the vedas
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This hymn from the 10th book of the Rig Veda so admirably describes the cycle of possession of wealth and the virtue of giving.

Rig Vedic Suktas

Rig Ved Samhita 10:117

The Original Sanskrit Hymn

ná vµ u devµþ kù£dham ¡d vadháü dadur utµ÷itam £pa gachanti mçtyávaþ |
ut¢ ray¡þ pçõat¢ n¢pa dasyaty utµpçõan maróitµraü ná vindate ||
yá àdhrµya cakamànµya pitv¢ 'nnavàn sán raphitµyopajagm£ùe |
sthirám mánaþ kçõut‚ s‚vate pur¢t¢ cit sá maróitµraü ná vindate ||
sá ¡d bhoj¢ y¢ gçháve dádàty ánnakàmàya cárate kç÷µya |
áram asmai bhavati yµmahåtà utµpar·ùu kçõute sákhàyam ||
ná sá sákhà y¢ ná dádàti sákhye sacàbh£ve sácamànàya pitváþ |
ápàsmàt pr‚yàn ná tád ¢ko asti pçõántam anyám áraõaü cid ichet ||
pçõãyµd ¡n nµdhamànàya távyàn drµghãyàüsam ánu pa÷yeta pánthàm |
¢ h¡ vártante ráthyeva cakrµnyám-anyam £pa tiùñhanta rµyaþ ||
m¢gham ánnaü vindate ápracetàþ satyám bravãmi vadhá ¡t sá tásya |
nµryamáõam p£ùyati n¢ sákhàyaü k‚valàgho bhavati kevalàd· ||
kçùánn ¡t phµla µ÷itaü kçõoti yánn ádhvànam ápa vçïkte car¡traiþ |
vádan brahmµvadato vánãyàn pçõánn àp¡r ápçõantam abh¡ ùyàt ||
‚kapàd bh½yo dvipádo v¡ cakrame dvipµt tripµdam abhy Šti pa÷cµt |
cátuùpàd eti dvipádàm abhisvar‚ sampá÷yan païkt·r upat¡ùñhamànaþ ||
sama£ cid dhástau ná samáü viviùñaþ sammàtárà cin ná samáü duhàte |
yamáyo÷ cin ná samµ vãry¶õi j¤àt· cit sántau ná samám pçõãtaþ ||

Translation in English
THE Gods have not ordained hunger to be our death: even to the well-fed man comes death in varied shape.
The riches of the liberal never waste away, while he who will not give finds none to comfort him.
The man with food in store who, when the needy comes in miserable case begging for bread to eat,
Hardens his heart against him-even when of old he did him service-finds not one to comfort him.
Bounteous is he who gives unto the beggar who comes to him in want of food and feeble.
Success attends him in the shout of battle. He makes a friend of him in future troubles.
No friend is he who to his friend and comrade who comes imploring food, will offer nothing.
Let him depart-no home is that to rest in-, and rather seek a stranger to support him.
Let the rich satisfy the poor implorer, and bend his eye upon a longer pathway.
Riches come now to one, now to another, and like the wheels of cars are ever rolling.
The foolish man wins food with fruitless labour: that food -I speak the truth- shall be his ruin.
He feeds no trusty friend, no man to love him. All guilt is he who eats with no partaker.
The ploughshare ploughing makes the food that feeds us, and with its feet cuts through the path it follows.
Better the speaking than the silent Brahman: the liberal friend outyalues him who gives not.
He with one foot hath far outrun the biped, and the two-footed catches the three-footed.
Four-footed creatures come when bipeds call them, and stand and look where five are met together.
The hands are both alike: their labour differs. The yield of sister milch-kine is unequal.
Twins even diffier in their strength and vigour: two, even kinsmen, differ in their bounty.

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