“He [who should be leader] has no object here [from the act of leadership] to be gained by action done [as a leader], and none to be gained by action not done [as a leader]; he has no dependence on all these existences [the outcomes of his leadership] for any object to be [personally] gained [or lost].”—Gita (3.18; Bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018)

Introduction

The question is why there is so much global interest from all walks of life and all quarters of knowledge in the Bhagavad Gita—an ancient Hindu text narrating the Indian intellectual and spiritual traditions that is dated around the fourth millennium BCE.Footnote 1 Moreover, the main question is what can managers and management scholars around the world learn from it.

The need for answers to the questions raised above comes from the several recent changes that are influencing life, work and the economy. These include the increase of knowledge as a production factor in all processes because of the switching of the economy from the industrial era to the knowledge era and the change in human outlook towards work and employment. These changes, which have occurred in the last few decades, have increased the appreciation for the message of the Gita. The other contributing factors are an increase in the acceptance of the role of spiritualism in the workplace, rise in human desire to attain satisfaction through service and work, the need for knowledge sharing in organizations, and an increase in the importance of innovation (Pandey, Gupta, & Arora, 2009). The Bhagavad Gita is contributing knowledge in finding satisfying answers to the above given questions.

What are the answers to these questions is the main purpose of this article. These answers come all most all from the Bhagavad Gita. Some of them also come from the Hindu value system and the philosophy of life and living while maintaining the broader focus of this article on the Bhagavad Gita.

The Bhagavad GitaFootnote 2 that is intense on the themes of mind, knowledge, focus and concentration (meditation), and skillfulness in action (yoga) covers how to make all aspects of life meaningful for self and others in groups that help one cope with the changes relating to the above issues. It does this in 700 verses (shlokas) that are organized into 18 chapters on various facets of these and other issues we face in all walks of our lives.

The Bhagavad Gita conveys its message in dialogues between the two of its main characters in the settings of a battlefield, facing the armies of divided friends and relatives ready to kill each other for the control of land, part of a kingdom known as Kuru ruled from its capital in the city of Hasitnapura. Krishna, the first character, believed to be the eighth avatar (incarnation) of God, is, indeed, a Hindu manifestation of the ultimate spiritual power, who answers dilemmas posed in questions from the Gita’s second main character named Arjuna—his warrior friend and disciple who is unaware of Krishna being an avatar of God. In answers to the questions posed by Arjuna, Krishna introduced karma, yogaFootnote 3 and meditation in the Bhagavad Gita. He asked everyone to practice vegetarianism to enhance the effect of their karma, yoga, and meditation—the main subjects that have become India’s hallmark and link with the whole world. With the West, this link started during the 1960s with the migration of Indians to Europe and the USA. Since then, there has been a steady upsurge globally in the wisdom from India’s past, some of them with a contemporary twist (see, for example, the Karma Capitalism (Engardio & McGregor, 2006) and the closed circuit contemplation (Hsu, 2016)). This resulted in the introduction of the ancient Indian books, including the Bhagavad Gita, in all types of universities in Europe and the USA. Some introduced the study of the Bhagavad Gita in their curriculum. Take, for example, Seton Hall University in New Jersey where the author of this chapter is a professor, an archdiocesan Catholic university that, in 2007, made the Bhagavad Gita a mandatory reading for all its undergraduate students. Seton Hall University is a comprehensive research university that has ten schools, colleges and other academic units.

Looking at the Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita that according to some computer models has its origin in 3137 BCE (Kak, 2012) has guided human behavior, social systems, and intellectual traditions in many parts of Asia and the Arab World for several millennia since its inception. It influenced thinking, philosophy, the arts and the social, cultural and political structures in the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. It very artfully intertwines work and life with spiritualism. It belongs to a class of prehistoric works that date back to the period stretching the fourth millennia BCE, related to the Indus Valley Civilization. The influence of the Bhagavad Gita continued into the millennia to follow. Attempts to find meaning in life and what we do and what we get (karma and phala) continued into the first millennia in the works of thinkers such as the MahaviraFootnote 4 in sixth century BCE (Jacobi, 2008) and Gautama the BuddhaFootnote 5 (Hanson & Mendius, 2009) in fifth century BCE. It was a period that eventually culminated in many developments in theology and spiritualism, astronomy and space, language and communication, mathematics and computation, science and medicine (Corcos, 1984), economics and political systems, and philosophy and literature, among many others. The Indians of the time built a culture and civilization that sustained numerous invasions, raids, and avalanches of invaders from all over the world and contiguously maintained its systems through the last 10 millennia.

