Surface indicators of subterranean water (the indicator catalog)

Prāṇa relevance

Sources

• txt-brihat-samhita54.6–96 (Sarasvata) , 54.100–102 (Manu)Classical✓ verifiedtree/ant-hill water indicators with depth, direction, strata
• txt-sarasvata-dakargalavia Utpala, 54 passimClassical✓ verifiedunderlying indicator verses

Other attributes

Rule Class

effects-table

Statement

From a tree (often combined with an ant-hill in a stated direction) growing in a waterless tract, a water-vein of stated direction is inferred at a stated depth and a stated offset (usually 3 cubits) from the tree, with a characteristic sequence of strata-signs (frog, clay colours, stone, snake/lizard, etc.) confirming it on digging.

Indicator Table

[{"indicator":"rotang in waterless tract","vein_dir":"west","offset_cubits":3,"depth":"7.5 cubits","strata":"pale-white frog at 2.5c → yellow clay → hard stone (needs heat) → water","locus":"54.6–7"},{"indicator":"Jambu tree","vein_dir":"east","offset_cubits":3,"offset_side":"north","depth":"10 cubits","strata":"iron-smelling earth at 5c → pale-white clay → frog → water","locus":"54.8"},{"indicator":"Jambu + ant-hill to its east","vein_dir":"(sweet water)","offset_cubits":3,"offset_side":"south","depth":"10 cubits","strata":"fish at 2.5c → dove-coloured stone → blue clay → inexhaustible water","locus":"54.9"},{"indicator":"Indian fig (with/without ant-hill)","vein_dir":"(good water)","offset_cubits":3,"offset_side":"west","depth":"12.5 cubits","strata":"white snake at 5c → collyrium-black stone → water","locus":"54.10–11"},{"indicator":"Arjuna + ant-hill to its north","offset_cubits":3,"offset_side":"west","depth":"17.5 cubits","strata":"white alligator at 2.5c → grey clay at 5c → dark → yellow → white → sandy earth → abundant water","locus":"54.12"},{"indicator":"Nirgundi overgrown with ant-hill","offset_cubits":3,"offset_side":"south","depth":"11.5 cubits","strata":"red fish at 2.5c → red-brown clay → pale-white clay → gravelly sand → water (sweet, never-failing)","locus":"54.13"},{"indicator":"jujube + ant-hill to its east","offset_cubits":3,"offset_side":"west","depth":"15 cubits","strata":"white lizard at 2.5c","locus":"54.14"},{"indicator":"jujube + Palasha together (waterless)","offset_cubits":3,"offset_side":"west","depth":"16.5 cubits","strata":"non-poisonous snake at 5c","locus":"54.15"},{"note":"≈40 further tree/ant-hill/termite-mound entries of the same shape run through 54.16–96; ⚑ NOT transcribed row-by-row this pass — see promotion note below. They share the form {indicator → vein dir/offset/depth → strata sequence}."},{"indicator":"banyan + Butea + Glomerous fig (or banyan + holy fig) together","vein_dir":"north","depth":"3 cubits (v.l. 15/17.5; offset 3c reading disputed)","locus":"54.95–96","note":"translation ambiguity flagged by Bhat (depth vs offset)"},{"indicator":"glossy dense foliage; land-lotus/Goksura/Ushira/Kasha/Nala grasses; date/Jambu/Arjuna/Vetasa/milky trees; mushrooms, Nagakesara, Kadamba, etc.","depth":"15 cubits","locus":"54.100–101","source_layer":"Manu (Vrtta)"},{"indicator":"Munja grass, reeds, sacrificial grass; blue pebbly / black / red earth","result":"plenty of sweet water","locus":"54.102","source_layer":"Manu"}]

Promotion Marker

promote? — the untranscribed 54.16–96 rows are graph-relevant (each is a direction+depth+strata datum). Promote to full table rows when a Phase 3 chain needs a specific tree-indicator, per the residue-and-promotion rule.

Tag

CLASSICAL