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Gold? What about it?

Surprise, surprise! There is no `gold story' in our scriptures. All this gold rush surely is the idea of a bright marketing guy

THAT'S THE ONE! Bitten by the buy bug PHOTO: K. K. MUSTAFA

For astronomy buffs, Akshaya Tritiya is an important day. It is believed that on this day, the third day of the month of Vaishakha, the Sun and the Moon are at their brightest. For hordes of other people what shines even brighter on this day is the gold waiting to be snapped up. Why do people buy gold on Akshaya Tritiya like there is no tomorrow?

"It's one of the four most auspicious days in the Hindu almanac," says Prathima Rani, a teacher. "We're told that buying gold on this day brings luck, and who can say no to a little bit of luck?"

If mechanic Muthu is lucky, he is going to get his breakfast at home on the day of Akshaya Tritiya. "Last year, both my wife and mother suddenly became the closest of pals, wheedled 2,000 bucks from me and rushed out early in the morning to buy gold. So, it really didn't bring me much luck!" says sadder but wiser gent.

On the other hand, once-small-time jeweller Devraj, now big-time owner of large-sized plots, feels very lucky. "Till about four years back, hardly anyone had heard of this day. And then some smart marketing person must have thought up this wonderful ploy, and ever since there has been a queue at my door of people waiting to buy gold! I'm not complaining!" says Devraj. "And to think, the day actually commemorates Krishna's granting of the akshaya paathiram to Draupadi," he reveals.

According to the Mahabharata, Krishna presented the akshaya paathiram, a vessel that would give an endless quantity of food, to Draupadi, when the Pandavas were in exile. Akshaya in Sanskrit means "endless". Old-timers believe one must buy rice and jaggery on this day, and offer prayers to God to keep their pot always full for family and guests. Let's see what all happened on this Golden Day... the Satya Yuga, the most sacred of the four eras mentioned in the Hindu calendar, started on this day. Sages performed mankind's first-ever yagna on this day. Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu, and Balarama, Krishna's brother, were born on this day. Also the day when Krishna showered his friend Sudhama (Kuchela) with wealth when he came to see him with a nothing but deep affection and a handful of beaten rice. Maybe we should all buy beaten rice on this day and share it with friends, family, neighbours and all the poor people around us... that is, if they haven't all rushed out to the jewellers. Beaten rice, say nutritionists, is healthier than the yellow metal.

The day is considered auspicious to make purchases and start new ventures, and in the past few years "good" has become synonymous with "gold". But a point to remember is that the good you do on this day is said to come back to you many times over. One pundit says that any good deed done on this day earns one instant punya, heaven's brownie points. So go ahead, buy gold if you must (you're doing the jeweller a very good turn), make sure the pot at home — like Draupadi's akshaya paathiram — is full of decent food for the family, do some good, give someone a golden day... and let the metal and your deeds brighten up the lives of a thousand people!

MALA KUMAR

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