Shloka 25
अदारा-नीति
Crisis Composure) and ‘Jaya’ Śravaṇa (Morale-Instruction
मातोवाच पुत्र नात्मावमन्तव्य: पूर्वाभिरसमृद्धिभि: । अभूत्वा हि भवन्त्यर्था भूत्वा नश्यन्ति चापरे । अमर्षेणैव चाप्यर्था नारब्धव्या: सुबालिशै:,माता बोली--बेटा! पहलेकी सम्पत्ति नष्ट हो गयी है--यह सोचकर तुझे अपनी अवज्ञा नहीं करनी चाहिये, क्योंकि धन-वैभव तो नष्ट होकर पुनः प्राप्त हो जाते हैं और प्राप्त होकर भी फिर नष्ट हो जाते हैं; अतः बुद्धिहीन पुरुषोंको ईर्ष्यावश ही धनकी प्राप्तिके लिये कर्मोंका आरम्भ नहीं करना चाहिये
mātovāca putra nātmāvamantavyaḥ pūrvābhir asamṛddhibhiḥ | abhūtvā hi bhavanty arthā bhūtvā naśyanti cāpare | amarṣeṇaiva cāpy arthā nārabdhavyāḥ subāliśaiḥ |
The mother said: “My son, do not despise yourself because you once lacked prosperity. Wealth and worldly success can arise even where they were not before, and once arisen they may perish again. Therefore, the foolish should not set out to seek riches driven only by resentment and envy.”
पुत्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not lose self-respect due to past poverty or setbacks; wealth is unstable and cyclical. One should not begin actions aimed at gaining wealth when the motive is resentment or envy, since such motivation is a mark of folly and leads away from dharma.
A mother counsels her son, who is troubled by earlier lack of prosperity. She reframes fortune as impermanent and warns him against letting wounded pride or jealousy drive his pursuit of wealth.