Most conversations about money revolve around numbers, goals, and returns.
But every now and then, someone reminds us that wealth has a deeper side — one that touches ethics, purpose, and even spirituality.
In a recent conversation on Expert Speaks, Dr. Chandrakant Bhat sat down with Mr. G. Sundar Rajan, Co-founder of Symphonia Wealth Private Limited, to explore this rare but powerful connection between money and meaning.
Sundar Rajan, known for his integrity and wisdom, has built his reputation not only as a financial planner but as someone who creates happiness out of investments. The discussion that followed was less about market trends and more about life lessons.
Is Wealth Really Essential?
Many people wonder if wealth is necessary at all.
Sundar Rajan’s answer was simple: wealth is not optional. It is a responsibility.
Money, when earned through honest work, can uplift not only individuals and families but entire communities. The problem, he says, is not wealth itself but how people pursue it.
“Most of the time,” he explains, “in the pursuit of money, people cross ethical lines. That is why wealth often gets a bad name. But if you earn and use it the right way, it becomes sacred. It creates good for you and for society.”
Trading Luck for Discipline
For many, the dream of wealth looks like an overnight lottery ticket or a stock market jackpot.
But reality is very different.
“Making quick money is easy to imagine and hard to achieve,” says Sundar. “When money is treated like a gamble, most people end up losing it.”
In Indian tradition, money is considered an aspect of Goddess Lakshmi — something to be respected, not chased recklessly.
Losing money through speculation or greed is like turning away the goddess herself. True investing, he reminds us, is not a zero-sum game. When done wisely, everyone benefits.
Rich Is Not Always Wealthy
Earning money and being wealthy are not the same thing. Many people earn a lot but still live in financial stress, while others with modest means enjoy true stability.
Wealth, Sundar explains, requires two different skill sets — one for making money and another for managing it.
“In the early years, you focus on growth. Later, the goal should shift to preservation,” he says. “If you keep taking the same risks after success, you can easily lose what you’ve built.”
The secret to staying wealthy lies in patience, humility, and the ability to let compounding work quietly over time.
The Spiritual Responsibility of Money
Once money is earned, what should be done with it? Can people simply spend it however they like? Legally, yes. Spiritually, perhaps not.
Sundar believes that every person who earns has a trustee’s duty — to use money wisely, with respect and purpose.
“Even though it is your money, you are just managing it for a higher purpose. You have no right to waste it. Treat it as something entrusted to you by the universe,” he says.
Those who can earn easily, he adds, have a moral obligation to grow their money for the benefit of others. In his words, “Money in good hands creates good societies.”
Money and Mindset: Finding Balance
Dr. Bhat raised a timeless dilemma: should one continue earning even after reaching a point of comfort?
Why create more wealth when there is no personal need left?
Sundar’s response was profound.
“Wealth creation is not about greed. It is about responsibility. If good people stop earning, the money will flow into wrong hands — and that is when society suffers. When honest people grow their wealth, the world becomes better.”
Money, he said, is like energy. It should never be hoarded. It must circulate, create opportunities, and fund good causes. That, in his view, is the true spiritual purpose of wealth.
The Three Faces of Financial Life
Every individual falls into one of three categories:
Those who don’t have enough money
Those who have just enough
Those who have more than enough
Each group has a unique relationship with money, but all share one risk — losing sight of the future.
Sundar emphasizes the importance of recognizing future needs and balancing today’s desires with tomorrow’s responsibilities.
He says, “The problem is not income, it’s intent. People focus on what they want now, but ignore what they will need later — a child’s education, retirement, or health security.”
Planning for the future, he reminds us, is not pessimism. It is wisdom.
Parenting, Privilege, and the Price of Comfort
The discussion also touched on an important social trend — overprotecting children from financial struggle.
Modern parents, driven by love, often give their children everything on demand.
Sundar shares a striking example.
“When asked where money comes from, a child said, ‘You just go to an ATM and take it out.’ That is the problem. We have not shown them what it takes to earn.”
Children who grow up without experiencing effort or delay may struggle to handle money later in life.
Teaching them the value of work, patience, and delayed gratification is perhaps the greatest financial lesson a parent can give.
Money as a Force for Good
Ultimately, the conversation returned to one powerful idea: wealth must serve purpose.
Wealth in wrong hands can harm, but in good hands, it can heal.
Hospitals, schools, charities, and cultural institutions all exist because someone decided to use money for good.
So, when wealth grows under the guidance of good people, it becomes a tool for transformation.
As Sundar beautifully summarized, “In every image of Goddess Lakshmi, gold coins flow from her hands. Money should never remain stagnant. It must move, create prosperity, and make the world a better place.”
Final Thoughts
Wealth creation, at its best, is not about accumulation but about contribution.
It begins with ethics, grows through discipline, and finds meaning in service.
So yes, wealth is essential.
But only when it is earned with integrity, managed with responsibility, and shared with compassion.