By Gautam Saha
Most of the times, we are running after money (dhan). Money is what makes the world go round, or so it appears. Many a times, this appears to be true. Money enables us to buy goods and services, food, clothing and other basic necessities of life, possessions, home, car, luxuries, etc; Since Laxmi is the goddess of wealth, we worship her to bless us with her favour and benediction. As we are mostly obsessed with money and its acquisition, we do not realize that Laxmi also benedicts us with beauty (soundarya) , strength (bal), fame (kirti), knowledge (gyan), and renunciation (bairagya). Renunciation is also a sign of Laxmi’s opulence, but since many of us are so much blinded by gross materialism, we do not credit any importance to the spirit of renunciation and detachment, which is one of the opulences bestowed by goddess Laxmi.