India, Nov. 5 -- Dr. Manasa Nagabhushanam, DAIV

Before we count our gold, Dhanteras asks us to count something we rarely include in the account: our health.

The festival is linked to Lord Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods. When the gods and demons churned the cosmic ocean, he rose from the waters carrying a pot of amrita, the nectar of life. It is striking that, on the day devoted to wealth, tradition places a healer at the centre rather than a banker. The ancient wisdom was clear about the order of things. Kalidasa states it in a single line: "Sharira madyam khalu dharma sadhanam", the body is indeed the first instrument of dharma.

We spend years building comfort and security, and often at the cost of the very body that is to enj...