There is a tale told of old that Wisdom and Wealth once quarrelled aloud and claiming about their relative importance. Wealth argued that without it, the body will be weak, the brain hazy and wisdom a will-o-the-wisp. Wisdom retorted that without it man cannot even distinguish wealth from non-wealth or know how to earn it or use it. The Soul intervened and told them that they were both equally important, but only when properly used.
Wealth without Wisdom becomes an instrument of exploitation and tyranny; wisdom without wealth becomes fantasy and a bundle of blueprints. Use makes them worthwhile; misuse makes them disastrous.
It is like the knife. In the hands of a maniac, it becomes an instrument for murder; in the hands of a surgeon, it becomes an instrument that saves life. Are you doing good with wealth? Are you benefiting others by means of wisdom? – that is the test.(NNSG Vol.5, p. 153)
The Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Bhagavatam are three monumental works which point out the disastrous consequences which result when one is a victim of Kama (lust) or Lobha (greed) or Krodha (Hatred). In the Ramayana, Ravana exemplifies lust. The entire Ramayana story happened because of Ravana’s lust. Rama’s advent as Avatar was for the purpose of destroying Ravana.
In the Bhagavatam, Hiranyakashipu is the personification of hatred-hatred towards Hari. He went about asking: ‘Where is that Hari? There can be none greater than myself.’ Because of this hatred for Hari, the Lord appeared in the form of Narasimha (Man-Lion) to destroy Hiranyakashipu. The Lord vanquished the demon of hatred.
In the Mahabharata, Duryodhana symbolises greed. As a result of his greed his entire clan was destroyed.
Ravana, Hiranyakashipu and Duryodhana are examples of the disastrous consequences of lust, hatred and greed. Besides containing these warnings, the Ramayana, the Bhagavatamand the Mahabharata indicate what is Dharma and how it is to be honoured and adhered to. Duryodhana, whose avarice knew no bounds, went to his mother, Gandhari, on the eve of the Kurukshetra battle, to seek her blessings. In keeping with the ideals of mothers in those days, Gandhari told Duryodhana: ‘Yato Dharma, Tato Jayah’ (Where there is righteousness, there is victory). She did not wish victory for her son.
Duryodhana then went to his preceptor Dronacharya and prostrated before him. Dronacharya told him: ‘Yato Krishna Tato Dharmah Yato Dharma Tato Jayah.’ (Where there is Dharma, there is Krishna. Where there is Krishna, there is victory).
The same message is contained in the last shloka of the BhagavadGita(Chapter 18, Verse 78):
‘yatra yogesvarah krsno
yatra partho dhanur-dharah
tatra srir vijayo bhutir
dhruva nitir matir mama’
(Where there is the Supreme Lord of Yoga, Shri Krishna and where there is the mighty archer, Arjuna, there are to be found all prosperity, success and justice.)
The Ramayana relates how before leaving for the forest Rama went to Kausalya to seek her blessings. Kausalya told Rama: ‘Your Dharma will protect you during your exile in forest.’(SSS Vol.21, pp. 88-89)