Navratri Swadhyay 4
The sunrise of 25th September 2025 CE occurred in the Tritiya. The sunrise of Chaturthi will be on 26th, hence this is also Tritiya Navratri. Chandraghanta is the presiding Goddess of the third Navratri. Her complexion has a golden hue. Chandraghanta Mata which has incarnated from the Sattvik wrath of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, bears weapons in all her ten hands. Ghanta (bell) was given by Indra. It rides on the tiger and is attired in red. White dainty food items are offered in the worship of the Goddess. Oblations of milk, kheer, rice and honey are made. Prosperity and Dhan – Dhanya (wealth and foodgrains) are showered as blessings.
The significance of foodgrains is recognised by the entire world but here it is accepted as an epitome of Lakshmi. Dhanyalakshmi is the third of the Ashtalakshmi (eight Lakshmis). Hence food grains are not valued by monetary parameters. Even in the present age of the minimum support price, 60% of the yield of foodgrains does not come in the market. It is utilised for self sustenance and for donations. Hence it is invaluable. It is termed as sustenance agriculture by modern economists and regarded as non-productive as it does not contribute to the GDP. Only 40% of the foodgrains are sold and purchased by the government and the private traders which contributes to the domestic GDP. It is a highly appropriate scenario from the Bharatiya perspective. When the society was based on Dharma, 100% of the yield of foodgrains was used for self sustenance and donations. The present unrighteous economics demands that the farmers should take the place of traders instead of food providers and sell their entire agricultural produce and make purchases even for their sustenance enabling both the transactions to contribute to the GDP.
It is the blessing of Dhanyalakshmi that 56% of the population of Bharat associated with agriculture do not agree with this perverted logic. Even agricultural produce is being made a part of speculative trading in this consumerist system. The commodity exchanges even bid on the future agricultural harvest. A serious study is needed on the connection between the start of commodity markets and the suicide cases of the farmers caused by their economic plight. From the Bharatiya perspective of commerce, the middlemen earning profits by bidding on the fruits of labours of others is not only immoral but also Adharmic (unrighteous).
On the other hand, the government purchases a large part of the agricultural produce available in the market. The Public Distribution system bears the responsibility of making foodgrains available at reasonable prices to all the sections of the society. A number of state governments started schemes of distributing foodgrains at a paltry price such as 2₹ per kg. During the time of the Corona epidemic, employment opportunities were not available to a large section of the population. The central government then started the scheme of distributing foodgrains free of cost and it continued even after that. 80 crore people are even now drawing the benefits of that scheme. According to the Bharatiya ideals society should bear this responsibility. In the present scenario, the society is not fully capable and hence the government is fulfilling this Dharma.
In the form of food tickets, the same is being done in the so called developed countries under the noble title of ‘social security’. A number of western nations are spending 40 to 60% of their budgets in this entire exercise resulting in their uncontrolled debts. Countries like Greece buckled under pressure and became insolvent. On the other hand, the free distribution in Bharat has led to numerous unexpected side effects. The statistics of NSSO, in uncertain terms, shows an augmentation in the consumption of fruits and vegetables in the poor and low middle income groups in the time period of this scheme. This has further resulted in the decrease of anaemia and malnutrition.
Let the blessings of Dhanyalakshmi be always on Bharat. The present system is not ideal or Dharmic (righteous) in its real sense but the efforts are in the right direction. We call upon all the intellectuals through the medium of this Navratri Swadhayay to reflect on this path of Vedic ideals, pertinent to this era and create models to facilitate in the free distribution of foodgrains to all.
