When we talk about managing wealth today, we envision corporate boardrooms, balance sheets, or investment strategies. But the truth is, the art of managing wealth is as old as human civilization. What I find amazing is that Hinduism, which is thought to be a spiritual tradition, quietly takes some of the most insightful financial knowledge I’ve ever encountered. And if managers, policymakers, and even individuals would take a closer look, they’d find principles that are not only timeless but also surprisingly applicable to our times (Wealth with Wisdom).
Artha with Dharma: Wealth with a Conscience (Wealth with Wisdom)
One of the best ideas in Hindu philosophy is the ‘Purusharthas’, the four goals of life. Of these, ‘Artha’, wealth, is accompanied by a rider: it should at all times be in the service of ‘Dharma’, or righteousness. To me, this is the ancient equivalent of business management or CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). We can’t just reap profits; they must be accompanied by ethics and social benefits. Consider the manner in which companies now incorporate ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) considerations—how Hinduism was actually espousing ‘that’ all those centuries ago.
Chanakya’s Arthashastra: The First CFO? (Wealth with Wisdom)
And then there’s Chanakya. His ‘Arthashastra’ is like an MBA guidebook of 300 BCE. Tax regimes, budgeting, auditing—everything. But what I like the most is the way he focused on accountability. Officials who took bribes were punished, extravagant spending was avoided, and budgeting was linked to long-term stability. Chanakya in a sense was following fiscal responsibility years before governments began speaking of deficit targets or balanced budgets.
Vidura’s Advice: Stakeholders Ahead of Shareholders (
Wealth with Wisdom)
In the ‘Mahabharata’, Vidura warned kings not to hoard wealth or selfishly exploit it. He believed that the true test for a king was in the sharing of wealth in the public interest. Is not this the same debate we’re having today in modern boardrooms—do companies maximize shareholder value or all stakeholders? Vidura would have welcomed the stakeholder model, no doubt.
Temples as Community Banks (Wealth with Wisdom)
One of the lesser-known aspects of Hindu finance tradition is the temple economy. Temples were not merely houses of worship—they were banks. They accepted donations, held properties, invested in education, and even gave loans. Temple governance in South India was so sophisticated that it bordered on community banking. I was amazed to hear this and couldn’t but ask myself if temples came up with such concepts about inclusive finance centuries ago.
Ma Lakshmi’s Lesson: Why We Worship Her, Not Kubera
Here’s something that many of us miss: in Hindu mythology, Kubera is the god of wealth, but it’s Lakshmi we worship during Diwali or at home. Why? Because Kubera symbolizes pure hoarding—he is the god of treasure, sitting on mountains of gold. Lakshmi, however, symbolizes not only wealth, but prosperity, harmony, and ethical use of resources. She is always shown along with Vishnu, the preserver, so that we remember that wealth is only useful when preserved, governed, and utilized for sustenance and harmony. In Management Lens, this is the gap between greed and stewardship. A firm that chases profit like Kubera can amass wealth, but a firm that works on the principles of Lakshmi—sharing, sustaining, balancing—creates prosperity for everyone.
The Bhagavad Gita’s Financial Insight
The ‘Bhagavad Gita’ instructs in ‘Nishkama Karma’—doing your job without attachment to outcome. This looks anti-business on the surface. Consider it, however: isn’t this precisely the definition of risk management? Do your best, emphasize disciplined process, but don’t bet the farm on uncertain returns. Diversification-obsessed contemporary investors are, in a sense, following the Gita’s teaching.
Shukra Niti: Don’t Spend What You Don’t Have
Finally, Shukra’s philosophy also places importance on the dangers of profligate expenditure and misuse of the treasury. He stressed fiscal prudence—a lesson painfully germane to our era of debt crises and fiscal malfeasance. If our governments today would heed Shukra, we may have fewer economic collapses.
Book Review : Arun Anand, The Soul of a Nation : Understanding Hindu Nationalism
Why It Matters Toda
For me, the appeal of Hindu economics lies in balance. Money is fine—necessary, I should say—but only if it is ethical, sustainable, and for the good of all. That is why we invoke Lakshmi, and not Kubera. One symbolizes money hoarded, the other, money in use—moving, nourishing, and uplifting society.
At the time of corporate scandals and malfeasance, rising inequality, and global climate crises of the contemporary era, these principles are more necessary than ever. If businesses were to follow the Hindu philosophy of ‘Artha within Dharma’, CSR wouldn’t be a tick-box exercise—it would become second nature to them. Governments would not seek unsustainable growth at the cost of future generations. And individuals, too, would not consider money as a personal idol but a social responsibility. At its essence, Hinduism reminds us: manage money, don’t worship it. And there, I think, lies the money sense we most urgently need today.
By Aritra Ghosh Dastidar