The Contemporary Premise of the Gita

The Bhagavad Gita that considers humans as multi-potential spiritual entities that work to seek meaning and a place in the larger plan of existence has some learning for everyone connected with management. For example, it guides how to achieve the goal of creating a purpose and meaning of what employees do at work (Nichols, 1994) which has become a factor in employees’ decision in their picking of the best companies to work for in America (Colvin, 2006). They trade off higher salaries for a better organizational culture that meets this condition. That is what makes management’s understanding of how to make work meaningful so important. Successful managers run their organizations so that their employees actually fulfill their desire to attain their purpose and meaning through the work they do (Pandey, Gupta, & Arora, 2009). The Bhagavad Gita is focused on it like no other book.

The Timing of the Gita

The gyana (knowledge) tradition of the ancient India had been practiced for profoundly developing, and very intensely preserving its knowledge. It officially gave monopoly custody of knowledge, not only of the actionable productive knowledge but also of knowledge that only had entertainment value such as the drama and the art of story-telling, exclusively to just one segment of India’s four societal structures, better known as the caste system. The caste that was bestowed the responsibility of developing and the custody of all knowledge is known as the Brahmins. The Brahmins were so very possessive of their knowledge. They preserved and protected it by all means possible. They kept it in their families, following the father-to-son tradition. When it came to the knowledge, they did not trust it to even their own daughters, as they were to be married away. They let their knowledge be destroyed than get in the hands of those whom they considered undeserving. They respected knowledge more than their wealth. Many preferred to lose their lives than lose their knowledge. They very carefully screened and selected who will receive the knowledge and, then, in an effort to keep a tight control on it, propagated it to those selected few by following the oral tradition—through recitation. They gave it only to those who could memorize it and keep it closest to their chest. They wanted to leave no written record to assure that it did not get in the wrong hands. In almost all foreign raids on India during the millennia of its history, the Indians did not risk their lives in the preservation of their wealth, but gave their lives to avoid their knowledge getting in the wrong hands.

It is for this oral tradition that the first print of any of their very ancient writings started to appear only during the first millennium BCE when the grip on knowledge that the Brahmins had possessed began to loosen. We could very well say that it could have been partly influenced by the arrival of Alexander the Great from Macedonia in a small Hindu kingdom known as Paurava (an area between the rivers Indus and Jhelum above the present-day Punjab) ruled by a regional king known as PorusFootnote 6 in North India. He had brought with him many intellectuals of various nationalities from the ancient Europe, Middle East, the Arab World, Persia, etc. who started to share their knowledge and impressed the Indians to do the same. The Bhagavad Gita was one of these texts that appeared in writing during the above—the so-called liberal—period of the first millennium BCE even though it had been composed three millennia before then.

While each chapter in the Bhagavad Gita covers one of its several themes, many of which we have covered in this book, there is also a very often-described interconnection among mind, knowledge, yoga and meditation. There wouldn’t be any exaggeration if we stated that Gita, for these four interconnected subjects, has continued to guide the lives of not only the Hindus—in and outside India—but also of many citizens of the countries whose people traveled and frequently visited India for trade or other reasons.

With its focus on the philosophy of life, culture and sociology, Gita covers all kinds of human knowledge, including science, politics, economics, sociology, psychology and social psychology. It introduced the yoga and meditation (Dhayana). In spite of having been composed over five to six millennia ago, Gita still guides behavior of the Indians, particularly the Hindus, in all phases of their lives, including the professions, business, and economics.

This chapter brings some important insights related to managing organizations meaningfully from the Bhagavad Gita to the readers of this book.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna counsels the warrior Arjuna about life, duty and the afterlife. The “Gita,” as the Bhagavad Gita is commonly referred to by its many devotees, is based on the teachings from the even older texts, known as the Vedas. These embody knowledge about evolution and creation, being and progeny, subsistence and survival, health and medicine, social and familial workings, politics and diplomacy, and behavior and spirituality through an intellectual appeal rather than any indoctrination.

The Gita, however, more specifically seeks to direct behavior in the various roles humans play within and throughout their lives—including, especially, their role as managers of themselves and others in work and other settings, such as within formal work organizations.

In spite of being a few thousand years old, the Gita is surprisingly timely in its approach to contemporary management due to the emergence of the knowledge economy that places a special emphasis on human mind in the task execution in organizations.

