Manava Dharmashastra 3.153

3.153

'srotāṃsi' udakāgamāḥ teṣāṃ bhedakaḥ setuṃ bhitvā deśāntare vrīhyādisekārthaṃ nayati | teṣāṃ ca srotasāmeva cāvaraṇe rataḥ | 'āvaraṇaṃ' ācchādanam | yataḥ pradeśādudakamudbhavati tat sthagayati | gṛhāṇāṃ saṃniveśopadeśakaḥ, vāstuvidyājīvī, sthapatiḥ sūtradhārādiḥ | na tvātmano gṛhāṇāṃ saṃniveśayitā | dūto rājñaḥ preṣyo dāsavaniyojyaḥ | dūtastu sandhivigrahādāveva preṣyate | vṛkṣān ropayati, mūlyena | dharmārthaṃ tu na doṣaḥ, avigarhitācāratvāt | vihitaṃ vṛkṣāropaṇaṃ "daśāmravāpī narakaṃ na yāti” |

He who diverts water-courses, he who is addicted to obstructing them, the house-planner, the messenger and

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Water-courses’—the sources of water;—‘he who diverts’ these; i.e., having cut the embankments, takes the water to irrigate his field, &c.

‘He who is addicted to obstructing them’—i.e, the water-courses.

‘Obstructing’ means covering up; hence the meaning is that‘he who closes the source from which the water flows.’

The person who advises regarding the position of houses;—one who lives by the science of architecture; i.e., the architect, the mason, and so forth. One who plans his own houses is not meant here.

‘Messenger,’—the king’s servant; who is employed by him as a slave. He is one who is employed in business relating to peace and war.

He who plants trees for payment. Planting them as a righteous act is not reprehensible; because such an act would not be ‘reprehensible practice;’ in fact, the planting of trees has been actually enjoined, as we learn from such assertions as‘he who has planted ten mango-trees goes not to hell.’—(163)