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Journalism of Courage
With everyone wondering about the future course of economic reforms, it8217;s fascinating to see what scripture makes of it. Take Lakshmi, the Benign One most sought after since roofs were first raised and crops first sown. Lakshmi comes from the Sanskrit for goal or aim: 8216;lakshya8217;. The goal is twofold: earthly love and luck plus spiritual growth. Beautiful Lakshmi, born of the Ocean of Milk, is depicted for evermore as described in the texts by Raja Ravi Varma. In the painting he made for the Gaekwad in Lakshmi Vilas Palace, Baroda, she8217;s pleasantly plump, fair-skinned hmm, four-armed and standing on a full-blown open lotus, holding lotus buds or a shankh-chakra, the conch and discus of her consort Lord Vishnu.
Lakshmi8217;s four hands signify the purushaartha or four goals of life 8212; dharma right conduct, kama love, artha wealth/livelihood, moksha union with God. Her hands shower cascades of gold coins and unlike the 8216;shwetavastra8217; or pure white clothes of the musically meditative Saraswati, it8217;s always a rose pink or red sari edged with gold for Lakshmi, since red is the colour of auspicious activity the miserable Left should ponder that one while gold is the colour of prosperity. In effect, Lakshmi is the Shakti or active energy of Vishnu the Preserver of Life. The two elephants always shown 8216;lustrating8217; or spraying water near Lakshmi signify 8216;noble, ceaseless effort8217;. Further, Hindu myth has at least six cautionary tales of how Lakshmi leaves those who forsake virtue and right conduct.
Let8217;s listen in on her Puranic pow-wow with Indra and Narada: 8220;Everyone in the world seeks my favour. But I stay only with those who live righteously, who value education, take care of God8217;s devotees, who have conquered anger and envy, who pity those in distress and help them. I detest lazy, dirty, jealous, short-tempered and falsely ambitious people. But how I love the clean, virtuous and hardworking, who don8217;t quit!8221; So scripture is clear that reforms must aim at a clean, educated, work-ethic-driven India. Or else? Look around, Lakshmi has other places to hang out in which meet her specs.
