JOIN USConsumerism is the order of the day. More often than not, we find ourselves reaching out for items and products which give us more value for the money we spend.
We often fall prey to marketing gimmicks which make unlimited generous offers. In the process most of us forget that there is invariably a hidden agenda which spells profit to the sellers.
Many a time we are also gullible pawns that are used to clear the glut in the market or corner a brand by picking up one too many of an item for the tantalizing price of one.
This trick is used to the hilt by entrepreneurs and retailers who aim at widening their profit margin by making people spend money on articles which they may or may not need.
Those of us who think that this human foible is the result of modern living are truly mistaken.
It appears as if the human race has an inbuilt antenna programmed to pick up signals which give us benefits, without any special efforts or expenditure on our part.
The Ramayana embeds an episode which highlights how people who unwittingly succumb to generous offers by complete strangers with vile motives pay with their very lives.
The wicked demons Ilvala and Vatapi decided to wipe out the existence of Rishis from the face of the earth. They formulated a trap. They took to being unusually hospitable, contrary to their intrinsic nature.
They would pamper Maharishis by inviting them for a feast. Vatapi would metamorphose into a goat and Ilvala would cook the goat’s meat and feed the Rishis.Once the meal was over, Ilvala would call for his brother Vatapi who had the boon to reconstruct himself, and emerge from human entrails. Unsuspecting souls were victimized for no fault of theirs. Agastya decided to put an end to this menace.
He ventured into the range of the siblings and accepted their openhandedness. Once he consumed the meal, he rubbed his belly and commanded it to digest the intake.When the wicked Ilvala called out to Vatapi, he could not perform his magical act as the meal had been assimilated by the sage’s digestive system.
The defeated villain handed over his ill gotten riches to Agastya and went his way. Agastya’s alert mind and wisdom saved the lives of many more innocent sages who may have lost their lives at the hands of the evil fiends.
People must realise that there is nothing called a free lunch.
We cannot gain or get anything gained unless we work for it or deserve it because of our merit!