Management by Indian Values

Dr.
Prashant Kumar Siddhey
MANAGEMENT BY INDIAN VALUES
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Dr. Prashant Kumar Siddhey
Indian literature is generally believed to be the oldest in the world. With vast
cultural diversities, there are around two dozen officially recognized languages in
India. Over thousands of years, huge literature has been produced in various
languages in India. It is to be noted that a large part of Indian literature revolves
around devotion, drama, poetry and songs. Sanskrit language dominated the early
Indian literary scene whereas languages like Prakrit and Pali too had fair share as
they were the languages of the common people.
It is interesting to note that the Hindu literary traditions have dominated a large
part of Indian culture. These traditions are well reflected in great works like Vedas
and epics such as Ramayana and Mahabharata. Treatises like Vaastu Shastra
(architecture), Arthashastra (political science) and Kamsutra are true reflection of
the Indian literary excellence.
Early Hindi literature, in dialects like Avadhi and Brai, began around religious and
philosophical poetry in medieval period. Sant Kabir and Tulsidas were the greatest
exponents of the Hindi literature during this period. With the passage of time, the
Khadi boli (dialect) became more prominent and saw a great upsurge, which
continues to this day.
During the medieval period, Muslim literary traditions dominated a large part of
Indian literature and saw flourishing of Muslim literature. Muslim rule during the
medieval times saw rapid growth and development of Persian and Urdu literature
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in India. A huge variety of literature spanning across history, culture and politics
was written in this period.
With the coming of the British in India, works started to be written in English
language. As more and more Indians became well versed with the English
language, the number of works in English literature began to grow. During the
contemporary times, numerous Indian authors have made their mark on the world
English literature scene. Some of the most noted Indian born or Indian writers are
R. K. Narayan, Vikram Seth, Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy, Amitav Ghosh,
Khushwant Singh, Anita Desai and Jhumpa Lahiri
The Vedas
The Vedas are considered the earliest literary record of Indo-Aryan civilization,
and the most sacred books of India. They are the original scriptures of Hindu
teachings, and contain spiritual knowledge encompassing all aspects of our life.
Vedic literature with its philosophical maxims has stood the test of time and is the
highest religious authority for all sections of Hindus in particular and for mankind
in general.
―Veda‖ means wisdom, knowledge or vision, and it manifests the language of the
gods in human speech. The laws of the Vedas regulate the social, legal, domestic
and religious customs of the Hindus to the present day. All the obligatory duties of
the Hindus at birth, marriage, death etc. owe their allegiance to the Vedic ritual.
They draw forth the thought of successive generation of thinkers, and so contain
within it the different strata of thought.
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Origin of the Vedas
The Vedas are probably the earliest documents of the human mind and is indeed
difficult to say when the earliest portions of the Vedas came into existence. As the
ancient Hindus seldom kept any historical record of their religious, literary and
political realization, it is difficult to determine the period of the Vedas with
precision. Historians provide us many guesses but none of them is free from
ambiguity.
Who wrote the Vedas?
It is believed that humans did not compose the revered compositions of the Vedas,
which were handed down through generations by the word of mouth from time
immemorial. The general assumption is that the Vedic hymns were either taught by
God to the sages or that they were revealed themselves to the sages who were the
seers or ―mantradrasta‖ of the hymns. The Vedas were mainly compiled by Vyasa
Krishna Dwaipayana around the time of Lord Krishna (c. 1500 BC)
Classification of the Vedas
The Vedas are four: The Rig-Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda and the
Atharva Veda, the Rig Veda being the main. The four Vedas are collectively
known as ―Chathurveda, ‖ of which the first three Vedas viz., Rig Veda, Sama
Veda and Yajur Veda agree in form, language and content.
