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I am the Soul reached just then and asked, "What are you doing?' She had reached and seen what happened, so it was in order to explain the truth. So he told her, 'Someone has lost a bag of gold. I was not tempted, but I was worried that you might get tempted. Therefore, I was covering it up with some dust.'
The wife's reply was very thought provoking. She said, “You might be seeing gold here, but I see only dust. What is the point in covering dust with dust?'
Brothers! Here lies the difference in viewpoints. One who is contented within, who is honest, will always find others' wealth the same as stones. Banarasidass too says that such jivas treat gold and dirt - mire as equal.
They find the king's status the same as that of a lowly commoner. Why so? We have an old saying,
राजेश्वरी सो नरकेश्वरी
A king has to resort to intrigue along with politics. He has to accept many responsibilities leading to great arambha and great parigraha. As a result, very often he becomes eligible for a birth in hell. What is worse than hell? Therefore, a king's status is not great but very lowly.
Without attachment and desire, there cannot be friendship. Where there is desire, there is also repeated death and birth. Therefore, friendship is treated as equal to death.
The fame that is earned in this world is always false. For, the people who are all praises for you today will kick you out tomorrow and you will not know when. Those who are praising you today will start deriding you tomorrow. Hence fame is like a coating of hailstones.
The activities of yoga etc. which lead to a bondage of karma are treated like poison and the magic of mantra and tantra, which mesmerises people, is treated like sorrow.
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