Sehwag Shares A Beautiful Story On Why Akshaya Tritiya Is Not Just About Buying Gold

Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akha Teej, is considered to be an auspicious day across India. Falling on the third lunar day of Shukla paksha of Vaishakha month, it is a day people often buy gold, since it is considered to be the perfect day to start something new. For jewellers across the country, preparations for this day are like a full-fledged campaign, as they stock up their stores and welcome their customers with special sales and offers.

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But why do we celebrate this day?

Well, if you wish to understand the significance of Akshaya Tritiya, there are several stories that will come up.

For starters, Akshaya Tritiya is considered as the start of the Treta Yuga, which is the second yuga in Hindu Mythology as well as the day of birth of Lord Parashurama, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It was on this very day too, that another incarnation of Vishnu, Lord Krishna, was visited in Dwarka by his friend Sudama, who presented him with ‘poha’ as a humble gift.

Akshaya Tritiya has a manifold significance in the Mahabharata too, for it was on this day that Ved Vyasa began his recital of the great epic to Lord Ganesha, who wrote it down.

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It was also the day the Pandavas were presented with the Akshaya Patra or the ‘inexhaustible vessel’, and the day they found the weapons that would help them defeat the Kauravas in Kurukshetra.

Somehow over the years, there has been a steady increase in the belief that Akshaya Tritiya is all about buying gold or valuables. However, if you read Virender Sehwag’s tweet about the significance of this day, you’ll realise there’s more to this auspicious occasion!

This morning, Virender Sehwag shared one of the many stories around the significance of Akshaya Tritiya to bust the myth that this day was chiefly about buying gold. In fact, according to the tale, it is actually about giving.

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The story is about Adi Shakaracharya’s coining of the Kanakadhara Stotram, which is a hymn in adoration of Goddess Lakshmi. The word ‘Kanakadhara’ means a shower of gold, and it comes from the belief that when Adi Shankaracharya recited the stotram, Goddess Lakshmi created a shower of golden fruit.

As a parting thought, the cricketer even added that only those who practice the art of giving may find prosperity!

Sehwag’s recollection of this beautiful story and the real significance of the occasion was met with praise and acknowledgement.

Twitter went ahead and practiced the art of giving right away by giving their appreciation to the cricketer and the day!

1. Donate, not buy!

https://twitter.com/pradipvalsad/status/986535307574239232

2. Commercialised misconceptions!

3. Ironic, no?

4. Maybe this tweet could change people’s mindsets? Maybe not?

5. Positive vibes from our role models only, please!

Now, going by all the myths surrounding Akshaya Tritiya, buy gold and valuables isn’t completely off the mark. It is, after all, considered to be an auspicious day for new beginnings and even weddings, in which buying gold has major significance. However, making it only and entirely about ‘buying’ with no consideration about the ‘giving’ would be diluting the real essence of the day, right?

All in all….

Touché, Sehwag! Touché!

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