Devadas, Chapter 17

BY: SUN STAFF - 31.12 2024

After Gurudev returned to Varanasi one day Devadas absorbed in deep thought about how a human being should maintain his family life. We are giving herein an exact picture of the conclusion that Devadas arrived after due consideration. Every householder is prone to face various difficulty. In order to get freedom from those difficulties one needs money. Therefore every householder requires to accumulate money for his future needs. If at the time of emergency a householder does not have accumulated money, then he is forced to borrow money from others. If a householder is fortunate enough to gradually repay his debts then it is auspicious, otherwise he will have to suffer unlimited miseries in this world being entangled in the network of debts. All his properties get destroyed and sometimes even he has to go to the jail. Therefore it is extremely necessary for a householder to save some money.

After taking birth in this material world every human being should spend some money on religious purposes. He should also try to remove the poverty of his close relatives poor and fallen people according to his capacity. To think that let me become fortunate and prosperous and there is no need to mitigate others' distress is an act of a person who is selfish and low-class. Everyone requires to spend money on their religious duties regardless of what religion he follows. It is not possible to follow the religious principles simply by words and not spending any money. If someone is suffering without food and if we do not give him food or sufficient money for his food then will his miseries be destroyed simply by pure words? If someone is lying on the bed suffering from disease and does not have proper medicine and food then tell me how will you benefit him simply by words? In fact he will not be benefited unless he gets medicine and proper care. It is the desire of the Supreme Lord that human beings should try to remove the distress of his neighbors and that is why the human beings live together in a society. If it was the desire of the Supreme Lord that I will not help anyone and other will not help me then what is the need for living together in a society? If every followers of their respective religion are to spend their life according to the instructions and examples of the saintly persons belong to their religion then they must spend some money, therefore it is a must for every householder to spend money for religious activities.

Human beings should earn money according to religious principles. By earning money through impious means a great harm is caused to the society. Therefore it is not the desire of the Supreme Lord that people should earn money through improper means. So from the above-mentioned statements it is concluded that every householder should earn money through proper means and he has three duties such as: 1) to maintain himself and his family members, 2. To spend on religious activities according to his capacity and 3) To save for the future. Since all householders do not follow these three duties therefore they are divided into three categories.

Those householders who strictly follow the above-mentioned three duties they are called the top-class householder. Among these householders many magnanimous, selfless and kind-hearted saintly persons are found. Those who generally follow the first and third duties and spend much money for the second duty, although they are rare in this world they are also included among the top-class householders. Those who totally neglect the second duty and are simply busy in carrying out the first and third duties or simply try to accumulate money and fill their own bellies being induced by their self-interest or do not engage in any welfare activities in the society are called the low-class householder. Those who follow only the first duty and neglect the second and third duties they are also known as the low-class householders. It is stated in the scriptures that many householders have taken care of the guests by the foodstuffs received by begging. Therefore if we carefully consider then it is understood that a householder is not incapable of following the second duty apart from the first duty. Those who are aversed to follow the second duty are counted among the low-class householders. Those who are aversed or incapable of following the third duty they are counted among the middle-class householders.

There are many people in this world who are following the above-mentioned three duties by earning abundance of money at the cost of others. Alas ! it can not be estimated that how many people are suffering by the actions of low-class sinful people and how many simple-minded householders are being totally uprooted by them. Instead of helping a few living entities with the money accumulated through improper means or by torturing other living entities, it is certainly more praise worthy to live in this world as a poor householder without harming others. Those who maintain the livelihood of their family members with great difficulty or who are unable to fully maintain their family members or who can not earn their livelihood without the help of others, they are known as poor householders. However if a poor householder is kind-hearted then he can often take to the activities of helping others.