Recently, the author of this chapter has come to a realization that all he has been doing while practicing and teaching business management for all these years is just applying the lessons of his youth—the lessons of the Gita—to the management function synthesized with the academic theory and the business practice of large and small corporations.

To that end, the author had organized a symposium presentation on managing by Bhagavad Gita for the 76th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management. The response to this symposium, “Looking into the Bhagavad Gita for Managing Organizations to Become Meaningful,” was overwhelmingly positive and many people asked if he might take some of the management lessons of the Gita and distill them into a short “takeaway for managers” so that they could be more readily shared with others. This book is it. May it serve well all readers interested in managing organizations with a new and more effective approach to human element in work.

Messages of the Bhagavad Gita

Two Management Themes

Gyana

The Bhagavad Gita, because it was recited by Lord Krishna, is the word of God and, therefore, by the Indian classification of scriptures should belong to the shruti—the original word—category. However, because of its placement in the Mahabharata—a collection—it should belong to the smriti category of the ancient Indian literature. Further, since the Bhagavad Gita is the best essence of the UpanishadsFootnote 7 of the Vedas, it is a smriti work. In fact, it is the ultimate essence of the Vedas and uses their messages originally or through the Upanishads. It is, hence, difficult to separate the messages of the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. Since the Bhagavad Gita does the best job of bringing their message for real life application, it has become so popular.

Managers can draw a special motivation from the Bhagavad Gita for acquiring and making use of knowledge in every function they perform because it puts a special emphasis on knowledge (Gita, IV-37, 38). It states that both types of people, who know and those who do not know perform, however, the outcomes are different because knowledge and ignorance lead to different performance results. It clarifies by further stating that whatever is performed with knowledge, faith, and concentration is more effective (Chandogya Upanishad: 1.1.10).

It states that as blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, so does the fire of knowledge by turning all ignorance, and actions resulting out of it into ashes. It advises the use of knowledge as a weapon of destruction of ignorance. There is no purifier in this whole world like knowledge. And, with regard to the tacit knowledge, it states that anyone who perfects the practice of selfless action to find knowledge achieves it in himself, in due time. It compares the act of acquiring tacit knowledge to the act of yoga—yoga of the mind.

Kartavya

According to the Hindu code, kartavya is what one ought to do. The closest word conveying that meaning in the English language is duty. Kartavya means doing what is right, what is ethical. It includes executing our responsibilities, and doing what we are expected to do. It is the most important lesson that the Bhagavad Gita imparts and reinforces from Chapter 1 (Verse 1) to Chapter 18 (Verse 78, the last chapter). Kartavya is doing our duty in all our roles, in all situations we face and under all conditions surrounding them. Kartavya has a special significance for all humans, including managers in organizations. This is where the Bhagavad Gita closely intertwines with the practice of management. Managers should be guided by their duty in the execution of any of their functions that draw from their roles in the organization. Whenever feeling confused or facing a dilemma, a manager should search for the answer by knowing what is his or her duty in that regard. The character of managers should be judged not by the outcome of their performance, but by if they performed their duty to their best ability.

In work situations, by accepting to do a certain job, we choose to play several roles that become our duty. This includes playing role as a superior of our subordinates, a subordinate of our bosses, and a colleague of our equals. It extends to the work related relationships beyond the workplace, such as role as a buyer to sellers, or a seller to buyers. No role, conceived or unconceived, structured or unstructured, known or unknown we perform is left out when it comes to talking about our duty. They all become our kartavya at work and we are expected to not only just perform them, but also perform them to the best of our ability. Actually, it implies that we perform these roles ideally. If we do not do anything to the best of our knowledge and ability, then, we did not execute our kartavya.

Kartavya extends to work life balance by including roles employees play towards their parents, children, spouses, relatives, siblings, friends, and neighbors, etc. It also includes doing right by helping those in need of help such as those who are suffering, injured, dying, helpless, old, sick, or hungry, etc. This responsibility arises simply from the condition of those in need of help and not for any other reason.

The Gita stresses that every time manager is making a decision, choice or selecting out of the several options, one should ask if the outcome of the action would pass the duty test. In other words, the manager should ask would his or her action be the source of a sense that one did what one should have done, that one was expected to have done. If this test approves the act, then, the manager did one’s duty. The duty test is the most important edict of the Bhagavad Gita. Manager should always take this into consideration when attempting to resolve a dilemma.

The most used model of kartavya in the Hindu practice comes from the seventh incarnation of Vishnu, the avatar as King Rama of Ayodhya in northeast India supposedly during the fifth to the seventh millennium BCE.

