It is what you give, not what you have, that matters.

In life we see many great success stories, very prosperous people, companies etc. Sometimes we have to ask for help in terms of a job, loan, advice, whatever. Who should we approach?
Who is a better employer? A better help in times of need?

A small well with sweet water is any day preferable for quenching thirst than a huge ocean which only gives salt water. It is not how much you have, but what you give that matters.

Your success and greatness is not in hoarding a lot of things from the rest of the society. How are you using those resources for which the society has given you the charge? Are you using to splurge on yourself? Or are you using it for the good of others?

Ultimately, you can only consume and use a very limited amount of things. Everyone has a fistful of stomach to fill with food. You can splurge it on a $5000 of single wine bottle from a century back or use that to do some worthwhile cause.

Your greatness is not in how much you have, but in what you are willing to give.




And now the language aspects -

Here is the anvaya (all sandhi broken into base words):

दाता लघुः अपि सेव्यः भवति, न कृपणः महान् अपि समृद्ध्या ।
कूपः अन्तःस्वादुजलः प्रीत्यै लोकस्य न समुद्रः॥ (devanAgari)

dātā laghuḥ api sévyaḥ bhavati, na kṛipaṇaḥ mahān api samṛiddhyā |
kūpaḥ antaḥ-svadu-jalaḥ prītyai lokasya na samudraḥ || (IAST)

dAtA laghuH api sevyaH bhavati, na kRipaNaH mahAn api samRiddhyA |
kUpaH antaH-svadu-jalaH prItyai lokasya na samudraH || (ITRANS)

dātā = giver
laghuḥ = small
api = even, also
sévyaḥ = worth pursuing (serving or being served. In case of a boss/master it is worth serving under such a master. In case of a well, it is worth being served by well’s water)
bhavati = happens, is.
na = not
kṛipaṇaḥ = miser
mahānapi = mahān (huge, big, great)+ api (even, also)
samṛiddhyā = in/by prosperity [sam+ṛiddhi = samyak (complete) +ṛiddhi (growth) ]
kūpaḥ = well
antaḥ-svadu-jalaḥ = whose water is sweet inside
prītyai = for pleasing
lokasya = of people
na = not
samudraḥ = ocean

That is, A giver is worthy even if small, not a miser great in prosperity. The sweet water well [is for] pleasing people [who are thirsty], not the ocean.




(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।

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Small but many can still add up - वधू-माष-मापन

As was the tradition, a man used to give alms to any one who came to his door, a beggar or two or an occasional monk. Usually his wife was the one who would give a handful of mASha (माष) beans. This was a daily morning routine.

The man also had a son, who one day grew old enough to get married. As was the custom in earlier days, the bride was comparatively younger. One day while the daughter-in-law came to serve him food, the man saw that she had much smaller hands compared to his wife's. So he thought of a novel idea to save some money and yet not be seen as a miser.

Next day, he told his wife to let the daughter-in-law give the alms. The young lady gave out alms of one fistful of beans, and indeed it was a much smaller fist. The man was really happy, that even though he is technically giving out a fistful of grain in charity, the fist is smaller and he is saving while building credit of good deeds! What a jackpot.

But, soon, he found that the number of beggars and monks coming to his house increased substantially. News of the new bride, a beautiful young damsel had spread, and now the young villagers were disguising themselves as beggars and monks just to get a chance to see the daughter-in-law.

So the man, even though giving smaller portion of grain, ended up giving more, since there were more people at his door.

For this the saying goes -
वधू-माष-मापन न्यायः = vadhU-mASha-mApana nyAyaH
= daughter-in-law measuring the [fistful of] beans [to give as alms]

It is used when one tries to reduce the loss by being smart, but actually ends up spending more. That is due to the fact that many smalls can add up to be more than a few bigs.

In modern times, the 'Profit at the bottom of the pyramid' theory, works on similar principle that less margin but high volume can also give you high profits. So serving the lower economic classes can also make huge profits, if you reach to a larger mass. Prahlad? CK?

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and now the language aspects of the shloka -
वधू-माष-मापन न्यायः
= vadhU-mASha-mApana nyAyaH

vadhU = bride. daughter-in-law
(groom = vara , that who is worthy of accepting, taking)
mASha = a kind of beans
mApana = act of measuring
nyAyaH = maxim



(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।

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