ONE MORE RUPEE

 

                                                                

Traditions are deeply influenced by beliefs and practices, and "Shagun," which means "good fortune," is no different. One such custom is typically observed during auspicious occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and ceremonies marking significant milestones in one’s life and has a deeper meaning.

 

Hinduism emphasizes the cyclical tradition of life and death, where ‘zero’ (shunya) indicates the end and ‘one’ is the beginning of something new. Beginnings are linked to optimism and ends to negativity. Giving money as a gift in numbers ending with zero, like 500, 1,000, and so on, has ominous implications. So an extra rupee is added to ensure a fresh start.

The addition of one rupee to monetary gifts, as above, is far more than a mere token of generosity; it is laden with symbolism and significance. It is seen as a blessing and prayer of happiness and prosperity for the recipient.

Festivals and gatherings are good opportunities to foster and strengthen communal ties. This was especially prevalent in the days of the forefathers. To encourage this community feeling, the additional 'one rupee' was seen as a benign debt on the receiver’s part. They had to repay it by accepting and attending the giver’s festivals whenever the time came, ensuring a continuum in social relations.

Drawing an analogy from the Mahabharata, where Lord Krishna’s boon of a vessel (Akshyapatra) to Draupadi would always have some extra rice (anna) for feeding everyone, the ‘one-rupee’ signifies a bit of leftover money for the receiver as well. The extra amount becomes a symbol of hope that difficult times will pass.

In the olden days, social gatherings were generally limited to marriages. Guests blessed the newlyweds to be united against all challenges. It manifested into the idea of gifting a sum of money that was not an ‘even’ number and could not be equally divided. This was to ensure that the couple did not quarrel over wealth and prospered together instead.

Further, the additional rupee is always a coin because they are made of metal, or ‘dhaatu’. The human body is constituted by ‘Ashtadhaatu’ or eight elements. Metals are propitious and a symbol of Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu deity of wealth. Gold and silver coins were given as gifts in the past before the minting of steel and copper coins. Therefore, the gifting of a metallic coin adds to the holiness of the festivity.

Finally, both practically and symbolically, Shagun is a force for development and prosperity. With the extra rupee, the recipient is encouraged to invest in their future, even though the primary amount is meant for immediate use. Like the popular tale of an enterprising boy who made a fortune from a paisa, it also encourages the receiver’s intellectual capacity to make a lasting impact from small but steady efforts.

The fact that generations are still carrying out this ancient tradition is evidence of the timeless customs that unite communities across time and location.