Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.26.36

yas tv iha vā ādhyābhimatir ahańkritis tiryak-prekshanah sarvato 'bhiviśańkī artha-vyaya-nāśa-cintayā pariśushyamāna-hridaya-vadano nirvritim anavagato graha ivārtham abhirakshati sa cāpi pretya tad-utpādanotkarshana-samrakshana-śamala-grahah sūcīmukhe narake nipatati yatra ha vitta-graham pāpa-purusham dharmarāja-purushā vāyakā iva sarvato 'ńgeshu sūtraih parivayanti

SYNONYMS

yah — any person who; tu — but; iha — in this world; vā — or; ādhya-abhimatih — proud because of wealth; ahańkritih — egotistic; tiryak-prekshanah — whose vision is crooked; sarvatah abhiviśańkī — always fearful of being cheated by others, even by superiors; artha-vyaya-nāśa-cintayā — by the thought of expenditure and loss; pariśushyamāna — dried up; hridaya-vadanah — his heart and face; nirvritim — happiness; anavagatah — not obtaining; grahah — a ghost; iva — like; artham — wealth; abhirakshati — protects; sah — he; ca — also; api — indeed; pretya — after dying; tat — of those riches; utpādana — of the earning; utkarshana — increasing; samrakshana — protecting; śamala-grahah — accepting the sinful activities; sūcīmukhe — named Sūcīmukha; narake — in the hell; nipatati — falls down; yatra — where; ha — indeed; vitta-graham — as a money-grabbing ghost; pāpa-purusham — very sinful man; dharmarāja-purushāh — the commanding men of Yamarāja; vāyakāh iva — like expert weavers; sarvatah — all over; ańgeshu — on the limbs of the body; sūtraih — by threads; parivayanti — stitch.

TRANSLATION

One who in this world or this life is very proud of his wealth always thinks, "I am so rich. Who can equal me?" His vision is twisted, and he is always afraid that someone will take his wealth. Indeed, he even suspects his superiors. His face and heart dry up at the thought of losing his wealth, and therefore he always looks like a wretched fiend. He is not in any way able to obtain actual happiness, and he does not know what it is to be free from anxiety. Because of the sinful things he does to earn money, augment his wealth and protect it, he is put into the hell called Sūcīmukha, where the officials of Yamarāja punish him by stitching thread through his entire body like weavers manufacturing cloth.

PURPORT

When one possesses more wealth than necessary, he certainly becomes very proud. This is the situation of men in modern civilization. According to the Vedic culture, brāhmanas do not possess anything, whereas kshatriyas possess riches, but only for performing sacrifices and other noble activities as prescribed in the Vedic injunctions. A vaiśya also earns money honestly through agriculture, cow protection and some trade. If a śūdra gets money, however, he will spend it lavishly, without discrimination, or simply accumulate it for no purpose. Because in this age there are no qualified brāhmanas, kshatriyas or vaiśyas, almost everyone is a śūdra (kalau śūdra-sambhavah). Therefore the śūdra mentality is causing great harm to modern civilization. A śūdra does not know how to use money to render transcendental loving service to the Lord. Money is also called lakshmī, and Lakshmī is always engaged in the service of Nārāyana. Wherever there is money, it must be engaged in the service of Lord Nārāyana. Everyone should use his money to spread the great transcendental movement of Krishna consciousness. If one does not spend money for this purpose but accumulates more than necessary, he will certainly become proud of the money he illegally possesses. The money actually belongs to Krishna, who says in Bhagavad-gītā (5.29), bhoktāram yajña-tapasām sarva-loka-maheśvaram: "I am the true enjoyer of sacrifices and penances, and I am the owner of all the planets." Therefore nothing belongs to anyone but Krishna. One who possesses more money than he needs should spend it for Krishna. Unless one does so, he will become puffed up because of his false possessions, and therefore he will be punished in the next life, as described herein.

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