Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.14.24
Ūti· What drives us to actWealth Belongs to Kṛṣṇa
“Stealing or cheating another person out of his money, the conditioned soul somehow or other keeps it in his possession and escapes punishment. Then another man, named Devadatta, cheats him and takes the money away. Similarly, another man, named Viṣṇumitra, steals the money from Devadatta and takes it away. In any case, the money does not stay in one place. It passes from one hand to another. Ultimately no one can enjoy the money, and it remains the property of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
What the purport teaches
- Money passes from one hand to another, and no one can keep it permanently. All property, riches and wealth belong to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, belongs by the side of Nārāyaṇa. Trying to enjoy wealth separately from the Lord leads to loss rather than secure enjoyment.
- The proper use of money is service to Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. The purport explains that money collected for Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa belongs to Them, not to the collector.
Try this today
Set aside a small amount of money today for the service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
Do I regard the money in my care as mine to enjoy or as the Lord’s property to use in service?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.