According to Yudhishthira, How can a man become happy and rich?
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| Yudhishthira answering questions asked by Yaksha |
One of my answers in Quora.
My friend, the answers to your question can be found in the Mahabharata, Aranya Parva, 311–12 in which, King Yudhishthira encounters the Lord of Death, Yama Dharmaraj. Yama, who initially appears as a Crane and then identified himself as a Yaksha and finally in the end confirms that he is the Lord of Justice Yama.
The questions 17, 33 and 64 which in themselves are set of multiple questions talk about happiness and Yudhishthira answers them accordingly.
17.The Yaksha asked, – “What is that which, if renounced, makes one agreeable? What is that which, if renounced, leads to no regret? What is that which, if renounced, makes one wealthy? And what is that which if renounced, makes one happy?”
Yudhishthira answered, – “Pride, if renounced, makes one agreeable; wrath, if renounced leads to no regret: desire, if renounced, makes one wealthy: and avarice, if renounced, makes one happy.”
***So, for one to be happy and rich – one needs to give up Pride, wrath, desires and finally Avarice (extreme greed for wealth or material gain).
33.The Yaksha asked, – “Who is truly happy?
Yudhishthira answered, -A man who cookes in his own house, on the fifth or the sixth part of the day, with scanty vegetables, but who is not in debt and who doesn’t stir from home, is truly happy.
***It’s interesting that those days of Yore itself, Debt is such a big thing. Now a days, Debt is a part of our everyday life. Credit cards, Store Credits, Home Loans for 25 to 30 yrs and so on and we wonder why we are not happy?
64. By leaving which, man will be able to lead a happy life?
By leaving out miserliness, man would be able to lead a happy life.
***A miser is a person who is reluctant to spend, sometimes to the point of forgoing even basic comforts and some necessities, in order to hoard money or other possessions.(Wiki)
Interestingly, In Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna gives few other meaning for a miser. For example, 2.49 “buddhau saranam anviccha,krpanah phala-hetavah” – Those who want to enjoy the fruits of their work are misers.
Also, in 2.7 Arjuna admits that he is overcome by miserly weakness and surrenders to Lord Krishna to instruct what is best for him.
Please note that, I have used the Mahabharata Translation by Kisari Mohan Ganguli.