Utsarga (उत्सर्गः)

Utsarg (Samskrit : उत्सर्गः) literally means ‘letting go’. This happens when a property or item is dedicated or released for general public use. Pratishta and Utsarga involve acts of foundation of temples and dedication of wells, tanks, parks for the benefit of the public. Such works of public utility have been highly recommended from very ancient times.

Importance of Utsarga

Construction of temples, wells, and similar religious and charitable foundations and institutions is included under purtadharma and people of all varnas, ashramas, women and widows could perform such dharma. The Istadharma included vedic sacrifices and danas associated with them had some restrictions. Shabara in his Bhashya on Jaimini sutras (1.3.2) refers to the smrti rules about charitable objects which are based on sruti passages as

प्रपास्तडागानि च परोपकाराय न धर्मायेत्येवावगम्यते तथा च दर्शनम् धन्वन्निव प्रपा असीति तथा स्थलयोदकं परिगृह्णन्तीति च ॥

प्र ते यक्षि प्र त इयर्मि मन्म भुवो यथा वन्द्यो नो हवेषु । धन्वन्निव प्रपा असि त्वमग्न इयक्षवे पूरवे प्रत्न राजन् ॥१॥ (Rig. Veda. 10.10.4)

'O Agni, who art ancient and a king, thou art to the man who desires to offer a sacrifice like Prapa (shed where water is distributed to travellers) in a desert." In Rigveda, mandala 10, a mention of pushkarini is made as given

भोजायाश्वं सं मृजन्त्याशुं भोजायास्ते कन्या शुम्भमाना । भोजस्येदं पुष्करिणीव वेश्म परिष्कृतं देवमानेव चित्रम् ॥१०॥ (Rig. Veda. 10.107.10)

The Vishnu Smrti (Adhyaya 91) extensively deals with the rewards obtained by conducting acts of digging wells, planting trees, building new temples and renovating dilapidated temples. Even later day Samskrit texts such as Kadambari by Banabhatta mentions that smritis enjoined upon men the foundation (for public use) of halls, shelters, wells, prapas (water sheds), gardens, temples, embankments, and water wheels.

इष्टापूर्तौ स्मृतौ धर्मौ श्रुतौ तौ शिष्टसंमतौ । भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदं पूर्तमिष्टं भोगार्थसाधनम् ॥ Kalika Purana

It is said that the reward of sacrifices is only heaven, but by purta (consecration of temples etc) one secures release from samsara as per Kalika purana.

Mahabharata, Danadharma parva of Anushasana parva extolls the greatness of charity to brahmanas as well as that made to community.

This shows that charitable works for the use of the public or large sections of the public came to be regarded as more meritorious than sacrifices where gifts benefited only brahmanas.

जलाशयम् ॥ Jalashaya

Providing water for travellers or general public through dedication of Jalashaya (wells, ponds and reservoirs) has been praised in several texts. That the beings of all worlds depend in water and so having water reservoirs, ponds, lakes is well documented in the words of Bhishma as follows

देवा मनुष्यगन्धर्वाः पितरोरगराक्षसाः। स्थावराणि च भूतानि संश्रयन्ति जलाशयम्॥ (Maha. Anush. 13.58.8)

Devatas, human beings, gandharvas, forefathers, nagas, rakshasas and all the immobile beings (such as plants and trees) are dependent on water bodies (for sustenance).

Detailed guidance for construction of water bodies is given in traditional texts. It is also preserved among local communities and artisans.

Matsya Purana

The Puranas deal mainly with the ritualistic aspects.

An elaborate dedication ceremony for the ponds etc. has been described in Matsya Purana. This calls for creation of vedi, havana, Vastu pooja, etc. The following are required to be placed in a jewelled pot made of gold:

● A tortoise and a crocodile, made of gold

● A fish and snake/chameleon, made of silver

● 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.

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

The Danadharma parva of Anushasana parva describes the greatness of danas of various things and the rewards for doing so in a detailed manner. Digging of ponds, wells and setting up of gardens for public use has been highly recommended in the Danadharma parva (Adhyaya 58). Upon being questioned by Yudhisthira, Bhishma explains the rewards of making jalashayas and gardens for the community.

त्रिषु लोकेषु सर्वत्र पूजनीयस्तडागवान्॥ 13-58-4

धर्मस्यार्थस्य कामस्य फलमाहुर्मनीषिणः। तडागसुकृतं देशे क्षेत्रमेकं महाश्रयम्॥ 13-58-6

Verses and Meanings

The following are the details from Vishnu Smrti (Adhyaya 91) outlining the rewards of digging wells and planting trees.

अथ कूपकर्तुस्तत्प्रवृत्ते पानीये दुष्कृतस्यार्धं विनश्यति । । ९१.१ । । तडागकृन्नित्यतृप्तो वारुणं लोकं अश्नुते । । ९१.२ । । जलप्रदः सदा तृप्तो भवति । । ९१.३ । ।

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).

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 । ।

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.

देवायतनकारी यस्य देवस्यायतनं करोति तस्यैव लोकं आप्नोति । । ९१.१० । । सुधासिक्तं कृत्वा यशसा विराजते । । ९१.११ । ।विचित्रं कृत्वा गन्धर्वलोकं आप्नोति । । ९१.१२ । ।

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.

पुष्पप्रदानेन श्रीमान्भवति । । ९१.१३ । । अनुलेपनप्रदानेन कीर्तिमान् । । ९१.१४ । ।दीपप्रदानेन चक्षुष्मान्सर्वत्रोज्ज्वलश्च । । ९१.१५ । ।अन्नप्रदानेन बलवान् । । ९१.१६ । ।

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.

देवनिर्माल्यापनयनात्गोदानफलं आप्नोति । । ९१.१७ । ।देवगृहमार्जनात्तदुपलेपनात्ब्राह्मणोच्छिष्टमार्जनात्पादशौचादकल्यपरिचरणाच्च । । ९१.१८ । । कूपारामतडागेषु देवतायतनेषु च । पुनः संस्कारकर्ता च लभते मौलिकं फलम् । । ९१.१९ । ।

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.