The more I read about the Lord, the more I’m convinced about how his timeless knowledge is relevant to management today. Without him, Arjuna would have never taken up arms in the epic battle of Kurukshetra in The Mahabharata. The module based on the Bhagavad Gita, seeks to improve efficiency, effectiveness and effortlessness. It is about identifying the universal principles contained in the Gita and applying them to a corporate setting In today’s age of management with so many uncertainties and challenges, Bhagavad Gita excerpts are being regularly quoted in motivational sessions in big corporate houses and is even included in the syllabus of some business schools. (IIM Bangalore)
Why is this 5,200-year-old text so relevant in today’s business and economic context? While the Gita might be old in chronology, it is contemporary in its essence.
The largest automaker in India, Maruti Suzuki trains its seniormost leaders and top management through a module based on the Bhagavad Gita. They are taught how to manage themselves better and as the Maruti spokesperson explained, “The module based on the Bhagavad Gita, seeks to improve efficiency, effectiveness and effortlessness. It is about identifying the universal principles contained in the Gita and applying them to a corporate setting.”
The author of The Difficulty of Being Good: On the Subtle Art of Dharma and former CEO of Procter & Gamble, Gurcharan Das goes on to say —
“Now Gita is exposed in the light of modern thoughts and modern needs. It teaches us the leadership traits of courage and compassion. If you dive deep, every verse of Bhagavad Gita fits into the requirements of modern life and throws light on how man should lead his life while involved in his daily chores and fulfill his duties in accordance with the philosophy of action as taught by Sri Krishna.”
In The Universal Message of the Bhagavad Gita, Swami Ranganathananda observes that the Upanisads or the Vedanta expounded the science of human possibilities a thousand years earlier, and the Gita expounds the practical application of that science. Hence Swami Vivekananda considered the Gita as the best book of practical Vedanta. Bhagavad Gita“gives an insight into all aspects of man’s experiences, and teaches the technique by which life can be lived at its highest and best. It breathes the spirit of tolerance and universality.” (Swami Ranganathananda, The Message of the Upanisads).
Thus, the Bhagavad Gita deals with human problems in a humane way. That is why it has tremendous appeal to people as they fight the daily challenges of life. It has inspired the human mind in India for centuries and today is inspiring millions of people across various sections of the society, and across the globe. Precisely, so to say, Lord Krishna has turned out to be the new age management guru.
Here are some rational and philosophical concepts which Lord Krishna stated in Bhagavad Gita and they are relevant even today. 1. Whatever happened, happened for the good. Whatever is happening, is happening for the good. Whatever will happen, will also happen for the good. 2. You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of work. 3. Change is the law of the universe. You can be a millionaire, or a pauper in an instant. 4. The soul is neither born, and nor does it die. 5. You came empty handed, and you will leave empty handed. 6. Lust, anger and greed are the three gates to self-destructive hell. 7. Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is. 8. When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a lamp in windless place. 9. There is neither this world, nor the world beyond. Nor happiness for the one who doubts. 10. A person can rise through the efforts of his own mind; or draw himself down, in the same manner. Because each person is his own friend or enemy.
Hare Krishna!