Specific messages of the Bhagavad Gita pertaining to kartavya and most of the other important management issues in organizations are given in the following sections. The chapter is begun by quoting the verse or verses that connect with the management issue and then continues to its transliteration, English translation, interpretations, discussion and applications of the message to management practice.

Major Messages

Karma - - Focus on the Process, Not the Outcome

Verse

Verse करमणयवधकरसत म फलष कदचन। म करमफलहतरभरम त सङगऽसतवकरमण।।2.47।। Karmaṇyevādhikāraste mā phaleṣu kadācana, mā karmaphalaheturbhūrmā te saṅgo’stvakarmaṇi. “Thou hast a right to action, but only to action, never to its fruits; let not the fruits of thy works be thy motive, neither let there be in thee any attachment to inactivity” (bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018).

Karma is one of the major themes of the Bhagavad Gita and it places the most importance on “karma”. In English language, it can simply be called the “act”, or the right to act. The description of karma is associated with doing, and its applications are narrated using verbs. Because all outcomes are achieved through karma, the Bhagavad Gita states that every human has the right to karma, and, then, expects everyone to be responsible for any outcome that is a consequence (phala) of one’s karma. Karma is the vehicle for the outcome. The desired outcome happens when the karma is right.

In the execution of management functions, the Bhagavad Gita advises that we focus on karma, i.e., action, and not on its result, as result is the outcome of action. We should start with clearly understating the outcome we want from our actions, and then decide on the karma that will lead to the result; however, once the karma begins, then, the only focus is on the karma. If we put our best in our karma, then, for sure, the outcome, whatever it is, will be the best possible. We should accept it that way with jubilation. We should never make the result our motive when we are engaged in karma; if we do, we will not be putting our full mind into the action; and, in that case, the outcome will not be the best possible; and, will, likely, lead to some regret. However, we should never be attached to inaction either. We have the right to our karma and, ergo, have control on the process that leads to the outcome. Distraction from karma will obstruct our mind, making the karma deficient and the outcome anything but the best possible (Gita, 2.47).

It is better to engage in karma and not achieve the outcome than not doing karma at all. The verse conveying the right to engage in karma is given later in its original. By some standards, this is the most quoted verse from the Bhagavad Gita.

The Bhagavad Gita reaffirms its statement on not doing karma for its outcome by stating that one should give up what one got—good or bad—from own karma (Gita, 2.50), as quoted below.

Because karma is performed only in the present—not in the past or in the future, the Bhagavad Gita places a special emphasis on the present. It advises humans to stay not stuck in the past, or regress much, as that brings regret, which mostly causes depression and distracts from the karma that is being, or can be, performed in the present to build the future, and to undo the wrongs of the past. Paying full attention to the present could give the one an outcome that would be the best possible and hence be free of any consequential regrets, and set things up for the future.

The Gita also counsels not to get too much focused on what is in the future, as that could bring worry, which leads to anxiety and reduces the attention on the karma being performed in the present. Because everything is achieved by karma that is only done in the present, the present is the most important. Through the right karma, the present can take care of the past and the future. For example, the wrongs of the past can be redressed by the right karma in the present, and also can cause the outcomes in the future that would eliminate the worries that could arise in the future.

That is why one’s karma is the most important for every human.Verse

Verse बदधयकत जहतह उभ सकतदषकत । तसमदयगय यजयसव यग करमस कशलम ॥2.50॥ Buddhiyukto jahātīha ubhe sukṛtaduṣkṛte, Tasmādyogāya yujyasva yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam. “One whose intelligence has attained to unity, casts away from him even here in this world of dualities both good doing and evil doing; therefore strive to be in Yoga; Yoga is skill in works” (Bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018).

Leadership

Verse

Verse नव तसय कतनरथ नकतनह कशचन। न चसय सरवभतष कशचदरथवयपशरय।।3.18।। Naiva tasya kṛtenārtho nākṛteneha kaścana, Na cāsya sarvabhūteṣu kaścidarthavyapāśrayaḥ. “He has no object here to be gained by action done and none to be gained by action undone; he has no dependence on all these existences for any object to be gained” (Bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018).

