Vamsi’s Tabloid

“All that glitters is not Gold” … goes the famous saying. It simply means that not everything is what it seems. Wondering why i am talking about Gold and its “properties” ? … Its because, i have been thinking a lot about “Gold” and “Wealth” and its significance in Hindu Culture.

The readers of my blog have by now understood that i am  myself trying to “comprehend” what Hindu Culture is … and what are the factors or foundations that Hindu Culture has, which makes it survive its vast history through time immemorial.

Surely, that fact that Hindu Culture has “Survived” this long period in the Human History, means that essentially there must be some … “good and wonderful” … “essentials” … in this Hindu Civilization … those “essentials” which are must for any civilization to survive for mammoth periods of time.

Significance of Gold across Civilizations.

Gold  Bars as Wealth and Investment

The metal Gold, is non-corrosive and doesn’t rust. So the possiblilty of loosing some Gold through Oxidation is nil. Next comes Silver which is relatively resistant to Oxidation process. We only find Silver Di-Oxide on the surface of the Silver Bars and Utensils, that can be removed with some agents/solvent especially available for the purpose in the market, so that the Silverware sparkle to their original glory.

And the fact that Gold and Silver also look very nice, makes them the prefered choice for Jewellery/Ornaments, Bullion, Statutes, Utensils, etc … in all the cultures including Hindu Culture.

Its universally accepted that Gold is the metal that people can trust upon, and in current modern scenario of trade and commerce, we have many countries which stock-pile Gold Bullion to strengthen their Currencies against others.

Gold integral part of Hindu Culture.

We indians are great lovers of Gold. The fact that we are the worlds greatest importers of Gold signifies our love and admiration of this wonderful metal. We consider this metal to be auspicious and also have a festival dedicated to this metal called Akshya Tritiya, when we bring home this auspicious metal into our homes.

A woman purchasing gold jewellery on Akshaya Tritiya

Goddess Lakshmi showering gold coins !

And in hinduism we have Goddess Lakshmi who is depicted as bestower of riches in the form of Gold Coins. So, Gold has always been an integral part of the Hindu Culture and Civilization.

Significance of Gold in Hindu Culture.

Now, having understood that Gold is very much an integral part of Hindu Culture, we have to make an attempt as to “how much important gold is for the hindus”.

There is a lot of difference between Gold that is used as “Wealth” and that is used as “Jewellery” in the eyes of Hindus.

A pretty desi girl in gold jewellery

Jewellery worn by Hindu Ladies and Gents are like “personal effects” and normally in the Hindu Households, these are not treated as part of wealth.

On the other hand, Gold which is especially purchased as bullion or coins, as a means to “preserve their wealth” and as an “Investment” … this “gold” is  treated as “wealth” by we Hindus.

Karna had real knowledge about Wealth

I would give an example of the scene from the Mahabharata, which essentially substantiates by above view-point.

On the battlefield … when the “Daana Veera Sura Karna” was left helpless because he was cursed many times … the arrows from the Gandiva of Arjuna pierced him all over … then its said that Arjuna was laughing at the helplessness of Karna. Krishna who is all knowing, stopped Arjuna from rediculing Karna … and to make Arjuna understand the great “charity giver” that Karna was … Krishna and Arjuna went to him in the guise of Brahmanas and asked for “Dakshina”.

Krishna and Arjuna in Gold Ornaments

Karna never said “no” to anybody who came to him for favours and was free in giving Charities/Daana … On the battlefield, Karna was adorned with lots of Gold Anklets and Jewellery on his body … Karna understood that by “Dakshina” the Brahmanas were seeking for “wealth” … But, Karna didnot give his Gold Anklets and Gold Jewellery … instead he broke his Jaws with a stone, took out his Gold Teeth, cleaned it with water and gave to the brahmanas (ie, Krishna and Arjuna in disguised form).

This episode in the Kurukshetra Battle clearly explains what type of “Gold” should be treated as “Wealth” and what as “Jewellery or Personal Effect”. That is the essense of Hindu Culture.

Its a particular state of mind, which we call it as Hindu Culture … and wrt to GOLD … the “State of mind” of Hindus, clearly demarcates the treatement of the metal GOLD as either “Wealth” or “Personal Effect”.

The West have a different take on Gold.

But the people in the West always think that Gold is always Synonymous with Wealth and Riches. Surely GOLD is a COSTLY ATTRACTIVE METAL … but its in the Material Nature of the White People to consider Gold Jewellery as “Wealth or Investment” rather that a “Personal Effect”.

For instance, i found an interesting article from a fellow blogger … wherein he has reproduced a newspaper cutting of “MACAULAY’S ADDRESS TO THE BRITISH in 1835 ON THE GREAT INDIAN ETHOS”.

The article says …

Quote … “I have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar,who is a thief, such wealth I have seen in this country. Such high moral values, people of such calibre, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage and therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for the Indians all that is foreign and is British is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native culture and they will become what we want them,……….a truly dominated nation.” … Unquote.

Macaulay surely saw lots of Gold in India during his visit to the country in 1835. But unfortunately, through his “Materialist Mind” … he could see the “Jewellery/Ornaments of gold, that men and women wore” as “Wealth and not as “Personal Effects”.

So, what is it that Macaulay meant by stating …

Quote … I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for the Indians all that is foreign and is British is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation … Unquote.

is that to “deprive” the Hindus of their “Culture”, which is far more superior than the Western Civilization … indirectly making Hindus forgetful of their “High Moral Values and high calibre” … which is essentially a Hindu Culture Phenomenon.

Hindu Culture is a “State of Mind” and the fact that british were successful in establishing English Law and Education in India … meant that they deliberately “Denied the Indians” from understanding how great their culture is !

The result is … India was turned into a “Mitti ki Chidiya” from “Sone ki Chidiya” by the british … who considered India as “Crown in British Empire” !

No wonder that inspite of having gained independence from the British, we still find large populations of India in absolute poverty. And to make matters worse, we have some “Hardcore Secularists” or “Secular Fundamentalists” who think that Hindu culture is Bad for India !

Gold as the “Part of the Body”

To substantiate my argument about the fact that we Hindus treat Gold Jewellery/Ornaments as a personal effect or the “Part of the Body” … i would take the attention of the reader to a gold ring that he/she is wearing.

When you are wearing a Gold Ring on your “Ring Finger” … then that ring “becomes a part of your personality or body”. Just imagine if that gold ring does not fit tightly to your finger, and after some days you “loose that ring”, unknowlingly. For some time, the body behaves as if you are still have the Gold Ring on your finger … and when you actually notice your finger, you will find that it was an illusion, that you “thought” that you had the ring, but it is actually lost !

So, this is a perfect example why Gold Ornaments are considered as “Personal Effects” and “Part of the Body”.

A Mangalsutra

The same holds true for a women who wears a “mangalsutra” made of Gold. At the time of ther marriage, her husband ties a “mangalsutra” around her neck. Surely if we see a “mangalsutra” hanging from a women’s neck, it means that she got married. But for the lady concerned, it becomes a “Part of her body” and she “worships that mangalsutra” for the welfare of her husband.

Somayajulu who plays the role of Shankarabharanam Shastry, wearing a “kada” in his right hand

One more example is that from a telugu movie Shankarabharanam, wherein in the end, the main protogonist in the movie, Shankarbharanam Shastry gives away his “Leg Kada” … which is his identity as a classical singer … to his beloved student, a small boy … which means that the great singer has “announced” that his legacy would be taken forward by this small boy, who will become a famous carnatic singer.

Surely, all that glitters is not gold ! … it might be a personal effect of the patron !

Vamsi.