Read the previous part here…
One should not give up greed, but one should not be too greedy as well. The wheel whirled on the head of the person who was the most greedy.
DevaSharma said “How did that happen?”
His wife replied…
लोभाविष्टचक्रधरकथा
The story of the greedy man and the whirling wheel
In a city, not too far away from here, lived four Brahmin youth, who were very good friends. They had grown up together but all were from very poor families.
One day, they decided that they had enough. “We don’t want to remain poor anymore”, they said in unison. After all…
वरं वनं व्याघ्र-गजादि-सेवितं जनेन हीनं बहु-कण्टकावृतम् ।
तृणानि शय्या परिधान-वल्कलः न बन्धु-मध्ये धन-हीन-जीवितम् ॥ २२ ॥
varaṃ vanaṃ vyāghra-gajādi-sevitaṃ janena hīnaṃ bahu-kaṇṭakāvṛtam |
tṛṇāni śayyā paridhāna-valkalaḥ na bandhu-madhye dhana-hīna-jīvitam || 22 ||
It is better to live in a dense forest filled with wild animals, with no people around, with thorny bushes everywhere and where one has to lay on grass and cover oneself with bark, rather than to live in society without any money.
स्वामी द्वेष्टि सुसेवितो ऽपि सहसा प्रोज्झन्ति सद्-बान्धवाः राजन्ते न गुणास् त्यजन्ति तनुजाः स्फारीभवन्त्य् आपदः ।
भार्या साधु सुवंशजापि भजते नो यान्ति मित्राणि च न्यायारोपित-विक्रमाण्य् अपि नृणां येषां न हि स्याद् धनम् ॥ २३ ॥
svāmī dveṣṭi susevito ‘pi sahasā projjhanti sad-bāndhavāḥ rājante na guṇās tyajanti tanujāḥ sphārībhavanty āpadaḥ |
bhāryā sādhu suvaṃśajāpi bhajate no yānti mitrāṇi ca nyāyāropita-vikramāṇy api nṛṇāṃ yeṣāṃ na hi syād dhanam || 23 ||
When one has no money, a master looks down on you even though you take good care of him, relatives stay away, one’s good qualities are ignored, your own discard you, difficulties keep increasing and good wives too stop caring for you. Even friends who otherwise exhibit sound judgement, leave at the first opportunity.
शूरः सुरूपः सुभगश् च वाग्मी शस्त्राणि शास्त्राणि विदांकरोतु ।
अर्थं विना नैव यशश् च मानं प्राप्नोति मर्त्यो ऽत्र मनुष्य-लोके ॥ २४ ॥
śūraḥ surūpaḥ subhagaś ca vāgmī śastrāṇi śāstrāṇi vidāṃkarotu |
arthaṃ vinā naiva yaśaś ca mānaṃ prāpnoti martyo ‘tra manuṣya-loke || 24 ||
Those who are brave, handsome, fortunate, well-educated and knowledgeable should understand that no one in this wide world attains fame or honor without wealth.
तानीन्द्रियाण्य् अविकलानि तद् एव नाम सा बुद्धिर् अप्रतिहता वचनं तद् एव ।
अर्थोष्मणा विरहितः पुरुषः स एव बाह्यः क्षणेन भवतीति विचित्रम् एतत् ॥ २५ ॥
tānīndriyāṇy avikalāni tad eva nāma sā buddhir apratihatā vacanaṃ tad eva |
arthoṣmaṇā virahitaḥ puruṣaḥ sa eva bāhyaḥ kṣaṇena bhavatīti vicitram etat || 25 ||
It is indeed astonishing – the man is the same – his senses are the same, his name is the same, his intelligence is the same, he speaks the same words…yet once he loses his wealth, he is treated like someone else. People don’t seem to recognize him anymore!
“And so, it is time for us to strive to earn wealth by any means possible.”
Having decided this, they four Brahmins left their houses, and their village, and went in search of wealth. It is rightly said…
सत्यं परित्यजति मुञ्चति बन्धु-वर्गं शीघ्रं विहाय जननीम् अपि जन्म-भूमिम् ।
सन्त्यज्य गच्छति विदेशम् अभीष्ट-लोकं चिन्ताकुलीकृत-मतिः पुरुषो ऽत्र लोके ॥ २६ ॥
satyaṃ parityajati muñcati bandhu-vargaṃ śīghraṃ vihāya jananīm api janma-bhūmim |
santyajya gacchati videśam abhīṣṭa-lokaṃ cintākulīkṛta-matiḥ puruṣo ‘tra loke || 26 ||
A man who is weighed down by worry renounces truth, leaves his family, his mother and his motherland behind, and sets out to foreign lands to fulfill his dreams and wants.
Traveling over 30 days, they finally reached the city of Avanti. There they first had a holy bath in river Siprā and then prayed to Mahadev by visiting a temple nearby. As they were leaving the temple premises, a yogi named Bhairavānanda appeared in front of them. The four Brahmins prostrated before him to seek his blessings, and silently followed him to his ashram.
As he settled down in his hut, Bhairavānanda said “My sons, where have you come from? And where are you going? Why are you traveling this way?”
The Brahmins replied “Swami…we have set out with an aim to earn wealth. We have resolved to either find wealth, or die in the process. It is said…”
दुष्प्राप्याणि बहूनि च लभ्यन्ते वाञ्छितानि द्रविणानि ।
अवसर-तुलिताभिर् अलं तनुभिः साहसिक-पुरुषाणाम् ॥ २७ ॥
duṣprāpyāṇi bahūni ca labhyante vāñchitāni draviṇāni |
avasara-tulitābhir alaṃ tanubhiḥ sāhasika-puruṣāṇām || 27 ||
Those courageous men who risk their lives at the right time always get what they want, and also obtain many things that are unattainable by others.
पतति कदाचिन् नभसः खाते पातालतो ऽपि जलम् एति ।
दैवम् अचिन्त्यं बलवद् बलवान् ननु पुरुषकारो ऽपि ॥ २८ ॥
patati kadācin nabhasaḥ khāte pātālato ‘pi jalam eti |
daivam acintyaṃ balavad balavān nanu puruṣakāro ‘pi || 28 ||
Fate is strong, but so is effort. Water falls from heaven (the sky) due to fate, but man’s effort brings water from hell (underground) as well.
अभिमत-सिद्धिर् अशेषा भवति हि पुरुषस्य पुरुषकारेण ।
दैवम् इति यदपि कथयसि पुरुष-गुणः सो ऽप्य् अदृष्टाख्यः ॥ २९ ॥
abhimata-siddhir aśeṣā bhavati hi puruṣasya puruṣakāreṇa |
daivam iti yadapi kathayasi puruṣa-guṇaḥ so ‘py adṛṣṭākhyaḥ || 29 ||
All the wants of man get fulfilled only through his honest efforts. Even what is called fate, or destiny, is a quality of man. In fact, destiny is another name of effort.
to be continued…