The Bhagavad Gita gives a very high regard to leadership and makes the job of a leader very demanding and, hence, its selection and execution of leadership are put under very extenuating tests. For example, it states that the leader should have nothing to gain personally from the act of leadership because it raises and eliminates the possibility of conflict arising because of it. This goes on both ends of leadership act, i.e., doing something or not doing something. In either case, the leader should have nothing to gain or lose from the act of leadership. The Gita takes this as a qualification of the leader because it states that leader should not be dependent upon the outcomes of leadership acts for his existence. This is again to clear any conflict in leadership deeds. The Bhagavad Gita bestows the responsibility of leadership only to those who, without any conflict or semblance of one, can execute the role of leadership.

The Bhagavad Gita tells that leader’s behavior becomes an effective model of social behavior. People copy behaviors of leaders. Hence, the onus of providing a motivating behavior rests on the leaders. This behavior becomes the standard by which others go (Gita, 3.21). Therefore, leaders have to take seriously this implied responsibility.Verse

Verse यदयदचरत शरषठसतततदवतर जन। स यतपरमण करत लकसतदनवरतत।।3.21।। Yadyadācarati śreṣṭhastattadevetaro janaḥ, sa yatpramāṇaṁ kurute lokastadanuvartate. “Whatsoever the Best [Leader] doeth, that the lower kind of man puts into practice; the standard he creates, the people follow” (Bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018).

Emphasis on Accumulating Knowledge

Verse

Verse शरय ह जञनमभयसजजञनदधयन वशषयत। धयनतकरमफलतयगसतयगचछनतरननतरम।।12.12।। Śreyo hi jñānamabhyāsājjñānāddhyānaṁ viśiṣyate, dhyānātkarmaphalatyāgastyāgācchāṁtiranantaram. “Better indeed is knowledge than practice; than knowledge, meditation is better; than meditation, renunciation of the fruit of action; on renunciation follows peace” (Bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018).

The prime focus of the Bhagavad Gita is on the mind and knowledge. The praise of knowledge and the importance of acquiring it are covered all over the Bhagavad Gita. It says that having knowledge of a skill or ability is higher than being able to practice that skill; meditation—which the Gita uses as a metaphor for consciousness and engaging in undivided concentration focusing on creating knowledge—is superior to having knowledge; however, the Gita goes on by stating that still better is giving away or sharing the knowledge that is created by the act of meditation, because this brings instant tranquility as that is the intrinsic reward (Gita, 12.12) that is instantaneous, certain, proportional, selective, and effective.

In essence, this verse (Gita, 12.12) means that having the knowledge of how something happens, works or is done is better than being able to just do it, because codification of how to do something (explicit knowledge) can help others as it can be passed on to others. Then, thinking and researching (meditation) on how something happens, works, or is done is better than just being able to produce the codified knowledge, because meditation advances the understanding by bringing new knowledge (tacit knowledge). The Gita emphasizes “Meditate-Act-Accept the outcome-Renounce the reward” (dhayana-karma-phala-tyaga). Giving away the knowledge you found is the best reward because it brings internal pleasure. In other words, the Gita asks us to give away our tacit knowledge that we acquired through research (meditation) and assures us that the reward, in the form of a sense of tranquility, for doing this will come intrinsically.

We win over our mind and acquire knowledge to be able to gain objectivity and to do our duty, which, as we said previously, is supreme in Bhagavad Gita. It shows the appreciation of knowledge because it reduces ignorance “to ashes” (Gita, 4.37).Verse

Verse यथधस समदधऽगनरभसमसतकरतऽरजन। जञनगन सरवकरमण भसमसतकरत तथ।।4.37।। Yathaidhāṁsi samiddho’gnirbhasmasātkurute’rjuna, jñānāgniḥ sarvakarmāṇi bhasmasātkurute tatha. “As a fire kindled turns to ashes its fuel, O Arjuna, so the fire of knowledge turns all works to ashes” (Bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018).

The Gita states further on knowledge in the shloka 4.38, given below. Verse

Verse न ह जञनन सदश पवतरमह वदयत। ततसवय यगससदध कलनतमन वनदत।।4.38।। Na hi jñānena sadṛśaṁ pavitramiha vidyate, tatsvayaṁ yogasaṁsiddhaḥ kālenātmani vindati. “There is nothing in the world equal in purity to knowledge, the man who is perfected by Yoga, finds it of himself in the self by the course of Time” (Bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018).

Conquer Your Mind

No one can control mind of the one who does not submit to its control by someone or something else. In fact, what to talk of others controlling one’s mind when one oneself finds it so difficult to control own mind. Nevertheless, for success, especially on difficult or unstructured tasks, one needs a very strong mind control. The question is how to do it. This is where the Bhagavad Gita comes with a message.Verse

Verse असशय महबह मन दरनगरह चलम । अभयसन त कनतय वरगयण च गहयत ॥6.35॥ Śrībhagavānuvāca: asaṁśayaṁ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṁ calam, abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate. “Without doubt, O mighty-armed, the mind is restless and very difficult to restrain; but O Kaunteya, it may be controlled by constant practice and non-attachment” (Bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018).

The Bhagavad Gita acknowledges that it is very difficult to control mind, however, it does not stop there and states that it can be controlled by constant practice and eliminating passion. Mind control is important in the Hindu system because of the importance the Hindus give to knowledge of any kind. It is the most sought after possession, and the one who possesses knowledge is the most revered. This is why the Gita gives great importance to controlling own mind. With the constant practice of yoga and meditation, combined with minor impositions such as vegetarianism, fasting, sacrificing, one conquers own mind, gains control over it. It is considered the ultimate victory for humans.

The Bhagavad Gita goes further and says that for him who conquers his mind, the mind becomes his best friend, but for the one who fails to do this, his mind becomes his biggest foe (Gita, 6.6), because it is with the mind that one achieves everything in life, in particular, knowledge and it is because of the lack of control of mind that one fails to achieve that which one would have achieved. Mind that is not in control will cause a lot of problem for the individual. The complete verse is reproduced below: Verse

Verse बनधरतमऽऽतमनसतसय यनतमवतमन जत। अनतमनसत शतरतव वरतततमव शतरवत।।6.6।। Bandhurātmātmanastasya yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ, anātmanastu śatrutve vartetātmaiva śatruvat. “To the man is his self a friend in whom the (lower) self has been conquered by the (higher) self, but to him who is not in possession of his (higher) self, the (lower) self is as if an enemy and it acts as an enemy” (Bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018).

How to Succeed

In Chapter 18, Shlokas 50–55 thoroughly cover who is successful and how to attain success. This section very thoroughly covers what one needs to be successful, and what qualities can predict success. Three main shlokas are reproduced below that describe these traits (Gita, 18.50, 51, 52).Verse

Verse सदध परपत यथ बरहम तथपनत नबध म । समसनव कनतय नषठ जञनसय य पर ॥18.50॥ siddhiṁ prāpto yathā brahma tathāpnoti nibodha me, samāsenaiva kaunteya niṣṭhā jñānasya yā parā. “Learn from me in brief, O Arjuna, how, one who has attained perfection, attains the brahman (or the self), who is the supreme consummation of knowledge” (Gita Supersite, 2018). बदधय वशदधय यकत धतयतमन नयमय च । शबददनवषयसतयकतव रगदवष वयदसय च ॥18.51॥ buddhyā viśuddhayā yukto dhṛtyātmānaṁ niyamya ca, śabdādīnviṣayāṁstyaktvā rāgadveṣau vyudasya ca. “Endowed by a purified understanding, subduing the mind by steadiness, relinishing sound and other objects of the senses and casting aside love and hate;” (Gita Supersite, 2018). ववकतसव लघवश यतवककयमनस । धयनयगपर नतय वरगय समपशरत ॥18.52॥ viviktasevī laghvāśī yatavākkāyamānasaḥ, dhyānayogaparo nityaṁ vairāgyaṁ samupāśritaḥ. “Resorting to solitude, eating but little, restraining speech, body and mind, ever engaged in the Yoga of meditation and taking refuge in dispassion;” (Gita Supersite, 2018).

Success requires attaining perfection, knowledge of the self, and supreme consummation of knowledge. A successful person is endowed with pure intellect. He controls himself, does not seek sensual pleasures, and ends aversion and craving. He resorts to solitude, eats little and has restrain on speech, body and mind. He is dispassionate and engages in yoga of meditation (Mitchell, 2000: 192–193).

The Gita Goes Against Extrinsic Controls

The Bhagavad Gita goes against extrinsic restraint of any kind. It states that one cannot achieve much when extrinsic controls are imposed because people behave according to their nature; that is, what is in their own control and is changed by their own initiative. Specifically, it states that humans behave according to their nature and that extrinsic controls will not have any effect on them (Gita, 3.33). By its corollary, while assigning tasks, manager should understand the nature of the person and then assign tasks to get high caliber performance without imposing any extrinsic controls. By a second corollary of this verse, we could say that when people become aware of the extrinsic controls imposed on them, they lose intrinsic controls and that does not help in performance, especially when it comes to knowledge jobs, that require mental work. This verse and its implication to the knowledge work are given below.Verse

Verse सदश चषटत सवसय परकतरजञनवनप। परकत यनत भतन नगरह क करषयत।।3.33।। Sadṛśaṁ ceṣṭate svasyāḥ prakṛterjñānavānapi, prakṛtiṁ yānti bhūtāni nigrahaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati. “All existences follow their nature and what shall coercing it avail? Even the man of knowledge acts according to his own nature” (Bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018).

