Merchant & his 4 wives

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Once upon a time. There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th

wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He

took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best. He also loved the 3rd

wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his

friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away

with some other men.

He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and

in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems,

he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him

through difficult times.

Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great

contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of

the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although

she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die

soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives

with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!" Thus, he asked

the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and

showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep

me company?No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another

word.The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart.

The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my

life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?No!"

replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you

die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always

helped me out. Now I need your help again.When I die, will you follow me and

keep me company?I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd

wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came

like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.

Then a voice called out : "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where

you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so

skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the

merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have

!"

Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives.

The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making

it look good, it'll leave us when we die.

Our 3rd wife.... Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.

The 2nd wife..... Our family and friends. No matter how close they had been

there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the

grave.

The 1st wife is in fact our SOUL, often neglected in our pursuit of material

wealth and sensual pleasure.

Guess what?

It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go.

Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait

until we're on our deathbed to lament.

>From Srila Prabhupada's lecture (unedited):

dehapatya kalatradisv atma sainyesv asatsv api

tesam pramatto nidhanam pasyann api na pasyati

They are attached because they are attached to this body, therefore attached to

the children. Dehapatya. Apatya means children. And kalatra. Kalatra means wife.

dehapatya kalatradisv atma sainyesv. This very word sainya... Sainya means

soldier. Here in the material world, every one of us is struggling very hard.

That is a fact. Everyone knows. So when we struggle, when we fight, then we

must have soldiers. Without soldiers, nobody fights. So they are our soldiers:

this body... Everyone wants to keep this body fit. And maintaining the children

and the wife... dehapatya kalatradisv We are thinking that “My, this body

and wife and children and home and country and society will save me.” I am

struggling against... What is that struggling? I do not wish to die. I do not

wish to be diseased. I do not wish to become old man. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi.

I don’t wish to get birth again, or I want to stop birth. Janma-mrtyu. I

want to stop death. I want to stop disease. And I want to stop old age. These

are the activities, material activities, struggling against. And I am thinking

that “These soldiers, or this, my body, or my wife, my children, will

protect me,” dehapatya kalatradisv atma sainyesv asatsv api, although I

am experiencing every day that they are asat, they will not exist.

How do I know they will not exist? My father has died. My elderly, my mother

has died, my grandfather has died. Therefore I will also die. And my next

generation, he will also die. My wife also will die. So everybody will die.

asatsv api. They know by experience that they will not exist, but still, their

business has become to struggle for existence. dehapatya kalatradisv. These are

very important subject matter. Try to understand. We know that nobody will

exist. I want to exist. That is my intention. I do not wish to die. I want to

exist, but I know also that all these, my soldiers, including my, this stout

and strong body, it will also not exist. dehapatya kalatradisv atma sainyesv

asatsv api

Pramatta means crazy, mad. Pramatto nidhanam, distraction. Nidhanam pasyan.

Pasyan means although he is seeing every day, every moment, still he doesn't

see the reality.

Just like Maharaja Yudhisthira was quested by Yamaraja, “What is the most

wonderful thing in this world? Can you say?” Maharaja Yudhisthira

immediately replied. What is that? “Every moment, every second, every

day, every night, there are so many hundreds and thousands of living entities,

they are going to the temple of death, or dying.” Ahany ahani bhütäni

gacchanteha yamalaya çeñäù sthavaram icchanti. “But one who is living, he

is thinking that ‘I will not die. I will live for good.’ That is the

most wonderful thing in this world.”

Nobody is taking experience that “I will have to meet death. And what is

next after death? What I was before my birth? Why I am here? Why I am

struggling so hard? I want to be happy. I want to be peaceful. Why there is no

peace? Why there is no happiness? Why these things? Why I am put into

this...?” These are called atma-tattvam. These are called brahma-jijnasa.

If a man is not enlightened to this point of inquiring of this, “What?

What I am? Wherefore I am come? What is this world? What is this body? Why I am

getting old? Why I am getting diseased?” So many “whys” there

are. This is called brahma-jijnasa. But they are pramatta, they are mad after

the struggle for existence, although they know nothing will exist, it has come

just like a flash, and it will end like a flash. Then what is the actual

platform of my life, my living condition? They do not inquire. They do not

inquire.

 

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