Canto 8: Withdrawal of the Cosmic CreationsChapter 19: Lord Vāmanadeva Begs Charity from Bali Mahārāja

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.19.37

dharmāya yaśase 'rthāya

kāmāya sva-janāya ca

pañcadhā vibhajan vittam

ihāmutra ca modate

SYNONYMS

dharmāya — for religion; yaśase — for one's reputation; arthāya — for increasing one's opulence; kāmāya — for increasing sense gratification; sva-janāya ca — and for maintaining one's family members; pañcadhā — for these five different objectives; vibhajan — dividing; vittam — his accumulated wealth; ihain this world; amutra — the next world; ca — and; modatehe enjoys.

TRANSLATION

Therefore one who is in full knowledge should divide his accumulated wealth in five parts — for religion, for reputation, for opulence, for sense gratification and for the maintenance of his family members. Such a person is happy in this world and in the next.

PURPORT

The śāstras enjoin that if one has money one should divide all that he has accumulated into five divisions — one part for religion, one part for reputation, one part for opulence, one part for sense gratification and one part to maintain the members of his family. At the present, however, because people are bereft of all knowledge, they spend all their money for the satisfaction of their family. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī taught us by his own example by using fifty percent of his accumulated wealth for Kṛṣṇa, twenty-five percent for his own self, and twenty-five percent for the members of his family. One's main purpose should be to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This will include dharma, artha and kāma. However, because one's family members expect some profit, one should also satisfy them by giving them a portion of one's accumulated wealth. This is a śāstric injunction.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness