Humanity’s craving for gold, an insatiable lust, has been cunningly channeled by bullion merchants through the sudden elevation of the obscure Akshaya Tritiya into a marketing gimmick. The success of Akshaya Tritiya as a tool to drive gold sales reveals how gullible people can be. Even the Bombay Stock Exchange operated on Sunday, May 16, to capitalize on this so-called auspicious day.
Until a few years ago, I had never heard of Akshaya Tritiya. A glance at Wikipedia reveals fascinating myths: Jains consider it auspicious, yet, paradoxically, a faith rooted in renouncing worldly desires endorses a day of material indulgence. Hindus celebrate it as the birthday of Parashurama, who, according to legend, created “God’s Own Country”—an act with consequences we now view with irony.
Why, of all metals, does gold hold such reverence on this day? Why not platinum or even shimmering carbon, which surpasses gold in value? The obsession is baffling. Recall the fable of King Midas, whose greed turned everything, including his daughter, into lifeless gold. If buying gold brings happiness and success, what of the millions who cannot afford a single meal? Are they excluded from the divine scheme? Does purchasing gold trinkets on Akshaya Tritiya absolve past sins? If karma determines one’s well-being in this life and beyond, how does this ritual of acquisition promise prosperity?
Why not channel this wealth into community service instead? Imagine redirecting even a fraction of the money spent on gold to feed the hungry. Investing in gold for financial prudence is understandable, but linking its purchase on this day to a promised deluge of heavenly blessings is absurd. This is yet another example of mindless tradition masquerading as wisdom. The lust for gold—paraded as virtue—is nothing but vulgar vanity, a uniquely human folly worn proudly on our sleeves.
1 comment:
This ludicrous nonsense has nothing to do with religion. Well, religion in the textual context. May be it is yet another mode of saffron invasion. I heard about this date when I was in Gujarat. Now the gold sellers of kerala, have appropriated this danger as a marketing tool and added the word into malayalees' lexicon. You know how secular the word is! Should we call it Achchaya Thritheeya?
It deserves nothing but contempt.
A hilarious post in malayalam could as well be read: www.berlytharangal.com
Yo will have to install anjali old lipi in your font folder. It is a free download. go ahead and enjoy.
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