Words Well Worth 41: Four Sires That Wealth Sire

Of four brothers that wealth may sire: There's dharma, sacrificial fire, The king and his empire, Business, commerce and trade; Of them if eldest is slighted, The three get enraged turning head. ______________________________________________________ Transliteration of the subhāśhita along with the meanings of Sanskrit words is given as under: Chatvārah dhana-dāyadā dharmah agnih nŗpah taskarāh | Teśhām jyeśhţha avamānena trayah kupyanti bāndhavāh || chatvārah: a quartet of four dhana-dāyadā:givers/providers of wealth dharmah: righteousness and virtue, code of virtuous conduct agnih: the fire (sacrificial fire, referring to sense of sacrifice and giving) nŗpah: a king taskarāh: foreign traders, also, the smugglers/ illicit traders teśhām: of them jyeśhţha: the eldest, i.e. dharmah avamānena: if neglected, overlooked, slighted trayah: the (remaining)three kupyanti: get angry, enraged bāndhavāh: the friends/brothers What a wise advice on wealth! The verse visualizes four sources of wealth, welfare, and well-being as four brothers: Dharma (the virtuous way to the rest and a way of life) , fire (oblation to agni in sacrifice, king (as the biggest source of wealth) , and commerce and trade. Of them Dharma is held as the eldest brother. If the other three are not pursued in the righteous way they get angry. Topic: wealth, money, righteousness