Those villages or cities were many top-class householders reside are certainly fortunate. There they remove the poverty of poor householders, the screaming and crying of the orphans are not heard there and the women who have no husband or children do not have to shed tears for the want of food. As the top-class householders try to fulfill their own scarcities similarly they also try to remove the scarcity of poor householders. If they find an able person among the poor householders they arrange a job for him; they teach the women to maintain themselves by earning money through various small scale industries put up by them. Actually it is not an exaggeration to call the top-class householders as the ornaments of the society. It is the duty of the topclass householders to uplift the fallen and poor householders to the category of the topclass householders. Due to the fault of his karma a topclass householder can degrade to the level of poor or fallen householders. What is the way by which a topclass householder will not fall from his class and poor and fallen householder will advance to the level of topclass householder? Often it is seen that when the topclass householders lack money they do not pray others for help or disclose their poverty to others In fact they feel shy to do so. Such people gradually fall down from their positions by taking debts after debts. It is intolerable for them to become degraded from their position where they have been living so long. When a human being faces poverty he often faces the poverty of pure intelligence; When he lacks pure intelligence then a householder does not refrain from committing sinful activities in order to remove the poverty of his family. In this way a topclass householder is often seen to be degraded to the level of fallen or poor householders.

Those who are topclass house holders they should always act carefully in this world. The question may be raised how carefully they should act? After considering their own condition and consequences they should act according to their intelligence and power of discrimination. Actually a careful householder often gets freedom from the miseries of family life. It is never likely that one works with the good intelligence and consideration but the result will be opposite. Even if it happens so it should be understood that it is the desire of the Supreme Lord. O human beings! What can you do ? If a householder acts according to his condition and its consequences with proper intelligence and consideration then he is most likely to obtain his desired result. Therefore if human beings carryon with their worldly activities by considering their conditions and consequences while directing their proper intelligence and power of discrimination then they will be able to maintain their family lives with happiness and prosperity and will get freedom from the clutches of miseries due to poverty.

As the men should work hard for maintaining their family life in this world the women also should work hard in the same way. If both man and women regularly engage in hard labor then they will possess good health. As soon as one's earning is increased immediately he tries to hire a cook and increase the number of servants and maidservants. Then what is the result? The result is that the wife is no longer works hard and simply spends her time in floating in the ocean of laziness. Any wife who abstains from physical work various diseases capture him. Then her treatments goes on. All the children that are born from her womb become similarly diseased like their mother. In this way human beings due to the faults of their own intelligence become afflicted by the burden of more expenditure regarding maintaining their families. As one can enjoy palatable and best foodstuffs if one of his family members cooks but one cannot enjoy such foodstuffs if they are prepared by a hired cook. In fact their cooking increases the expenditure of the householder. We have heard from the reliable source that once a rich mans cook was absent from his work for some reason or probably left his work. The man could not find a new cook so not finding any other alternative for food that rich man and his family started living on foodstuffs bought from the shops. The women of the family did not know how to cook or they were totally unable to cook. What an aristocracy ! this aristocracy is out to ruin the country. Glorious are the aristocrats! You are watching this ruination and yet not watching. You are not trying for any remedy. O men and women ! if you really desire your own benefit or the benefit of your family members then do not consider physical labor as useless. Consider carefully what benefit you can get if you prepare foodstuffs yourself with faith and care and distribute among your close ones. This is also good for your health. By imitating the examples of the rich people ordinary people are facing great difficulties there is no doubt about it.

As the male members of the family earn money by working hard the female members of the family can also earn money in their free times by working in one of the many small scale industries. By the combined income of the family members a householder can maintain his family nicely. If all the members of a family physically work hard regarding the maintenance of the family then such a family will certainly prosper. Desiring others support is an impediment on the path of attaining happiness and prosperity.

A family man should try to get foodstuffs with less money. Those householders who have got productive land should cultivate them in such a way that they get ample rice every year. If one has to buy rice to feed his family then he will incur more expenditure. However if one has the accumulated rice at home his family expenditure will be very low. Those householders who have barren land can also produce foodstuffs from them according to their need. Somehow or other no tract of land should remain fallen or unused if with a small expenditure these tract of lands are cultivated then the crops produced from them will certainly help the family. Every householder should either personally or with the help of an expert farmer cultivate their respective lands and produce food grains. There is no need to mention specific rules in this regard. It is the habit of many householders to buy specific eatables that they eat on specific days. One should regularly buy those ingredients which he needs to buy regularly apart from them if he buys ingredients in a bulk enough for a week or a month then it helps the householder in his expenditure. If one buys a huge quantity instead of small quantity then he gets a discount. Moreover if a moderate spending house wife can save some ingredients from that through her good intelligence then it is an advantage for the householder. Actually whatever a householder earns he should keep an eye on spending his earnings properly and moderately. It is the duty of the householder to teach their wives regarding moderate spending and familial matters. If both the husband and wife are moderate spenders then they obtain happiness and prosperity.

