Shloka 23
Adhyāya 6: Pañca-mahābhūta–guṇa-nirdeśa and Sudarśana-dvīpa
Five Elements, Sensory Qualities, and a Cosmographic Island
तस्मात् कुबेरो भगवांश्षतुर्थ भागमश्चुते ततः कलांशं वित्तस्य मनुष्येभ्य: प्रयच्छति,भगवान् कुबेर उन्हींसे धनका चतुर्थ भाग प्राप्त करके उसका उपभोग करते हैं और उस धनका सोलहवाँ भाग मनुष्योंको देते हैं
tasmāt kuberaḥ bhagavāṁś caturtha-bhāgam acyute tataḥ kalāṁśaṁ vittasya manuṣyebhyaḥ prayacchati |
Sañjaya said: Therefore the venerable Kubera, having received a fourth share from Acyuta, enjoys it; and from that wealth he grants a fractional portion to human beings. The passage frames prosperity as a delegated trust—wealth is not merely possessed but distributed according to a higher order, with humans receiving their share through divine stewardship.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wealth is portrayed as flowing through a divinely ordered chain of stewardship: Kubera receives a sanctioned share from Acyuta and, rather than hoarding it, distributes a portion to humans. The ethical implication is that prosperity carries an obligation of rightful enjoyment and responsible giving, not absolute private ownership.
Sañjaya describes a cosmological-economic arrangement: Kubera, the deity associated with treasure, receives a defined portion (a fourth share) from Acyuta and then allocates a smaller portion of that wealth to human beings. The statement functions as an explanatory aside about how human access to wealth is mediated and regulated.