What do ancient events thousands of years old have to do with our world today? I found the answer in a shloka from the ancient Rig Veda that describes the nature of Ma Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity.
tāṃ ma āvaha jātavedo lakṣmīmanapagāminīm । yasyā hiraṇyaṃ vindeyaṃ gāmaśvam puruṣānaham ।।
The divine mother is called anapagāminīm. Ma Laxmi has emerged from the churning of the ocean, and Lord Vishnu explains her innate nature to his sons. In her material form, she will be fluid like water, forever moving. Indeed, imminent in all forms of wealth, her utility will be her liquidity. Ma Lakshmi says, "It is true that the inherent essence of all wealth is to move around, but when it comes to you, Oh Hrishikesha, I have no desire to go anywhere. You are my anchor. Wherever you are, I will accompany you. That's why even today, Ma Lakshmi is seen sitting at Lord Vishnu's feet, but she always stands whenever she is shown alone. Lord Vishnu represents Neeti – a moral framework; whoever worships him and practices his ways always receives her grace.
Om Swami - The Legend of the Goddess
Take a few minutes and reflect on this. Modern economists always talk about how the movement of wealth is critical to development and how income inequality destroys societies.
So what does a society that understands the anapagāminīm nature of Ma Laxmi look like? Can you actually follow Neeti and lead happy lives? We look at the example of Norway.
In the 1960s, the Norwegian economy was based on fishing and had a GDP similar to that of countries like Bangladesh and Nigeria. In 1963, the government asserted sovereign rights over its natural resources and stuck oil in 1969. They became the largest oil producers in the 1970s. However, the government was exceptionally aware of the finite nature of its resources. It did not sign contracts with private companies or start constructing ostentatious buildings that would generate short-term gain. The government stated that the wealth belonged to the country's citizens and created a sovereign wealth fund that belonged to the people of Norway.
This means that every citizen of Norway has at least $200000 invested in that fund on their behalf by the government. The citizens and the government itself cannot access the funds. The profit from the fund is used for education, welfare systems, healthcare, and public infrastructure. The government has also set up an ethical council to see the investing decisions of the funds, and they avoid areas that cause severe damage to the environment and fossil energy companies.
This decision to ensure that liquidity is evenly distributed among the country's citizens means that they understand the anapagāminīm or fluid nature of Ma Laxmi. The responsible way in which they invest and use the funds shows they understand the Neeti of Vishnu, which is a significant reason for the prosperity of Norway and the Nordic region.
We don't have to look far to see examples of countries and organizations that are concentrating wealth with the top 1% of its population. The general happiness quotient of these countries is far below those of the Nordic ones.
We often hear the glorious stories of the various sages that have graced the Bharatvarsha and feel intimidated. Their tapasya and their discipline seem untouchable. Yet, it helps to remind yourself that a journey of a million miles begins with the first step. Take your first step with the free and incredible Vedic Sadhana app. You can do the magical Sri Sukhtam Sadhana to pray to Ma Lakshmi and receive her grace.