This statement has a special value in managing knowledge workers that are the main source of innovation without which organizations cannot fight competition in a knowledge economy. Not controlling employees extrinsically leaves their minds free to create and innovate. The Gita’s statement that “Beings will follow their own nature” (Gita, 3.33) implies that organizations while assigning tasks should take the nature of the workers into account.

The Bhagavad Gita is very clear about motivation in organizations and states not to use sense-borne pleasures as motivators. They are ineffective and ultimately become a source of “pain”, that is why a “wise man does not indulge in them” (Gita, 5.22) and, hence, such pleasures cannot be source of a motivation that is incessant, especially of knowledge workers.Footnote 8Verse

Verse य ह ससपरशज भग दखयनय एव त। आदयनतवनत कनतय न तष रमत बध।।5.22।। Ye hi saṁsparśajā bhogā duḥkhayonaya eva te, ādyantavantaḥ kaunteya na teṣu ramate budhaḥ. “The enjoyments born of the touches of things are causes of sorrow, they have a beginning and an end; therefore the sage, the man of awakened understanding, budhaḥ, does not place his delight in these” (Bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018).

Sense-borne motivators drive mechanical functions of human body that bring pain, whereas, motivators of the mind appease the psyche, which energizes the body because mind rules everything. Motivators for the mind work should come to the knowledge worker intrinsically. They should be based in ethics and righteousness (dharma).

Human Guna or Bhava (Personalities)

In search of qualities in humans, called the guna or bhava, the Bhagavad Gita recommends the one “Who hates no creature, who is friendly and compassionate to all, who is free from attachments and egoism and is balanced in pleasure and pain and forgiving” (Gita, 12.13, 14). Based on these qualities, people are divided into three categories. The following shloka sheds additional light on this.Verse

Verse तरभरगणमयरभवरभ सरवमद जगत। महत नभजनत ममभय परमवययम।।7.13।। Tribhirguṇamayairbhāvairebhiḥ sarvamidaṁ jagat, mohitaṁ nābhijānāti māmebhyaḥ paramavyayam. “By these three kinds of becoming which are of the nature of the gunas, this whole world is bewildered and does not recognize Me supreme beyond them and imperishable” (Bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018). दव हयष गणमय मम मय दरतयय। ममव य परपदयनत मयमत तरनत त।।7.14।। Daivī hyeṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā, māmeva ye prapadyante māyāmetāṁ taranti te. “This is my divine Maya of the gunas and it is hard to overcome; those cross beyond it who approach Me” (Bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018).

The Bhagavad Gita, rather than dividing people by traits with which they are born, divides them by their nature (bhava) and also guides how to modify the nature by developing control over their minds as we discussed previously. The following verse (Gita, 7.12) classifies people into three groups, Sattva (saintly), Rajas (kingly) and Tamas (lethargic). Based on these classifications, the Gita goes over their likes, dislikes, tastes, behaviors, etc.Footnote 9Verse

Verse य चव सततवक भव रजससतमसशच य। मतत एवत तनवदध नतवह तष त मय।।7.12।। Ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasāstāmasāśca ye, matta eveti tānviddhi na tvahaṁ teṣu te mayi. “And as for the secondary subjective becomings of Nature, bhāvaḥ which are sattwic, rajasic and tamasic, they are verily from me, but I am not in them, it is they that are in Me” (Bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018).

The sattva character is full of intelligence and imparts balance by maintaining homeostasis, whereas the rajas is full of energy and operates by willfully causing imbalance by tilting in favor of something or someone. The tamas that is just substance that creates inertia.

Looking for Opportunities

Verse

Verse य नश सरवभतन तसय जगरत सयम। यसय जगरत भतन स नश पशयत मन।।2.69।। Yā niśā sarvabhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī, yasyāṁ jāgrati bhūtāni sā niśā paśyato muneḥ. “That which is night to all beings, in that the self-controlled man is awake; when all beings are awake, that is night for the Muni (sage) who sees” (Gita Supersite, 2018).

