True civilization measures wealth in grain, cows, and gold—not in temporary material possessions and political manipulation.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.9.2 — May 16, 1973, Los Angeles 730516SB-LOS ANGELES [36:29 Minutes] SB-01.09.02_730516SB-LOS ANGELES Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] tadā te bhrātaraḥ sarve sadaśvaiḥ svarṇa-bhūṣitaiḥ anvagacchan rathair viprā vyāsa-dhaumyādayas tathā [SB 1.9.2] [break] tadā—at that time; te—all of them; bhrātaraḥ—the brothers; sarve—all together; sat-aśvaiḥ—drawn by first-class horses; svarṇa—gold; bhūṣitaiḥ—being decorated with; anvagacchan—followed one after another; rathaiḥ—on the chariot; viprāḥ—O brāhmaṇas; vyāsa—the sage Vyāsa; dhaumya—Dhaumya; ādayaḥ—and others; tathā—also.
[03:12] Translation: "At that time all his brothers followed him on beautiful chariots drawn by first-class horses decorated with gold ornaments. With them were Vyāsa and ṛṣis like Dhaumya, the learned priest of the Pāṇḍavas, and others." Prabhupāda: So one very important word is here: sadaśvaiḥ svarṇa-bhūṣitaiḥ. Formerly the horses were used in military division. Horses, chariot, elephants and then infantry.
So not one or two, but one division of military phalanx contained..., required sixty thousand horses. Akṣauhiṇī. So many horses, so many elephants, so many chariot, and so many infantry soldiers—that will compose one division of soldiers. So "so many" means the, I exactly remember now, sixty thousand horses.
So all the horses, when they are required for procession or for going to the fight, were well decorated with golden ornaments, svarṇa-bhūṣitaiḥ. So just imagine the, all the saddles of the horse, if they are golden-ornamented, how many ounces you will require to decorate the horse. And what is the price of gold now? Dānavīr: One hundred and twenty-eight dollars an ounce. Prabhupāda: Just see, at least fifty ounce will be required to decorate one horse. And one ounce is $120.
So what is the price of fifty ounce? Devotees: Five thousand dollars. Prabhupāda: Five thousand dollars. Such sixty-thousand horses, how much it comes? [laughter] Where is that gold? They are very much proud, advancement of material civilization, but instead of gold, we find plastic.
[laughter] And the nonsense, they are very much proud of their wealth. Just see. Even they cannot decorate their wives. And woman, they require also ornament.
It is psychology. Manu-saṁhitā, it has been recommended that "If you want to keep satisfied your wife, then you must give her good food, good sārī and good ornament." This is the system. Therefore during marriage time, the girl is given by the father, according to his means, as many sārīs, nice sārīs, beautiful, costly sārīs, and as much as possible, golden ornaments. And those who are very rich, they, still in India, they give jewelries, means diamonds, pearls, sapphire, according to means. Those who are richer class, they don't touch gold.