According to the Bhagavad Gita, four kinds of people worship God: those who are afflicted, those who seek knowledge, those who crave wealth, and those endowed with wisdom.1 All four kinds are worthy because their actions and thoughts are in some way connected with God, even though some of them seek worldly prosperity. No doubt God is the Kalpataru (the wish-fulfilling tree), but this does not mean that He automatically fulfills all desires. As a wise doctor will not prescribe poison to alleviate a patient’s pain, similarly the omniscient Lord answers only those prayers which will ultimately benefit the devotee.
Once a poor but beautiful woman fell in love with a man for his money. After she married him and found herself the recipient of all his wealth, however, the object of her love gradually shifted from money to husband. She realized that any joy in life comes from Spirit, not from matter. This is exactly what happened in the life of Upendra Nath Mukhopadhyay. He went to Sri Ramakrishna seeking wealth and material prosperity.
Upendra’s uncle would sometimes remind him that he had neither education nor money, so his life was worthless. It was hard for this sincere teenager to digest such humiliation day after day. He first tried to help himself and then sought divine grace from Sri Ramakrishna.
In Sri Ramakrishna and His Disciples, Sister Devamata quoted Swami Ramakrishnananda, referring to Upendra: “At one time there was a very poor boy who used to come almost daily to Sri Ramakrishna, but the Master would never take any of the food he brought. We did not know why. Finally one day Sri Ramakrishna said: ‘This poor fellow comes here because he has a great desire to be rich. Very well, let me taste a little of what he has brought,’ and he took a small quantity of the food. The boy’s condition began to improve immediately, and today he is one of the most prosperous men in Calcutta.” ….. On another occasion in a gathering, a devotee said to the Master, “Sir, you did not bless Upendra.” Sri Ramakrishna replied with a smile: “He did not express to me what he wants. But I know his wish — that his small door should be big — and it will be.”
On 1 January 1886, at Cossipore, Sri Ramakrishna became a wish-fulfilling tree and blessed many devotees. That day he asked Upendra, “What do you want?” “Money.” “You will get plenty of money,” said the Master. It would be an injustice to Upendra, however, if the reader thought that he was only money-hungry. His life indicates that he had true devotion for the Master along with the ambition to acquire wealth.
It is a fact that for most people the desire for money takes one’s mind away from God. But this was not true in Upendra’s case. The more wealth he acquired, the more his devotion to the Master increased. His magazine spread the message of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. Swamiji chose “Namo Narayanaya” (Salutations to God) as the permanent caption for the front page of the Basumati, and Upendra gladly agreed. Once Swamiji remarked, “Upendra has a wonderful business sense.” Upendra, in turn, often consulted Swamis Vivekananda and Yogananda on business matters. (Source: They Lived with God)