knowledge leads to happiness - विद्या ददाति विनयम्

(true/complete) knowledge gives discipline, from discipline comes worthiness, from worthiness one gets wealth, from wealth (one does) good deeds, from that (comes) joy.

विद्या ददाति विनयं विनयाद्याति पात्रताम् ।
पात्रत्वाद्धनमाप्नोति धनाद्धर्मं ततः सुखम् ॥ ५ ॥

vidyA dadAti vinayaM, vinayAdyAti pAtratAM |
pAtratvAddhanamApnoti, dhanAddharmaM tataH sukhaM || 5 ||
(Hitopadesha)

interestingly, a recent article in Ode magazine talked about altruism in economy. 40 years of research results in the dawning of one fact - it may be that economy is not all about money, but about the over all good of the society.

arthashAstra - the classic treatise of economics and polity by chANakya stresses time and again (and so do wise men before and after him) that society comes together not for one person's benefit but for each other's benefit. so how come we can call it a success if only a few benefit and many suffer - which is what happens in modern 'free market'.

the very concept of society is for the good of all the involved parties.
and this is also where a great tenet of karma-yoga comes.

since whatever you have, has come due to the collective effort of the society as a whole (e.g. the cloths you wear, food you eat, car you drive, could not be created by you alone, it needed society's collaboration), similarly the money and resource you have under your control is also for all, you merely have the CONTROL over its use.

the one who eats alone is the greatest sinner. - thus speak the shAstra!

think about it.
simple sanskrit. great ideas.

Check out the book Attitude Shift - Sanskrit Maxims for Contemporary Life and Leadership.

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about the shloka at hand:

vidyA = knowledge; from root vid, there are many words.
sam-vedana = to know together, know same as other, sympathy)
A-vedana = announcement, to be let known
ni-vedana = request, inform
vid = to be present, as in vidyamAn


dadAti = dad verb, to give. -da as suffix makes adjectives


vinayaM = training, discipline, cultured mannerism (from training), humbleness.
root 'nee' which means to take (away).
e.g. netA = leader; who leads, takes (to the goal)
abhinetA = actor, who leads us emotionally through the story by his/her acting
neeti = policy, that which leads (the nation, organization, person to their goal)

vinayAt = from discipline, humbleness

yAti = comes. yA = movement
AyAta = import (coming in)
niryAta = export (going out)
yAtAyAta = traffic, transportation


pAtratAM = worthiness
pAtra = container, vessel, recipient
a-pAtra dAna = charity to an undeserving, unworthy

pAtratvAt = from worthiness

dhanaM = wealth, money

dhanAt = from wealth (-At suffix meaning from)
dharmaM = the right thing, charity, good deeds, duty [NOT religion]
tataH = from that
sukhaM = happiness, opposite of sorrow, lack of pain. cf. sukhAsana = the comfort posture.

Check out the book Attitude Shift - Sanskrit Maxims for Contemporary Life and Leadership.

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