Lighthouse

Author(s): Udayvallabhvijay
Publisher: Pragna Prabodh Parivar

Page 53

somebody offered to pay Rs.10/- lakhs for anointing that statue as God. This is the value of the statue. The spectacle frame of Gandhiji (which would have negligible cost or price) would sell for crores of rupees if put to auction. This is the value of that frame. The bat with which Sanchin Tendulkar scored his 100th century can fetch crores. This is the value of that bat. Antiquity, heredity etc. also evoke human feelings and determine the value of a particular thing. That is why if . somebody acquires something which is close to his/her heart paying a sizeable amount for it, it is often said that he correctly valued it. The tradition of uchhamani is also guided by placing true value for a thing or a process/ritual. If a person offering huge money for uchhamani does so, out of ego or to show off or any such reason, it is a shortcoming of that person and not of the process. Query : Agreed, uchhamani has something to do with value. But why valuation by money alone ? Is there no other way of putting value? In this process, a poor person can never participate. Explanation: Those who advocate putting value through some other means instead of money, argue that in this way a poor person may also benefit. However, whatever be the medium of putting value, somebody or other will be denied the benefit.
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Lighthouse