An economic theology of wealth: A perspective from central India

ABSTRACT

Wealth as happiness is the supreme good because it brings material prosperity, offspring, fame, loyal friends, and a long and healthy life. In this respect, the people of Hindu India are no different from the rest of humanity. What distinguishes the Hindu quest for the good life is the personification of wealth and poverty in the form of Lakshmi (good fortune) and Alakshmi (misfortune). A fickle goddess, Lakshmi leaves one’s house if she finds immoral behaviour and Alakshmi moves in. The many stories about the Hindu goddess of wealth take us from the narrow realm of political economy to the broader realm of economic theology, one where economic values are part of a complex mix that includes religious values, familial values, and political values among others; but these myths vary greatly by ecological zone, class, caste, and gender as this essay, using data gathered from central India, illustrates.

KEYWORDS:

• Wealth
• Lakshmi
• India

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 December 2016, my 15th short return visit to Bastar following a year’s fieldwork in 1982.

2 Rhodes (2010) has recently published a translation and interpretation of the main Sanskrit texts dealing with Lakshmi.

3 See, for example, Bulcke (1952), Przyluski (1939), and Singaravelu (1982).

4 The argument here builds on my critique of Levi-Strauss. See Gregory (2001).

5 See https://youtu.be/jezSduqsRjs. I am grateful to Assi Doron for drawing my attention to this and for his transcription and translation of the Hindi dialogue.

6 See http://www.indiaspend.com/sectors/how-china-beats-india-in-agriculture-productivity.

7 See http://chartsbin.com/view/1194 for a visual representation of the Census 2011 data in the form of a map.