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Structure of the Vedas
Each Veda consists of four parts – the Samhitas (hymns), the Brahmanas (rituals),
the Aranyakas (theologies) and the Upanishads (philosophies). The collection of
mantras or hymns is called the Samhita. The Brahmanas are ritualistic texts and
include precepts and religious duties. Each Veda has several Brahmanas attached
to it. The Upanishads form the concluding portions of the Veda and therefore
called the ―Vedanta‖ or the end of the Veda and contains the essence of Vedic
teachings. The Upanishads and the Aranyakas are the concluding portions of the
Brahmanas, which discuss philosophical problems. The Aryanyakas (forest texts)
intend to serve as objects of meditation for ascetics who live in forests and deal
with mysticism and symbolism.
The Mother of All Scriptures
Although the Vedas are seldom read or understood today, even by the devout, they
no doubt form the bedrock of the universal religion or ―Sanatana Dharma‖ that all
Hindus follow. The Vedas have guided our religious direction for ages and will
continue to do so for generations to come. And they will forever remain the most
comprehensive and universal of all ancient scriptures.
The Rig Veda: The Book of Mantra
Of all Vedic scriptures, Rigveda is the oldest existing script. Classical Rigveda is
the basis of all other Vedas and it contains of a vast variety of hymns, some of
which date back to almost 2000 B.C. The Rig Veda is the oldest book in Sanskrit
or any other Indo-European languages. Different spiritual leaders have contributed
their thoughts and sayings in the form of hymns. These hymns make up the vast
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collection that have assimilated together in the Rig Veda. The hymns are composed
in Vedic Sanskrit.
Many great scholars and Yogis who possessed a high level of understanding about
the deeper aspects of life have composed these hymns. Most of these hymns have
been composed in the praise of God. Each hymn has around 10 lines on an
average, written in Sanskrit. These sacred hymns are the oldest form of Sanskrit
mantras and have been in use since ancient times. Each letter is pronounced in a
way that the full meaning and power of the letter is clear. These hymns have been
composed on the science of sound so that the pronunciation of each letter hits hard
and sounds powerful.
The Rig Veda is a plethora of knowledge that is relevant in day-to-day life. The
fine aspects of leading a satisfying life with the help of yoga, meditation, etc. have
been mentioned in much detail in Rigveda. People are slowly realizing the
importance of meditation and yoga as the stress of their day-to-day life gets the
better of them. Rig Veda also mentions the ancient form of medication of
Ayurveda and highlights its significance in our lives. This natural form of curing
illness and fatigue is slowly regaining its importance in the era of laser surgery and
other medical advancements.
It is believed that many different versions of revised and critically analyzed forms
of Rig Veda have existed. But, only one form of Rig Veda is found to exist in the
contemporary world. This version has been restructured in different ways so that
through time, it is preserved and its authenticity is not questioned. Ralph T. H.
Griffith translated the Rig Veda in English in the year 1896. The entire Rig Veda is
divided into a series of 10 books. Of these, book number 2 and 7 are considered to
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be the oldest while the others are much more recent. You shall find the significance
of each book as given below.
 Book 1: Contains 191 hymns, majority of them dedicated to Agni or the fire
God.
 Book 2: Contains 43 hymns, dedicated to Lord Indra and Agni.
 Book 3: Contains 62 hymns, including the famous Gayathri Mantra.
 Book 5: Contains 87 hymns, dedicated to Viswadevas, Maruts, Mitra-
Varuna, Usha (dawn) and Savita.
 Book 7: Contains 104 hymns, dedicated to Agni, Lord Indra, Visvadevas,
Maruts, Mitra-Varuna, Aswins, Ushas, Indra-Varuna, Varuna, Vayu and two
each to Saraswati and Vishnu.
 Book 8: Contains 103 hymns, dedicated to many Gods.
 Book 9: Contains 114 hymns, dedicated to the Sacred Potion of the Vedic
religion, known as Soma Pavamana.
 Book 10: Contains 191 hymns, dedicated to Agni.