A householder should spend money according to a fixed process or a rule. One who does not have such a process or rule he has to spend a lot extra regarding the maintenance of his family. If a householder does not need his life according to the fixed rules then he has to suffer ultimately and various anxieties arise in his family.

Every householder should give in charity according to his capacity. To give a huge charity at a time is beyond the capacity of many householders, therefore the householders are aversed to such a form of charity. If a householder desires to give in charity and if it is impossible for him to give that charity at a time then he should give charity in installments and easily attain the result of his previously desired charity. If the householders become habituated to give in charity in this way then by the combine charity of the householders a great auspicious activity can be performed. Yet the householders will not have to suffer the distress of giving a huge charity. If they want to act like this then the householders should form a charitable committee in their respective villages or cities and with the accumulated money with that committee they should help the poor householders, fallen and poor people. If need arise they can also execute other auspicious activities without any obstacles. The committee belongs to ordinary mass of people, therefore it is the duty of everyone to keep an eye on the committee so that its activities can be carried out properly.

Regarding the activities of the committee the members should not display any indifference or negligence towards any activity. If they display indifference or negligence then no work can be completed properly. Do not feel upset or sad if you see that your opinion for a particular work is not being respected by the majority of the members rather you should try your best to convince others about your opinion. If they do not understand your opinion or if a good activity is being performed or not performed by the opinion of the majority of the members still you should not express any anger or sadness. By displaying anger the good work will be checked. If a work is executed today by the opinion of the majority of the members and even if in future some faults or harms is manifest in that activity it can still be rectified in future.

Nowadays a number of Live insurance office have been established. Generally the activities of these offices are going on very nicely. One should insure his life right from the beginning of his youth in one of the associated branch for a fixed amount of time according to your capacity. It is often seen as long as a person lives he maintains his family with happiness and prosperity but when he dies he can not keep any money for his family members. Therefore after his death his family members face great difficulty due to lake of earning members. If one can make arrangement to get some money at the dead end of life then you can live happily during your old age. Any how many families have been delivered from great dangers through this process. The arrangement of saving money that is found in the post office is also praise worthy. Whatever surplus money one has he can deposit in it and if need arises he can withdraw all or part of it. These are some of the process for saving money. These processes are familiar to everyone therefore it is not necessary to give the details. There is no doubt that these arrangements are very helpful for the householders.

When people live in the family life they are disturbed with various activities and calamities. In these matters a householder should take shelter of soberness. If one becomes disturbed then he can not decide what is proper and what is in improper for him. Therefore he will certainly be the loser. The more one will act with patience the more he will become successful. People should try hard to remove calamities but in spite of special endeavor if he fails in his attempt then he should solace his mind by saying what ever has happen is the will of the Supreme Lord therefore I have no other alternative to tolerate these calamities. People should go on trying but the results are in the hands of the Supreme Lord. Some people say that it is useless to try because whatever is the will of the Supreme Lord that will happen whether we try or not. However these statement is against the scripture and reasoning. People cannot know in the beginning what the desire of the Supreme Lord is. In order to fulfill His desire the Lord compels the living entities to try. The human beings are subordinate to the Lord and He is controlling them. He is inducing them in various activities. O human beings! What power do you have to act against the will of the all powerful Lord of the universe?

The human beings should always pray to the merciful Lord to be able to carry out all his familial duties while keeping an eye on the religious principles. By His mercy they can remain on the path of religiosity and carry out their household duties. The all auspicious creator will certainly deliver you from all obstacles and dangers. If there is a possibility of facing a great danger or even death in the course of his activities according to religious principles still a living entity should not give up the path of religiosity. If in one hand there is so much profit and on the other hand there is great danger but in spite of the danger if your religiosity is protected then O human being! You should always ignore that so much profit. Such great charactered people are the ideals of this world. Everyone will have to die and perhaps no one will even know your name after your death but the name of the such an ideal pious and great charactered person will remain in this world for ever and everyone will glorify his good activities. The most merciful Lord will certainly award auspiciousness to such a person in his next life if not in this life.

[Editor's Note: Manuscript has been slightly edited, correcting what appear to be errors made during digitization, but leaving apparent of errors in translation uncorrected.]