Er.Rajesh Pathak,
The founder of Banaras Hindu University was Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya, who established the University through donation. For this he once happened to approach a Sethji[wealthy person] with his friend who had acquaintance with him [Sethji]. Exchanging salutation and getting introduced with each other, Sethji called his servant to light the lamp as darkness began to set in the evening. But, perhaps due to wind, in the hands of servant 2-3 match-sticks got wasted and lamp could not be lighted. At this Sethji grew annoyed. “Enough-stop wasting it,” he lashed at him, snatching the match-box from him at the same time. “Away- I myself will do it!” And, having lighted the lamp, he got engaged in the discussion.
But all this was enough for Malviyaji to give up the hope of getting donation from Sethji. “The man who is so miser as to grow so concerned about as paltry a thing like match-stick, what money he would take out for the greater good!”-he thought.
There on the other side Sethji asked Malviyaji the reason of his visit, at which he avoided the question. But when he saw Sethji being grown more persistent and refused to listen anything he at last told him the purpose of his visit. Hearing this, in no time Sethji went inside another room of the house, coming back with a bundle of notes in the hands. “These are 25,000 rupees, and if you need more of it, hesitate not to tell me,” said Sethji laying the bundle in the hands of Malviyaji.
This turn of event, not to say, was to amaze Malviyaji to no end! He could not resist himself and grew inquisitive about this quaint behavior of Sethji. And while taking the leave from Sethji he asked, “At one side you were getting so angry with your servant for the thing like match-stick. And on the other side neither you thought any thing nor took any time in giving thousands of rupees to me. The thing is beyond understanding, really.”
At this what Sethji answered is very instructive. He said, “As far as money or anything is concerned nothing should be wasted needlessly-no matter it be a match-stick. But when it comes to giving in the social interest, or greater interest of the nation then there should also be no restrain in observing generosity, Malviyaji!”
Simplicity and self-restraint is one thing; accumulation of wealth and putting it into use wisely is different. It is this which above incidence expounds, and in this occasion of Diwali which is needed to be remembered.
Much emphasis on simplicity and self-restraint in Indian life- philosophy led to a notion that it is against the accumulation of wealth, which is unfounded altogether. Were it so neither India would have been one among most prosperous countries in the past, nor men like Columbus and Vasco da Gama would have attracted towards it, nor foreign invaders would have grown rabid to pillage it. These two, simplicity and self-restraint, here substantially mean – simplicity and self-restraint in personal life, so that we could be capable enough to observe generosity in social life. This should not be forgotten that it is only because of this that the saving that we make through the life insurance policies and different schemes run by banks, which is today averagely 23 per cent of our income, has great contribution in the development of the country. Whereas in the country like America where the people already get to spend in advance the income to be earned in future through the credit-card, there, as a result there of, the saving has assumed negative denomination. It is because of this unrestrained consumption at the personal level by the people that the country which once mesmerized the whole world with its economic prosperity is now unable to overcome its economic crisis.
True that in this phase of economic globalization if something that suffered greatly then it is this our saving capacity, which had once been 28 per cent of our income, and now that has got to be reduced to 23 per cent. Taking a cue from the experience of America what is today needed is to preserve this tendency of saving to the greater interest of the nation. This only will be the true honour, true worship of the Lakskmiji.