In a complex, modern economy, money acts as a universal medium of exchange. It represents the value one has created and is necessary to acquire the vast array of products and services needed for modern life. Money is used to purchase food, shelter, clothing, and medicine. Without it, a person cannot access these life-sustaining resources, leading to starvation, exposure, and untreated illnesses. The lack of money may put an individual into an enormous amount of stress. The consequences of lack of money is highlighted by Sanskrit scholars in following words :
अर्थविहीनो पुरुषो जीवन्नपि मृतोपमः |
धर्मार्थविद्यार्जनतो मतिर्यस्य विवर्तते ||
Arthavihaneeno purusho jeevannapi mrutopamah .
Dharmaarthavidyaarjanato matiryasya vivartate.
Artha = money, wealth.
viheeno = not having, without.
Purusho = a person.
Jeevannapi = jeevan + api.
Jeevan = being alive.
Api = even.
Mrutopama = Mruta + upamah.
Mruta = a dead person.
Upamah = like a.
Dharmaarthavidyaarjanato = Dharma + artha + vidyaarajanto.
Dharma = religion.
Vidyaarjana = getting education.
matiryasya = matih + yasya.
Matih = intelligence.
Yasya = whose.
Vivartitah = goes astray, becomes dull.
i.e. A person without wealth and property is like a dead person while alive because his intellect gets corrupted due to lack of wealth and hence he fails to acquire Dharma, wealth and knowledge.
Poverty and lack of wealth often correlate with social isolation, psychological distress, and a lack of control over one's life. This creates a cycle of vulnerability where insecurity can increase the risk of death from various causes. A person without any wealth although alive is like a dead person, because in absence of any wealth his intelligence goes astray. He unable to perform any due diligence and hence confided into a hole. Hence money is an important factor for human survival.