Literally, this verse tells that when it is night to all beings, to the muni (sage) who has mastered truth based on self-realization rather than based on the existing facts, it is the time to wake up. And, when it is the time for the being to wake up, the self-controlled muni goes to sleep. This is not the time for the muni to be active because everyone is so busy following the herd. Because the wise can see through the darkness, which represents ignorance, and do what the beings do when it is day. When all beings are awake, that is the night for the muni who enters when the masses depart (Chinmayananda, 1996: 159).

I look at this message from the Bhagavad Gita from the investor point of view and get a meaning that sets a strategic direction for how investors should pick investments for their portfolios. An edict that, in business, suggests to look for the opportunities and avail off them when others are busy, not looking at them, and to back off when others are fiercely competing for them by bidding them way up seems to have applied this message from the Bhagavad Gita. In fact, Warren Buffett, America’s second and the world’s third richest man, who made billions from stock market, says something that seems to have come very much from this shloka: “When others are greedy, I am afraid; when others have fear, I become greedy.”

Don’t Be Looking for Work to be Assigned to You

Verse

Verse न म परथसत करतवय तरष लकष कञचन। ननवपतमवपतवय वरत एव च करमण।।3.22।। Na me pārthāsti kartavyaṁ triṣu lokeṣu kiṁcana, nānavāptamavāptavyaṁ varta eva ca karmaṇi. “… I have no work that I need to do in all the three worlds, I have nothing that I have not gained and have yet to gain, and I abide verily in the paths of action…” (Bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018).

The author sees organizational perspective in it for everyone connected with work and management. It advises us not to be looking for others to give us work when we have finished doing what we were doing or when we have nothing to do. We should take independent initiatives by self-picking what to do for the organization when assigned work is completed. In a way, this verse sets a reason for working even when there may be no rational reason supporting continuing to work. One should always be working even when there is no prescribed duty or work for him to do (Gita, 3.22). In knowledge organizations where the work is unstructured such as in the R&D department, one has to take the initiative, look for opportunities and take the lead to avail off them for the good of the organization. This verse states that we should not be looking for work to be assigned to us, but engage in work that we believe needs to be done, or look for what needs to be done.

Conclusion

To conclude this chapter, the tenth and the last message that was selected for organizational managers from the Bhagavad Gita is presented. This is the culmination of teaching that could come for managers of organizations for managing the functions of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.

If Only One Thing You Have to Take from the Bhagavad Gita

This verse, Shloka 11 from Chapter 12, produced below, is the essence of the Bhagavad Gita and if manager has to take just one thing from it, this is what will convey the essence of the Bhagavad Gita. Applying the essence of just this message will bring realization of the Bhagavad Gita to organizations.Verse

Verse अथतदपयशकतऽस करत मदयगमशरत । सरवकरमफलतयग तत कर यततमवन ॥12.11॥ Athaitadapyaśakto’si kartuṁ madyogamāśritaḥ, sarvakarmaphalatyāgaṁ tataḥ kuru yatātmavān. “But if even this constant remembering of Me and lifting up of your works to Me is felt beyond your power, then renounce all fruit of action with the self controlled” (Bhagavadgita.org.in, 2018).

If it is difficult to remember and assimilate the nine preceding messages that have been scanned for you from the Bhagavad Gita, then, this is the one that may suffice. Apply it, and you will see how it transforms your life—personal and professional. You will see success and tranquility coming to you. This is the yoga of devotion. In this case, we will say that you are practicing the yoga of devotion by applying it to your work and life situations. This is the very basic teaching of the Bhagavad Gita, not because it is said so here, but this is what Lord Krishna said to Arjuna: do your karma (act) without attachment, and renounce all the phala (outcomes or rewards) of the karma. This means do your best without the desire for reward. The desire for reward from the karma interferes with it and by setting it aside, whether it is good or bad, focuses all mental, physical, emotional and psychic energy on the karma. The consequence of implementing this message will be that one who does his duty without any emotional attachment to outcome or reward from it will use absolute wisdom in decision-making and acting. Not having the desire for reward—good or bad—will get the best result possible.

And, in the postscript, it is added that phala will always follow the karma. We should remember that there is only one certainty in the world and that is that every karma will have its consequence.

From one of the corollaries of the above, it can be said that good karma will have good phala and bad will have bad phala. Any violation of this truth will be simply transitional in nature. The most deviation that could happen is that the phala may be delayed. It will never not happen. There is no forgiveness from the outcome of a karma with or without confession or repentance. The God says, “Even I do not have the power to alter this.” This is the ultimate truth.