Bol Madhavache

Imagine a self-reliant village of 1,000 people, surrounded by nature, cohabiting with animals, breathing pure air, and nourished by a flowing, unpolluted river, with community goals supported by emotional and social structures. Suppose a junk food company enters this ecosystem. Along with junk food come obesity, excess sugar, and other consequences. Plastic wrappers float around, harming animals, water, trees, and the entire environment. Driven by greed, lobbies advocate artificial animal breeding and slaughterhouses. As the economy ‘flourishes,’ accountants design profitability models, transporters demand more roads—often at the cost of deforestation—and diseases require medical facilities, doctors, ICUs, fueling industries of psychologists, counsellors, and lawyers, further intensifying individual goals. Systems are created to manage the environment, yet survival pressures rise with automation replacing ‘costly’ human resources. Inevitably, the greatest loser is nature, with lakes and rivers dying, animals neglected, and AQI indices falling daily.

Climate Crisis Reflection
This is an oversimplified, one-sided representation, and no one disputes the need for professionals or economic growth. Still, it reflects the global climate crisis for which world conferences spend vast time building policies. My points are straightforward:

1. Most economic needs have emerged artificially, driven by greed rather than necessity.
2. This is artificial GDP growth, based on consumption, not wealth creation.
3. Every economic activity exploits nature, which ultimately strikes back at humanity.
4. The corporate balanced scorecard is popular, but balanced growth for social indicators remains secondary to GDP.

Religious Context of Wealth
In the context of religiosity, the Hindu concept of Lakshmi never defined wealth solely in monetary terms. Scriptures and households speak of eight forms of wealth—Ashtalakshmi: Adi Lakshmi, Dhan Lakshmi, Dhanya Lakshmi, Gaja Lakshmi, Santana Lakshmi, Veer Lakshmi, Vijaya Lakshmi, and Vidya Lakshmi—each enriching life.

Our measurements of wealth and GDP are skewed toward “Dhan Lakshmi,” while society neglects other forms embodying devotion, food security, strength, progeny, courage, victory, and liberating knowledge. This is why city after city crumbles under sustainability pressures and becomes unworthy of quality life.

Holistic View of Wealth

Countries have begun exploring Living Standards Frameworks that encompass diverse parameters, but tragically, humans learn simple principles the hard way. This anomaly arises because we take only a ‘segmental view of life.’

The anecdote of Ashtalakshmi teaches that GDP calculations must include forestation value, animal coexistence, natural food systems, public health, social values, spiritual wisdom, and sustainability. That holistic view is true wealth.