शेषं परविभूतये

गोशतादपि गोक्षीरं प्रस्थं ग्रामशतादपि।

प्रासादादपि खट्वार्धं शेषं परविभूतये॥

सुभाषितमञ्जरी १४-५०४

gośatādapi gokṣīraṃ prasthaṃ grāmaśatādapi।

prāsādādapi khaṭvārdhaṃ śeṣaṃ paravibhūtaye॥

subhāṣitamañjarī 14-504

A great reminder from Subhaashita manjari

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Even if a person is the owner of a hundred cows, he can, at best, use for himself only the milk given by one cow.

He can at best consume a single measure of grain a day, even if he is the owner of a hundred villages

He can occupy only a portion of a cot, even if he is the owner of a huge palatial mansion.

The rest of what he has is just for the use and benefit of others around him

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A great statement indeed

The universe around us is so huge and so richly endowed..

By some sheer chance, or even through conscious effort, we might get control and possession of resources and materials in excess of what we really need..

Human nature is to hoard..

We will not be able to enjoy more that our body and mind would permit..

Beyond that limit, we cannot use anything..

But we tend to hoard everything.. and often we exercise our ownership rights to prevent others from getting any advantage from the resources, which are too often distributed unequally..

We can afford to be generous..

We can share our joys and resources.

Of course this is not a call for anyone to throw caution to the winds and fritter away all he has.. in the shortest time possible.

It is only a message of caution against excessive greed and possessiveness.

Regards

k v ananthanarayanan