“पैसा आदमी को दीन बना देता है। ऐसी दूसरी चीज दुनिया में विषय–भोग है। ये दोनों विषय विषम हैं। उनका डंक साँप के डंक से ज्यादा जहरीला है।”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: Hindi-edition text of a Gandhi work (labelled Hind Swaraj); genuine translated content carrying OCR footnote markers ('दीन3', 'विषय5', 'विषम6').
About this quote
Two appetites get singled out as quietly corrosive: the hunger for money and the pull of indulgence. Their danger is that they feel harmless while they hollow you out, unlike an obvious threat you'd instinctively guard against. What poisons slowly is the hardest thing to notice.
When to use it
- A high earner chasing each next raise and finding every one buys less contentment than the one before.
- Letting an evening of scrolling and snacking quietly swallow the whole evening, night after night.
- A gambler sure the small bets are harmless until they've drained the household's savings.