There is a sense of plenty. And in keeping with Indian culture, there is a looking up to rulers, earthly and divine, both of whom are brought in to animate the Onam legend!

The good king, Mahabali (also known as Maveli ), rules with justice and righteousness - which are the foundations for prosperity and equity, whether under monarchs or under modern Constitutions. On the other hand, Vamana's is a theocratic world that is often represented as being in a tussle for dominion over the material world of kings, and for the loyalty of their subjects. The Onam narrative suggests that King Mahabali, who ensured order in his earthly kingdom, chose not to disrupt the priest-imposed social order, either. With the confidence that comes from security in one's own identity, Mahabali acceded to what Vamana wanted, which included Mahabali's banishment. Onam is the annual return of Mahabali in the season of plenty, in the hearts of common people, as they hold on to the ideal that prosperity is a function of right living, not of power and ceremony. It carries a quiet message, that the principles of justice and righteousness can never be obliterated by demonising those who perform their duties as Mahabali did.

In Jesus's time, the priests feared that this carpenter would affect their income, with his competent and competing religious teaching. Among other things, they wanted to collect religious taxes from him (Matthew 17:24), and also challenged him on whether his fellow-Jews must pay colonial taxes (Matthew 22:17). Showing a coin that had the imprint of the emperor, Jesus famously said, "Give to the king what belongs to the king, and to God what belongs to God." More than money, he meant hearts dedicated to God's definition of justice and righteousness - two of the most-repeated words in the Old Testament. In one of Mahatma Gandhi's favourite Bible verses, Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." While this is a call to just governance, Jesus also implied that he would return, permanently - the divine-king who was called a demon (Luke 11:15), who would wipe away every tear (Revelation 21:4).