Watch Tower and the Goddess of Wealth

Holy Cow! Is the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society affiliated (behind the scenes, of course) with the Goddess of Wealth? Well, I mean I know the Jehovah's Witnesses continue to rake in cash from their door to door work (and congregant contributions) in the USA to subsidize their world-wide work in the poorer nations, but - oh, I get it. Insurance, yes, insurance... Of course, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is not "in" on this, so to speak, not in India, in all events - at least, not at present. But, then again, who knows? On a more practical level, it has been reported that in addition to getting vengence for unpaid doweries, wives have been killed in order for husband and/or husband's family to get life insurance money. As India is rushing into the 21st century, skipping forward from the 16th century CE, perhaps equal opportunity is now at hand, and wives are killing their husbands for life insurance money... From CentralChronicle.com Watch Tower: Lakshmiji, the Goddess of Wealth Removal of `untouchability' has really been the boon of Mahalakshmi. Could we revive this concept to remove the ignorance vehemently prevalent in us, queries SN Patra In West Bengal Lakshmi Pujan was performed as usual on Sharad Purnima. In the north, Lakshmi Pujan will religiously be performed on Deepawali Amasvasya. In Orissa, Lakshmi Pujan will be performed on every Thursday of the Margshira month. In Karnataka, Friday is important for the propitiation of Lakshmiji. In Gujarat, similarly Vaibhav Lakshmi vrata is performed on Fridays. In the Srimad Bhagwat Mahapurana, Payo Vrata has been prescribed for acquiring wealth. All these vratas and worships are intended for acquisition of wealth purely through legitimate means which we call `white money(?). But, for most worshippers wealth earned through means fair or foul is okay. Ends and not means matter. Ganeshji laid importance on the `means' part, rightfully so. Want- want of sufficient money to run the household falls squarely on the shoulders of `griha Lakshmi'. If the husband, the head of the family does not earn black money, the lady wife takes to Lakshmi pujan religiously and the wealth may come in the way of insurance amount from a) a personal accident policy & b) an insurance policy which prematurely fetches a lumpsum amount on the death of the man (the husband). Besides, the ritualistic Lakshmi pujan, these days we find girls taking up challenging jobs like the boys. When married their income is doubled and they make both ends meet even at the cost of some neglect to upbringing of children or other household matters. According to the Hindu Act and practices widely prevalent in our country, `stridhan' is not touched by the husband or by the relatives from either side. In most parts people do not eat in the house of the married daughter what to speak of getting regular monetary share of her monthly income. If we chance to have a meal at the married daughter's house we pay some money in return. But, those people who do not have a son or reasonably well-settled son or a tolerant and temperate `bahu' (wife of the son) do fall back upon not only the daughter's income but also on the son-in-law's. They are keen to convert the jamai (son-in-law) to a `ghar jamai' precisely because `behind every successful man there is a woman.' Am I not clear? If not, I have to write a book on the subject. Let us revert back to the introductory part. Vishnu as Venkateswar (Balaji) became poor as Maha Lakshmi left him. Venkateswar, for his marriage to Lakshmi (Padmavati) on the earth had to borrow wealth from Kuber, the lord of wealth!. Even today, he is paying interest to Kuberji because the interest is unending. We, as devotees put wealth in his `hundi' to lighten the burden of Venkateswara tendering his EMIs He has been paying to Kuber. Mahalakshmi purana which is recited by the ladies in Orissa speaks of the importance of Lakshmiji. Once, as per an agreement prior to marriage of Jagannathji and Lakshmiji on a Margashria Thursday, The Goddess of wealth descended on the earth and found everyone lazy, their houses unswept and dirty but for the house of `Sriya' `Chandalini' (safai karmi of Sri Mandir) too clean, tidy and impressive. Therefore, Lakshmiji showered boons and wealth. Balabhadraji, the elder brother of Jagannathji ensured Lakshmiji to leave her husband because she committed the gravest sin of having entered the house of a `safai karmi'. The Purana runs into a good twenty pages and more in dramatic poise enumerating what is to be done for prosperity and acquisition of wealth and also taking the importance of various gods and goddesses whose help Lakshmiji took in her exile. While leaving the house of Jagannathji she cursed both the brothers of poverty, starvation and ignominy till they come to her and ate food cooked by Lakshmiji herself. It happened. Lakshmiji came back to Sri Mandir on condition that `mahaprasad is eaten by Brahmins and sudras partaking it from each other and not washing their hands but wiping in their heads and that she would visit any house on the earth if Lakshmiji found it clean and its members following fair means in every respect irrespective of caste or creed of the inhabitants of that house. Jagannathji and elder brother Balabhadra had to agree to these two conditions, per force. What surprises me even today is that how the Pandas of Puri who are believed to be `gopis' in their precious birth do not allow a non-caste-Hindu enter the Sri Mandir or Jaganath temple. Removal of `untouchability' has really been the boon of Mahalakshmi. Could we revive this concept to remove the ignorance vehemently prevalent in us?