- ON WEALTH
- Save your wealth against future calamity. Do not say, "What fear has a rich man of calamity?" When riches begin to forsake one even the accumulated stock dwindles away. (CNS: 1.7).
- Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, comes of Her own accord where fools are not respected, grain is well stored up, and the husband and wife do not quarrel. (CNS: 3.21).
He who has wealth has friends. He who is wealthy has relatives. The rich one alone is called a man, and the affluent alone are respected as pundits (learned person) (CNS: 6.5).
Accumulated wealth is saved by spending just as incoming fresh water is saved by letting out stagnant water. (CNS: 7.14). - Low class men desire wealth; middle class men both wealth and respect; but the noble (desire)honour only; hence honour is the noble man's true wealth. ( CNS: 8.1)
- Wise man! Give your wealth only to the worthy and never to others. The water of the sea received by the clouds is always sweet. The rain water enlivens all living beings of the earth both movable (insects, animals, humans, etc.) and immovable (plants, trees, etc.), and then returns to the ocean, its value multiplied a million fold. (CNS: 8.4).
- The meritorious should give away in charity all that they have in excess of their needs. By charity only Karna, Bali and King Vikramaditya survive even today. Just see the plight of the honeybees beating their legs in despair upon the earth. They are saying to themselves, "Alas! We neither enjoyed our stored-up honey nor gave it in charity, and now someone has taken it from us in an instant." (CNS: 11.18)
- He, who is not shy in the acquisition of wealth, grain and knowledge, and in taking his meals, will be happy. (CNS: 12.21).
- As centesimal droppings will fill a pot so also are knowledge, virtue and wealth gradually obtained. (CNS: 12.22).
- See what a wonder it is! The doings of the great are strange: they treat wealth as light as a straw, yet, when they obtain it, they bend under its weight. (CNS: 13.5)
- He who loses his money is forsaken by his friends, his wife, his servants and his relations; yet when he regains his riches those who have forsaken him come back to him. Hence, wealth is certainly the best of relations. (CNS:15.5)
- Sinfully acquired wealth may remain for ten years; in the eleventh year it disappears with even the original stock. (CNS: 15.6).
- I do not deserve that wealth which is to be attained by enduring much suffering, or by transgressing the rules of virtue, or by flattering an enemy. (CNS: 16.11)
- Those who were not satiated with the enjoyment of wealth, food and women have all passed away; there are others now passing away who have likewise remained unsatiated; and in the future still others will pass away feeling themselves unsatiated. (CNS: 16.13).
- He, who wears unclean garments, has dirty teeth, as a glutton, speaks unkindly and sleeps after sunrise -- although he may be the greatest personality -- will lose the favour of Lakshmi. (CNS: 15.4).
- These maxims on Wealth (Artha) are very candid and witty. We may recall learned Manu’s verse from Manu Samriti on Artha :
Prityajedarthakama yao dharmavaryajyatau,
Dharmachapyasukhodarkam lokvikrishathmev cha.
“Reject wealth/money and desires which are contrary to Dharma. Reject also such rules of Dharma obedience to which lead to unhappiness of a few or which cause public resentment.” (MS 4.176).
LEARNING/LEARNED PERSON - Even a pandit (learned person) comes to grief by giving instruction to a foolish disciple, by maintaining a wicked wife, and by excessive familiarity with the miserable. (CNS: 1.4).
- Learning is like a cow of desire. It, like her, yields in all seasons. Like a mother, it feeds you on your journey. Therefore, learning is a hidden treasure. ( CNS:4.5)
- The learned are envied by the foolish; rich men by the poor; chaste women by adulteresses; and beautiful ladies by ugly ones. ( CNS:5.6)
- Learning is retained through putting into practice; family prestige is maintained through good behaviour; a respectable person is recognised by his excellent qualities; and anger is seen in the eye. ( CNS: 5.8).
- Of what avail is a high birth if a person is destitute of scholarship? A man who is of low extraction is honoured even by the demigods if he is learned. (CNS:8.19)
- A learned man is honoured by the people. A learned man commands respect everywhere for his learning. Indeed, learning is honoured everywhere (CNS: 8.20).
- Those who are endowed with beauty and youth and who are born of noble families are worthless if they have no learning. They are just like the kimshuka blossoms (flowers of the palasa tree) which, though beautiful, have no fragrance. (CNS: 8.21).
- One destitute of wealth is not destitute, he is indeed rich (if he is learned); but the man devoid of learning is destitute in every way. (CNS: 10.1).
- Those who are destitute of learning, penance, knowledge, good disposition, virtue and benevolence are brutes wandering the earth in the form of men. They are burdensome to the earth. (CNS: 10.7).
- He who possesses intelligence is strong; how can the man that is unintelligent be powerful? The elephant of the forest having lost his senses by intoxication was tricked into a lake by a small rabbit. (cf.niti-sastra called pancatantra by Pandit Vishnusharma) (CNS: 10.16).
- Realised learning (vidya) is our friend while travelling, the wife is a friend at home, medicine is the friend of a sick man, and meritorious deeds are the friends at death. (CNS: 12.17).
These are some of the vedic ethics and values, which need be emphasized for peace and harmony in the present times.
(To be continued)
Ved Prakash
February 5 ,09
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