On hoarding and spending money…

Read the previous part here…

Just like a small steam gets filled up easily, and a rats hand gets filled up with a little grain, an unenthusiastic man gets satisfied with very little.

A man would always strive for more, and with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. It is said…

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यत्रोत्साह-समारम्भो यत्रालस्य-विनिग्रहः ।
नय-विक्रम-संयोगस् तत्र श्रीर् अचला ध्रुवं ॥ १४४ ॥

yatrotsāha-samārambho yatrālasya-vinigrahaḥ |
naya-vikrama-saṃyogas tatra śrīr acalā dhruvaṃ || 144 ||

The Goddess of wealth is always with one who starts a venture with enthusiasm, without a trace of laziness, and by adhering to proper conduct.

तद् दैवम् इति सञ्चिन्त्य त्यजेन् नोद्योगम् आत्मनः ।
अनुयोगं विना तैलं तिलानां नोपजायते ॥ १४५ ॥

tad daivam iti sañcintya tyajen nodyogam ātmanaḥ |
anuyogaṃ vinā tailaṃ tilānāṃ nopajāyate || 145 ||

One should not think that everything depends on fate, and hence make no effort. Sesame seeds have oil in them already, but extracting this oil takes effort – it does not come out by itself.

“Anyone who is satisfied with very little, stays poor, and loses even the little wealth that he has.”

“You said that you were not sure that those two pieces of flesh would fall, and hence going after the bull would be a waste of time… कृत-निश्चयिनो वन्द्यास् तुङ्गिमा नोपभुज्यते – one has to act with certainty and determination – such people are praiseworthy. One is not admired just because he is big in size, or acts high and mighty” said the jackal’s wife.

“Moreover, I am tired of eating rat meat all the time. Those two pieces of flesh will fall anytime – I am sure. So go and follow the bull.” she concluded angrily.

And so poor Pralobhaka went after TeekshnaVishāna, leaving behind the rats that he could have caught and eaten easily. It is said…

तावत् स्यात् सर्व-कृत्येषु पुरुषो ऽत्र स्वयं प्रभुः ।
स्त्री-वाक्याङ्कुश-विक्षुण्णो यावन् नो ध्रियते बलात् ॥ १४८ ॥

tāvat syāt sarva-kṛtyeṣu puruṣo ‘tra svayaṃ prabhuḥ |
strī-vākyāṅkuśa-vikṣuṇṇo yāvan no dhriyate balāt || 148 ||

A man will be the master of his own actions…only until he does not come under the influence of the words of his wife.

अकृत्यं मन्यते कृत्यं अगम्यं मन्यते सुगम् ।
अभक्ष्यं मन्यते भक्ष्यं स्त्री-वाक्य-प्रेरितो नरः ॥ १४९ ॥

akṛtyaṃ manyate kṛtyaṃ agamyaṃ manyate sugam |
abhakṣyaṃ manyate bhakṣyaṃ strī-vākya-prerito naraḥ || 149 ||

A man who comes under such influence thinks of the impossible as possible, of the uneatable as eatable and of the unexplorable as explorable.

He just keeps doing his wife’s bidding, without stopping to think of the feasibility of such tasks.

And so, under the influence of his wife. Pralobhaka kept following TeekshnaVishāna for not one, not two, not five, but fifteen years! The pieces of flesh…never fell. After fifteen years of waiting, Pralobhaka finally told his wife…

शिथिलौ च सुबद्धौ च पततः पततो न वा ।
निरीक्षितौ मया भद्रे दश वर्षाणि पञ्च च ॥ १४१ ॥

śithilau ca subaddhau ca patataḥ patato na vā |
nirīkṣitau mayā bhadre daśa varṣāṇi pañca ca || 141 ||

Though hanging loose and grown well, it is difficult to say if the two pieces of flesh will fall or not! I have waited, my dear wife for them both to fall for the past fifteen years.”

“They will never fall”, said Pralobhaka wearily. “We spent so many years going behind this, it is time to stop now. Let us go home.”

“That is why I said”, concluded Somilaka, शिथिलौ च सुबद्धौ च पततः पततो न वा.

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“If this is how you feel”, said the voice in the sky. “You should return to Vardhamana. In the west of the city, live two sons of a merchant – one is named GuptaDhana (the hoarded wealth), and the second one is named UpaBhuktaDhana (the spent wealth). Spend some time with them, observe their nature and then ask me for a boon. I will make you the way you want to be.”

“If you want to hoard money and not spend it, I will make you like GuptaDhana. If you think it is better to spend the money that you have, then I will make you like UpaBhuktaDhana.” And saying this, the voice in the sky vanished.

to be continued…