Date uploaded in London – 6 July 2024
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Money, Money, Money : My Research Notes on VC 5 (Post No.13,414)
Here is the sloka seven from Viveka Chudamani (VC) of Adi Sankara
अमृतत्वस्य नाशास्ति वित्तेनेत्येव हि श्रुतिः ।
ब्रवीति कर्मणो मुक्तेरहेतुत्वं स्फुटं यतः ॥ ७ ॥
amṛtatvasya nāśāsti vittenetyeva hi śrutiḥ |
bravīti karmaṇo mukterahetutvaṃ sphuṭaṃ yataḥ || 7 ||
7. There is no hope of immortality by means of riches – such indeed is the declaration of the Vedas. Hence it is clear that works cannot be the cause of Liberation.
Notes:
[The reference is to Yajnavalkya’s words to his wife Maitreyi, Brihadáranyaka II. iv. 2. Cf. the Vedic dictum, “na karmaṇā na prajayā dhanena tyāgenaike amṛtatvamānaśuḥ”:—‘Neither by rituals, nor progeny, nor by riches, but by-renunciation alone some attained immortality.]
https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/vivekachudamani/d/doc144455.html
Sankara in his Bhaja Govindam hymn says
Verse 2(Bhaja Govindam)
मूढ जहीहि धनागमतृष्णां
कुरु सद्बुद्धिं मनसि वितृष्णाम् ।
यल्लभसे निजकर्मोपात्तं
वित्तं तेन विनोदय चित्तम् ॥ २॥
Oh fool ! Give up your thirst to amass wealth, devote your
mind to thoughts to the Real. Be content with what comes through actions already performed in the past.
muda jahihi dhanagamatrsnam kuru sadbuddhim manasi vitrsnam |
yallabhase nijakaramopattam vittam tena vinodaya cittam ||
It is greed that is the villain that makes one indulge in unlawful means to amass money. There is no end to one’s greed if it gains a free hand.
As Nachiketas tells Lord Yama in Kathopanishad (1-1-27) “ Na vithena tarpaneyo manushyaha” meaning ‘ man is not to be satisfied with wealth’. Mind is always in a restless state and needs something to engage itself. The mind isolated from greed should be filled with spiritual thoughts, thoughts turned Godward
My comments- My Experience in British Jails
I will tell you what I saw inside prisons in England as a Hindu Prison Chaplain. I remembered two stories of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa who warned repeatedly about Kamini Kanchana- Woman and Gold
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna warned about Three Doors to Hell. This I saw in prison, and I see it even today in daily Newspapers. All the crimes stories in newspapers fall under three categories. Every time I entered five prisons in England to see Hindu prisoners they introduced me other prisoners from other communities. I used to have a chat with hem for a few minutes and then entered Hindu Chapal ; I also covered two plus one detention centres in London Heathrow airport and Gatwick airport. I used to remember the following Gita sloka.
All the offenders came into prison because of Kaama, Krodha or Lobha (Lust, Anger, Greed). Lord Krishna beautifully summarised it in 16-21 Bhagavad Gita. He must have visited prisons 5000 year ago! Bhagavata stories tell us how Krisna’s father suffered inside jail. (we have description of prisons even in Tamil Epic Manimekalai)
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मन: |
काम: क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् || 16-21||
tri-vidhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśhanam ātmanaḥ
kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas tasmād etat trayaṁ tyajet
tri-vidham—three types of; narakasya—to the hell; idam—this; dvāram—gates; nāśhanam—destruction; ātmanaḥ—self; kāmaḥ—lust; krodhaḥ—anger; tathā—and; lobhaḥ—greed; tasmāt—therefore; etat—these; trayam—three; tyajet—should abandon
tri-vidham narakasyedam dvaram nashanam atmanah
kamah krodhas tatha lobhas tasmad etat trayam tyajet
Translation
BG 16.21: There are three gates leading to the hell of self-destruction for the soul—lust, anger, and greed. Therefore, one should abandon all three.
Just read today’s crime news in 3 or 4 newspapers and divide them in categories, you will see they are jailed because of lust or anger or greed.
Here in the Sloka 7 of VC , Sankara warns us about Greed.
No Hindu saint said Don’t get married or Don’t Touch money. What they warned us is don’t feel lust or don’t be greedy. R.K.Paramahamsa’s devotees were married and doing business. He did not hate them but warned them about Kaamini- Kaanchana= Lust and Gold.
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Money in Upanishads :Story of Two Wives
The oldest and the biggest Upanishad is the Brihad Aaranyaka Upanishad where we come across the beautiful episode of Mrs Maitreyi and Mrs Gaargi.
Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (aaranyaka) of 850 BCE
Sage Yajnavalkya had two wives, Maitreyi and Gargi. Intending to embrace the monastic life, he expressed his desire to divide his wealth between the two wives before departure. Maitreyi asked him whether she would be immortal if the whole earth full of wealth belonged to her. The sage replied that there was no hope of immortality through wealth, that is, rites performed with wealth Maitreyi therefore refused to accept any wealth ,but desired to learn the means of immortality from the sage. Yajnavalkya tells her that the knowledge of the self is the only means of the self is the only means of immortality and gives her a grand description of the Self.
Neti hovaaca yaajnavalkyah; yathaiva upakaranavataam jiivitam tathaiva te jiivitam syaat; amrtatvasya tu na aasaa asti vittena iti
Meaning
No, said yaajnavalkyah; with (wealth) your life will be just like the life of those who have plenty of material means; there is no hope, however, of immortality (being gained) through wealth
Buddha in Dhammapada says,
The wise do not call a strong fetter that which is made up of iron , of wood or of rope, much stronger is the passion for gold and jewels, for sons or for wives.
–Dhammapada verse 345
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Tamil Sayings
Most of the quotes on money in Arthasastra of Kautilya and Tirukkural of Tiru Valluvar praise money and encourage people to look for money. Tamil proverbs also do the same.
திரை கடலோடியும் திரவியம் தேடு (தமிழ்ப் பழமொழி)
SEEK WEALTH THOUGH YOU HAVE TO GO OVER THE TOSSING SEA.
ANOTHER TRANSLATION-
DONT HESITATE TO GO ABROAD, IF YOU CAN GET MONEY- Avvaiyaar’s Kodraiventhan
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பணம் என்றால் பிணமும் வாய் திறக்கும் (தமிழ்ப் பழமொழி)
Even dead body will open its mouth if you say Money
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அருளில்லார்க்கு அவ்வுலகம் இல்லை பொருளில்லார்க்கு
இவ்வுலகம் இல்லாகி யாங்கு. (குறள் 247)
Arulillaarkku Avvulakam Illai Porulillaarkku
Ivvulakam Illaaki Yaangu- Kural 247
— (Transliteration)
Translation
Even as happiness in the world depends wholly on material possessions
Happiness in the world beyond will surely depend on compassion – 247
Or
This world is not for weathless ones
That world is not for graceless swines Kural 247
Or
As those without riches can have no enjoyments in this world so also are those without compassion denied the blessings of the world above
Valluvar also confirms indirectly that money wont take you to heaven (world above)
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Great Tamil Poet confirms it in his poem
மஹாகவி பாரதியார் தனது சுயசரிதையில் “பொருட் பெருமை” என்ற தலைப்பில் பொருளின் அவசியத்தையும் கூறியிருப்பார்.
பொருளி லார்க்கிலை யிவ்வுல கென்றநம்
புலவர் தம்மொழி பொய்ம்மொழி யன்றுகாண்.
பொருளி லார்க்கின மில்லை, துணையிலை,
பொழு தெலாமிடர் வெள்ளம்வந் தெற்றுமால்.
பொருளிலார் பொருள் செய்தல் முதற்கடன்.
போற்றிக் காசினுக் கேங்கி யுயிர்விடும்
மருளர் தம்மிசை யேபழி கூறுவன்:
மாமகட்கிங்கொர் ஊன முரைத்திலன்.
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Power of Money in Shakespeare’s Plays
“Think’st thou, Hortensio, though her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell?”
— Gremio, Taming of the Shrew, Act 1 Scene 1
This is a version of the “no such thing as a free lunch” truism, but applied to marriage. In other words, it’s not worth it to marry rich if you’re hitched to a disagreeable partner. It’s as bad as eternal damnation.
“Whiles I am a beggar, I will rail and say there is no sin but to be rich; and being rich, my virtue then shall be to say there is no vice but beggary.”
—Bastard, The Life and Death of King John, Act 2 Scene 1
Shakespeare clearly understood that we adapt our views to fit our finances. The observation has relevance in today’s election cycle, where many voters favor their financial interests over a consistent ideology. The classic example: Lower-income supporters of higher taxes and well-funded social programs, who abandon their left-leaning principles when they become wealthy.
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Stories and Quotations of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa on Money
There are some stories and quotes on the power of money from Teachings of R K Paramahamsa
Let us look at them
To be continued………………………………………
Tags-Money, Maitreyi, Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, Naciketas, Viveka Chudamani, Sankara, Valluvar, Bharati, Tamil Proverbs, , Shakespeare, Dhammapada, My Prison Visits, three gates to Hell, Gita
Tamil and Vedas 