Golden Steps To Salvation

Author(s): Padmasagarsuri
Publisher: Arunoday Foundation

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It is said in Sanskrit also that
अन्यायोपार्जितम् वित्तम दशवर्षाणि तिष्ठति ।
प्राप्ते चैकादशे वर्षे
समूलं हि विनश्यति ॥
Anyayoparajitam vittam
Prapte chaikādase varse
Dasavarshāni
Samulam hi vinasyati
The money that is acquired by foul means remains with us only for ten years (i.e. a short time). When the eleventh year appears, that wealth dissappears totally.
The bee steals little quantities of nectar from flowers and hoards it in its hive but someone robs all the honey from the bee-hive. There is a proverb in Gujarati:
tishtati
मियाँ चोरे मूठे | अल्ला चोरे ऊँटे
Miya chore Mute, Allah chore Unte.
Man steals a bag of money but the Master takes away even the camel (that carries the bag).
One may hoard money by foul and dishonest means but that wealth is robbed.
Swami Sathyabhaktha says: "The thief commits a theft; but he does not tolerate a theft in his house. If a theft occurs in his house he gets agitated over it."
From this, it is evident that even a thief considers stealing a wicked action; but compelled by necessity or poverty, he starts committing thefts. It is possible for him to keep off poverty by means of hard work but his laziness prevents him from earning money by the sweat of his brow. The cause of laziness is ignorance.
According to a certain philosopher poverty is the mother of stealth; and ignorance is its sire. It is for this reason that the enlightened people remain honest even in adversity; and do not take recourse to stealing or dishonest means to earn money. They know :