Financial Lessons from the Shiva Trilogy

Shiva trilogy is one such series that has taken India by storm. It is also one of the fastest selling book series in the history of Indian publishing. One of the ideas highlighted in the book is that good and evil are the two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other as this may lead to universal imbalance. Humans can strife to lead a balanced life only when they learn to maintain a balance between good and evil. What if we take a similar stand when it comes to our finances? Money, we all know is essential for fulfilment of our needs. The question we need to ask here is how much is enough? Money after a point of time stops being the means to fulfil our needs and becomes the evil which starts to steals your sleep. Then arises the need to channelize your hard earned finances, reckless decisions are often taken such as asking your friends and investing in same kinds of funds as they did. Generally what is not taken into consideration are the various risk taking appetites. Investing based on professional advice allows one to gain insights into the investing world, with a view of what is best for them. Whereas, personal knowledge often given with good intentions may prove fatal as advice is often given with limited knowledge.

People also easily give in to the fancy of share market only to realize its darker side when they lose it all. Markets, when they are on decline, people assume that it will drop further. When the decline stops and the ascent begin people lament on lost opportunities. During ascent people hurriedly invest only to find markets increasing at a slow pace. Then when the market suddenly drops fear creeps into our hearts that we are going to lose all our hard earned money. Without second thoughts all the investments are redeemed at huge losses. All of these points at one trait: lack of expert advice leading to hasty decisions.

Asset allocation is one on the key aspects of good investment. It is not done with respect to market temperament only. Personal assets are allocated depending on the investors risk taking appetite. More often than not, it is seen that individuals give into the sway of the market. When markets are high investors tend to invest more in equity and when markets fall investors invest heavily in the markets. In this process of asset allocation one aspect that has not been taken into consideration is your personal appetite for risk. Investments must be done in accordance with an individual’s comfort level and not in accordance to the dictates to the markets.

Shiva trilogy points out an important aspect that what is good today may turn to the evil of the future. The sole reason behind this transformation is excess and the only way to avoid such excesses is to maintain balance. This can happen only if you decide to take charge of your finances, rather than taking advice from acquaintances who do not command knowledge about this field. Taking charge includes knowledge about investments, taking expert advice and making an informed decision. Shiva Trilogy is instrumental in pointing out that there is no past life or future life. There is only life and that is the present. The present is in our karmabhoomi where we do and die. There is no parmatma controlling us or our actions. If there is anything that is stopping us from achieving our best it is the limitations of our own minds. In this context Benjamin Graham states that, “The investor’s chief problem – and even his worst enemy – is likely to be himself." So next time you wish to invest and are sceptic about the entire procedure, you know that is your closed mind which is stopping your money from compounding. There is no Mahadev guiding us from heaven. Because there is a Mahadev in all of us. "Har ek mein Mahadev! Har! Har! Mahadev!"