‘Dharma’ deters corruption At a time when the entire nation is up in arms against corruption, it is important to go back to the scriptures to ensure that the struggle is not merely a passing phase, but is a permanent phenomenon. For this one has to take shelter of the Lord. More importantly, every religion under the sky abhors corruption, says Suryaputra
M
oney-making has never been considered bad in Hindu philosophy. In fact, money-making is one of the four cardinal purusharthas or humanly pursuits that everyone is expected to undertake. Artha or attainment of prosperity is verily the second purushartha, the others being dharma, kama and moksha. Money has always been considered Laxmi by the Hindus. In fact, every word that denotes money is indicative of divine attributes. For instance, prosperity is Vibhava, where Bhava denotes the God. Similarly, Aiswarya, another word used to denote prosperity and bountifulness comes from Iswara, the God almighty. The prayer on the lip of every devout Sanatani is “Anaayaasena Maranam Vinaa dainyena Jeevanam” which seeks a death that is peaceful and painless and a life of self-containment and self-sufficiency, which
can come only from prosperity. Indeed, our sages and seers of yore have never subscribed to a life of penury and destitution. What they enjoined was a life full of knowledge, courage and prosperity ie., a life with food, financial and social security. This Sanskrit Shloka sums up Hindu thought thus: Yajjeevyate punarapi prathitam manushyaihi Vignana sourya vibhavaadi gunaissametam Tannaama jeevita pravadanti Santaha Kakopi jeevati chiraaya varincha bhunte (A life with knowledge, courage and prosperity is a life well-lived. Living a long life without these attributes is like the life of a useless crow.)
eArn money righTfully Our sages and seers have un-
ambiguously elucidated on why we need money and how we should spend it. They enjoined that money is needed to do five things – perpetuation of dharma, earning of popularity, generating more money, fulfilling of desires and wants and finally for helping our kin. This is explained in the following Shloka. Dharmena yashase arthaaya kaamaaya swajanayacha Panchadhaa vibhajan vittam iha mutraacha modase (Divide your earnings into five parts to spend for protecting and perpetuating dharma, to attain name and fame, to generate more money for future needs, to fulfill desires and to come to the succor of the near and dear. By this way, one shall remain happy in this world.) Yet, our scriptures have clearly ordained that the money needs to be earned only through rightful
To be good and to do good that is the whole of religion -Swami Vivekananda Vol.6, Pg 245
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