं आप्नोति । । ९१.९ । ।</blockquote>One who plants trees will have them as sons in future existence. One who plants trees please the devatas by their flowers, atithis by their fruits, travellers by the shade of those trees. He pleases the forefathers with the water (trickling down from their leaves) when it rains. One who builds dikes (dams, water reservoirs) attains heaven. <blockquote>देवायतनकारी यस्य देवस्यायतनं करोति तस्यैव लोकं आप्नोति । । ९१.१० । । सुधासिक्तं कृत्वा यशसा विराजते । । ९१.११ । ।विचित्रं कृत्वा गन्धर्वलोकं आप्नोति । । ९१.१२ । ।</blockquote>One who constructs temples enters the loka of the deity for whom he erected that temple. He who paints the temple, white, acquires brilliant fame while one who colours it with different paints attains gandharva loka. <blockquote>पुष्पप्रदानेन श्रीमान्भवति । । ९१.१३ । । अनुलेपनप्रदानेन कीर्तिमान् । । ९१.१४ । ।दीपप्रदानेन चक्षुष्मान्सर्वत्रोज्ज्वलश्च । । ९१.१५ । ।अन्नप्रदानेन बलवान् । । ९१.१६ । ।</blockquote>By giving flowers he becomes fortunate. Charity of aromatic applications (and scents) endows one with fame. By giving lamps one obtains an excellent eyesight and becomes radiant with lustre. By giving food the donor obtains strength.<blockquote>देवनिर्माल्यापनयनात्गोदानफलं आप्नोति । । ९१.१७ । ।देवगृहमार्जनात्तदुपलेपनात्ब्राह्मणोच्छिष्टमार्जनात्पादशौचादकल्यपरिचरणाच्च । । ९१.१८ । । कूपारामतडागेषु देवतायतनेषु च । पुनः संस्कारकर्ता च लभते मौलिकं फलम् । । ९१.१९ । ।</blockquote>By removing the devanirmalya (remains of an offering to a deity) he obtains the same reward as for giving a cow. Same reward is also obtained by scouring a temple, smearing it with cow-dung, removing the left-overs of the food of a brahmana, by washing his feet and nursing him when sick. One who consecrates anew a well, garden, a pool or water reservoir, a temple (which have been soiled in time) obtains the same reward as he who first made them.

The following are the details from Vishnu Smrti (Adhyaya 91)<ref name=":1" /> outlining the rewards of digging wells and planting trees.<blockquote>अथ कूपकर्तुस्तत्प्रवृत्ते पानीये दुष्कृतस्यार्धं विनश्यति । । ९१.१ । । तडागकृन्नित्यतृप्तो वारुणं लोकं अश्नुते । । ९१.२ । । जलप्रदः सदा तृप्तो भवति । । ९१.३ । ।</blockquote>The digger of a well has the half of his evil acts destroyed as soon as water springs forth in it.  One who digs water reservoirs is for ever freed from thirst and attains Varuna loka. One who gives water will be satisfied for ever (never suffer from thirst).<blockquote>वृक्षारोपयितुर्वृक्षाः परलोके पुत्रा भवन्ति । । ९१.४ । ।वृक्षप्रदो वृक्षप्रसूनैर्देवान्प्रीणयति । । ९१.५ । ।फलैश्चातिथीन् । । ९१.६ । ।छायया चाभ्यागतान् । । ९१.७ । । देवे वर्षत्युदकेन पितॄन् । । ९१.८ । । सेतुकृत्स्वर्गं आप्नोति । । ९१.९ । ।</blockquote>One who plants trees will have them as sons in future existence. One who plants trees please the devatas by their flowers, atithis by their fruits, travellers by the shade of those trees. He pleases the forefathers with the water (trickling down from their leaves) when it rains. One who builds dikes (dams, water reservoirs) attains heaven. <blockquote>देवायतनकारी यस्य देवस्यायतनं करोति तस्यैव लोकं आप्नोति । । ९१.१० । । सुधासिक्तं कृत्वा यशसा विराजते । । ९१.११ । ।विचित्रं कृत्वा गन्धर्वलोकं आप्नोति । । ९१.१२ । ।</blockquote>One who constructs temples enters the loka of the deity for whom he erected that temple. He who paints the temple, white, acquires brilliant fame while one who colours it with different paints attains gandharva loka. <blockquote>पुष्पप्रदानेन श्रीमान्भवति । । ९१.१३ । । अनुलेपनप्रदानेन कीर्तिमान् । । ९१.१४ । ।दीपप्रदानेन चक्षुष्मान्सर्वत्रोज्ज्वलश्च । । ९१.१५ । ।अन्नप्रदानेन बलवान् । । ९१.१६ । ।</blockquote>By giving flowers he becomes fortunate. Charity of aromatic applications (and scents) endows one with fame. By giving lamps one obtains an excellent eyesight and becomes radiant with lustre. By giving food the donor obtains strength.<blockquote>देवनिर्माल्यापनयनात्गोदानफलं आप्नोति । । ९१.१७ । ।देवगृहमार्जनात्तदुपलेपनात्ब्राह्मणोच्छिष्टमार्जनात्पादशौचादकल्यपरिचरणाच्च । । ९१.१८ । । कूपारामतडागेषु देवतायतनेषु च । पुनः संस्कारकर्ता च लभते मौलिकं फलम् । । ९१.१९ । ।</blockquote>By removing the devanirmalya (remains of an offering to a deity) he obtains the same reward as for giving a cow. Same reward is also obtained by scouring a temple, smearing it with cow-dung, removing the left-overs of the food of a brahmana, by washing his feet and nursing him when sick. One who consecrates anew a well, garden, a pool or water reservoir, a temple (which have been soiled in time) obtains the same reward as he who first made them.

== References ==

== References ==