Thread by @hsraghav

VaishAkha-shukla-tRtIyA a.k.a #AkshayaTritiya has morphed into a gold acquisition spree in recent years.

This is a thread attempting to share some details on AT's actual traditional practices.

Oldest ref to #AkshayaTritiya is in विष्णुधर्मसूत्र. Emphasis is on the worship of vAsudeva,fasting, oblations of whole grains & donating them.Whatever a man donates on that day becomes inexhaustible.
उपोषितोऽक्षतैर्वासुदेवमभ्यर्च्य तानेव हुत्वा दत्त्वा च सर्वपापेभ्यः पूतो भवति।

The MatsyapurANa too praises donation or sacrifice on #AkshayaTritiya. Fasting is recommended as well. The tithi becomes special with kRttikA-nakShatra.

The BhaviShyottara-purANa says that this day is yugAdi for kRta-yuga. Whatever is done on it such as bath, dAna, japa, homa, VedAdhyayana, tarpaNa etc., all become akShaya.
स्नानं दानं जपो होमः स्वाध्यायः पितृतर्पणम् ।
यदस्यां क्रियते किञ्चित् सर्वं स्यात्तदिहाक्षयम् ।। (BhP).

shrAddha performed on days designated as yugAdi (AkshayaTritiya is one such) gives akShaya gratification to pitRs.

UdakumbhadAna (gift of a water pot) on this day in honour of devas or pitRs is highly recommended. Samudra-snAna on this day is recommended as well.

VaishAkha-shukla-tRtIyA is also celebrated as parashurAma-jayantI wherein the image of parashurAma is worshipped.

As one can see, AT is marked by pUjana, shrAddha, upavAsa, snAna, japa, dAna & such solemn practices.

Nowhere has buying of gold for personal use been praised or recommended.

I don't understand how such a holy day could be perverted to serve consumerism.

Consumerism isn't bad. But everything has a time & space for it.
#akShaya-tRtIyA is not that day.

So, if you see adverts of gold buying & how auspicious it is to hoard it on AT, they're clearly misleading you.

|| iti sham ||

References
1. History of DharmashAstra Vol V Part I by MM PV kANe.
2. A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism by svAmI HarshAnanda.
3. Dharmasindhu by shrI-kAshInAtha-upAdhyAya. Kannada translation by shrI-shambhu-sharmA.