We often think of money as a thing to be accumulated, stacked up in ledgers, bank accounts, vaults. The more we have, the safer we feel. But is that safety real, or is it an illusion?
Nature does not work like this. Energy flows. Water flows. Time moves forward. The second law of thermodynamics tells us that entropy—disorder, randomness—increases over time. Systems are meant to be dynamic, not static. When energy is hoarded, when flow is restricted, stagnation sets in. And stagnation is the slowest form of death.
Money, like energy, is meant to move. It is a facilitator, a current, a representation of exchange. When you hoard it—whether through greed, fear, or mere habit—you are trying to stop the natural flow of entropy. You are resisting what must happen, delaying the inevitable dispersal. And in doing so, you are also disrespecting the three great Devis.
Saraswati: The Hoarding of Knowledge
Saraswati is the Devi of wisdom, learning, and creativity. Knowledge, like money, is not meant to be locked away. It is meant to be shared, to inspire, to create new realities. When knowledge is hoarded, when access to it is restricted—whether by elite institutions, paywalls, or individuals who guard it for their own advantage—stagnation follows. Innovation dies. A society that does not circulate knowledge is like a body with blocked arteries.
Lakshmi: The Hoarding of Wealth
The second Devi we offend is Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity. People assume that to honor Lakshmi, one must accumulate more and more. But Lakshmi does not stay with those who do not respect flow. She is fluid, dynamic, ever-moving. The wealth that is locked away, concentrated, and not shared with those who create value is a wealth that has lost its purpose. Lakshmi does not bless stagnation. She blesses movement, circulation, and wise reinvestment.
Durga: The Hoarding of Power
The third and often overlooked aspect of hoarding is the hoarding of power itself—Durga’s domain. Durga represents strength, the ability to act, to protect, to lead. But when power is hoarded, when control is kept in the hands of the few at the cost of the many, oppression follows. Whether it is political power, corporate dominance, or even influence in social circles, the refusal to distribute power is a direct insult to Durga. True power is about empowering others. A hoarded sword rusts; a used sword defends.
Entropy and the Illusion of Control
Hoarding wealth, knowledge, or power may feel like control, but it is an illusion. Just as the universe expands, just as rivers carve new paths, entropy will find a way. If not voluntarily, then violently. Every empire that has hoarded resources at the cost of flow has eventually crumbled. Wealth that is not circulated leads to collapse, whether economic or social.
The Alternative: Conscious Circulation
This does not mean reckless spending, nor does it mean charity for its own sake. It means conscious flow. Invest in people. Share knowledge freely. Decentralize power. Be a river, not a dam.
To hoard is to fight entropy. To circulate is to align with it. The choice is yours.