Dhan-Laxmi and CSR!

"Dāna is the price which is paid by the way of social duty. And Dakṣiṇā is the price paid for services received. Everything has a value. Every service has a value. And whatever has a value, is wealth! And righteousness and pleasure both depend on wealth itself. That is why financial transactions should be performed righteously."

"Taking someone else's wealth without paying for it amounts to seizing someone's wealth. And seizing someone's wealth amounts to destroying one's own wealth. Emperor, food and your people are your true wealth and food is related to the people."

"Concern for the society. To me, the country is important and not a person. I am devoted to betterment of Society; I think of just that! That is why I am concerned about taxes. That is why I am concerned about dāna. Taxes are that very wealth on which a government depends. And dāna is the wealth on which society depends."

"Society is an ocean. If the ocean's waters do not go back into the ocean, then wealth can become harmful."

"Who should I honour? The Acharya who lives with bare minimum needs, or those respectable merchants who would not pay taxes?"

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This is Chanakya explaining importance of 'Dhana' and Social Responsibility to Chandragupta - the Emperor about 2500 years ago. Isn't it true even today, in fact truer, when we do not have Emperors anymore but have our elected 'Representatives' (if not 'servants'!) who are supposed to 'Serve' the 'Society' as a whole and not Rule (or overrule?) it by setting wrong precedents; particularly in the arena that is yet to find maturity and is already exposed to risk of 'liberal interpretation'?

Anyway, Happy Diwali and have a prosperous Laxmi-poojan; just try to make it Righteous too, as far as possible!

Way to go...

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PS[ST] - By the way, if the note 'Contribution towards this project did not qualify as CSR activity as per schedule VII of the Companies Act 2013 as it was not a heritage asset.' in CAG's report about CSR funds contributed to the world's tallest monument finds some relevance to the Gyan above by Chanakya, it is unintended and a pure coincidence.