In today's world, people need to be sustained through two means: knowledge and wealth. In the Gita, Sri Krishna states that He is extremely fond of those who disseminate divine knowledge to others. We should spend our wealth on propagating the message of God and serving the needy; this is the true and proper use of wealth. Just as a person bails out water with both hands to save themselves and the boat when it begins to flood, one should give in charity with both hands as one's wealth increases. A wise person is one who curtails their own comforts to utilize their wealth in alleviating the suffering of the distressed, otherwise, that very wealth can lead one toward sin and ultimately, to hell. Vedic scriptures contain numerous examples of saintly individuals who have protected others by risking—or even sacrificing—their own lives. During the *Samudra Manthan* (Churning of the Ocean), when everyone was crying out in agony due to the scorching poison, they sought refuge in Lord Shiva, inspired by Lord Vishnu. On Mount Kailash, Lord Shiva was seated with Goddess Parvati, discoursing on the nature of Krishna to various sages—a routine He performs eternally. Although He is the Lord of the entire universe, He has not built even a simple hut for Himself; instead, He constantly chants the name of "Ram" while seated beneath a banyan tree. Moved by the prayers of the demigods, Lord Shiva said to Mother Parvati, "O gentle one! When a person performs a benevolent act for others, the Supreme Lord Hari is immensely pleased, and I too, rejoice along with all living beings. Therefore, I wish to consume this deadly *Halahala* poison so that I may become the cause of happiness for all creatures." (Bhagavatam 8.7.40) Indeed, Supreme Lord is supremely pleased with those who serve and uplift the suffering. Just as a father is overjoyed when a capable son helps a less fortunate brother, Sri Krishna is pleased when we help one another. Without love for all, one's own significance fades; much like a hand must cherish all other parts of the body if it wishes to remain alive. If a person's hands were to isolate themselves, thinking, "Why should the rest of the body benefit from me, what I earn?" and due to this selfish attitude hands refuse to put food or water into their mouth, then that would certainly perish. A hand can only remain nourished if it does not view its own existence as separate from that of the body's other limbs. People in this world wear jewellery made of diamonds, gold, and silver, yet in the absence of virtues, these ornaments fail to bring them true honor. It is said that the true ornament of the hand is to serve the Lord and perform acts of charity; similarly, the ornament of the eyes is beholding the divine form of Lord Sri Hari, the ornament of the ears is listening to the divine pastimes of the Lord, and the ornament of speech is the congregational chanting of the Lord's holy names. We ought to adorn ourselves with these ornaments. Lord Shiva’s complexion is as radiant as a conch shell; out of compassion for others, He consumed poison, which caused His throat to turn blue, earning Him the name "Neelkanth" (Blue-throated One). Shukadeva Goswami describes this: *Yachchakara gale neelam tattvam...*—that blue mark became an ornament upon His throat, enhancing His splendour. Lord Shiva imparts a beautiful principle: there are countless suffering beings in this world, if we possess wealth, knowledge etc then it is meant to alleviate the suffering of others, not for our own sense gratification. Otherwise, upon death, everything will remain behind in this world. Feeling the pain of others as one's own is the highest form of worship of Lord Krishna, who resides in the hearts of all living beings as Lord Vishnu. In present times, the devastating flash floods calamity of Nepal has created profound sufferings for mankind, the true purpose of a capable person lies in caring for the destitute and the sufferings. Hare Krishna! 👏💐
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