What happens when a man earns money by unfair means?

[krsna]

Srimad-Bhagavatam.

From the Third Canto

 

Chapter Thirty,

 

 

 

TEXT 31:

 

"He goes alone to the darkest regions of hell after quitting the

present body, and the money he acquired by envying other living entities is the

passage money with which he leaves this world."

 

PURPORT:

 

When a man earns money by unfair means and maintains his family and

himself with that money, the money is enjoyed by many members of the family, but

he alone goes to hell and suffers the resultant sinful reactions accrued from

such a violent and illicit life. For example, if a man secures some money by

killing someone and with that money maintains his family, those who enjoy the

black money earned by him are also partially responsible and are also sent to

hell, but he who is the leader is especially punished. The money he earned is

left in this world, and he takes only the sinful reaction.

In this world also, if a person acquires some money by murdering someone, the

family is not hanged, although its members are sinfully contaminated. But the

man who commits the murder and maintains his family is himself hanged as a

murderer. The direct offender is more responsible for sinful activities than the

indirect enjoyer. The great learned scholar Canakya Pandita says, therefore,

that whatever one has in his possession had better be spent for the cause of

sat, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because one cannot take his

possessions with him. They remain here, and they will be lost. Either we leave

the money or the money leaves us, but we will be separated. The best use of

money as long as it is within our possession is to spend it to acquire and

propagate Krsna consciousness.