> Malola Dasan,
>
> Balaji Narasimhan
>
> ***
>
> Today morning, a gold chain, which I have worn daily
> since 1996, snapped.
>
> I took it to my jeweller, who said that because of
> over a decade of wear and tear, it would be better to
> exchange it for a new one.
>
> I selected a new chain, and paid the difference.
>
> "By the way," said the jeweller as I completed the
> transaction, "I think that the new chain will last a
> lot longer if you didn't have any pendants hanging
> from it."
>
> This irked me--I wore the chain specifically for
> hanging these three pendants:
>
> 1. A round gold "R" symbol from an IT column called
> "Anti Column" that I wrote in 1996
>
> 2. A small gold Srinivasa image
>
> 3. A silver Narasimha Yantra
>
> Since two of the items above pertain to God, I was not
> at all keen on removing them from my chain. The chain
> was for the images of God, and to me, it had no
> independent meaning.
>
> "Do you know the difference between God and gold?" I
> asked him.
>
> My jeweller, a very religious man himself, asked me to
> explain.
>
> "If you love God, He will love you back."
>
> Later, after coming to the office, I decided to search
> the Net for more information. I discovered some
> interesting details.
>
> For instance, in the Valmiki Ramayana, Bala Kanda,
> Chapter 16, it is mentioned that, when Dasharatha
> performed a sacrifice for begetting progeny, a divine
> form emerged from the fire, carrying a vessel filled
> with a divine dessert, which, when consumed by
> Dasharatha's wives, would enable him to secure
> children. Here, the vessel was made of gold,
> signifying rajas, and the lid was made of silver,
> signifying sattva.
>
> According to the Bhrigu Sutras, silver is associated
> with Chandra and Sukra, while gold is associated with
> Surya, Kuja and Guru.
> <http://www.jyotishvidya.com/ >part1_1.htm
>
> This is funny--how can a sattvic graha like Guru be
> associated with rajasic gold? And how can fickle
> Chandra and passionate Sukra be associated with
> sattvic silver?
>
> Is it because Guru denotes the power of the priests,
> and the association holds true because of the
> relationship of gold with power?
>
> Is it because Chandra rules the mother, and silver has
> a certain association with being "cool?"
>
> Is it because the passion of Sukra and the fickleness
> of Chandra lead one to temptation, which blemishes
> one's reputation the way silver gets tarnished?
>
> Is it because Guru, being a natural benefic, is
> associated with gold, the highest good? And Sukra and
> Chandra, being lesser benefics, have been assigned a
> less-valuable metal?
>
> Be it as it may, the corrupting influence of these
> precious metals is well known!
>
> Maybe, it is best for us to remember Krishna's words
> from the Bagavat Gita, Chapter 6--"The Yogi who is
> satisfied with the knowledge and the wisdom (of the
> Self), who has conquered the senses, and to whom a
> clod of earth, a piece of stone and gold are the same,
> is said to be harmonized (that is, is said to have
> attained the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi)."
> <http://jyotishvidya.com/gita6. >htm
>
> Many of us may not be able to attain such
> Vairagya--but, even if this is not possible, let us
> remember to revere God above gold, and treat gold as
> one of His creations, and therefore, as something that
> is insignificant when compared to Him.
>
> ***
>
> ~~~~~~~~~
> Balaji Narasimhan
> Author & Editor
> http://www.balaji.ind.in/
> ~~~~~~~~~
>
>
>
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