The Rig Veda is a collection of inspired songs or hymns and is a main source of
information on the Rig Vedic civilization. It is the oldest book in any Indo-
European language and contains the earliest form of all Sanskrit mantras that date
back to 1500 B.C. - 1000 B.C. Some scholars date the Rig Veda as early as 12000
BC - 4000 B.C. The Rig-Vedic ‗samhita‘ or collection of mantras consists of 1,017
hymns or ‗suktas‘, covering about 10,600 stanzas, divided into eight ‗astakas‘ each
having eight ‗adhayayas‘ or chapters, which are sub-divided into various groups.
The hymns are the work of many authors or seers called ‗rishis‘. There are seven
primary seers identified: Atri, Kanwa,Vashistha, Vishwamitra, Jamadagni, Gotama
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and Bharadwaja. The rig Veda accounts in detail the social, religious, political and
economic background of the Rig-Vedic civilization. Even though monotheism
characterizes some of the hymns of Rig Veda, naturalistic polytheism and monism
can be discerned in the religion of the hymns of Rig Veda.
The Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda were compiled after the age of the
Rig Veda and are ascribed to the Vedic period.
The Sama Veda: The Book of Song
Sama Veda consists of a collection of hymns and sacred texts that are supposed to
be sung instead of just being recited. In classical Sama Veda, the hymns are sung
in praise of God and are basically religious and philosophical in nature. The hymns
of Samaveda are derived from the Rig Veda and thus impart the lessons of the Rig
Veda. It may be called an abridged version of the Rig Veda, in a melodious form.
The melodious notes are called "Samans", hence the name Sama Veda.
The Sama Veda contains around 1900 verses, 95% of which have been derived
from the Rig Veda. The chanting notations are much more elaborate than Rig Veda
and is each syllable is sung in accordance to the seven swaras or musical notes.
The scale is ascending, descending or a varied combination. Though the Vedas are
considered to be the source of classical music, the concept of Raga, talas, etc. were
developed much later.
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The musical annotation of the Sama Veda is what lends it a unique character. The
Sama Veda is a representation of the rapture of devotion and spirituality. The
essence of Sama Veda and Rig Veda has been summed up perfectly by the great
Vedic scholar David Frawley. He says if Rig Veda is the word, Sama Veda is the
song; if Rig Veda is the knowledge, Sama Veda is the realization; if Rig Veda is
the wife, Sama Veda is the husbandThe Sama Veda is purely a liturgical collection
of melodies (‗saman‘). The hymns in the Sama Veda, used as musical notes, were
almost completely drawn from the Rig Veda and have no distinctive lessons of
their own. Hence, its text is a reduced version of the Rig Veda. As Vedic Scholar
David Frawley puts it, if the Rig Veda is the word, Sama Veda is the song or the
meaning, if Rig Veda is the knowledge, Sama Veda is its realization, if Rig Veda is
the wife, the Sama Veda is her husband.
The Yajur Veda: The Book of Ritual
If one has to know about Yajur Veda in simple terms, it basically talks about the
various steps by which religious rituals should be performed. It is a step-by-step
guide about the right way of performing religious ceremonies and sacred rituals.
The word Yajur Veda is a combination of two words, "Yajus" meaning sacrifice
and "Veda" meaning knowledge. But when one dwells deeper into the meaning of
classical Yajur Veda, one finds that it has much deeper significance than just being
a book of rituals. A part of the four Vedas, Yajurveda was the main Vedic script
used by the priests in ancient India.
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Yajur Veda seeks to create a deeper level of consciousness among people. It sets
forth a yogic practice that purifies not just the body, but also the mind. This helps
in awakening the inner consciousness, which opens up new avenues of learning
and understanding of life and existence. The Vedic scriptures are full of mantras
that help in religious rituals. The Yajur Veda bears resemblance to the Book of the
Dead of Egypt. Contrary to popular belief, it does not help raise the dead, but
instead helps the soul of the deceased to lead a comfortable afterlife.
The Yajur Veda also emphasizes on the same deities as the Rig Veda but in a
different way. The main aim of reciting the sacred hymns is to awake the inner
consciousness and bring together the Cosmic energies within oneself. This opens
up avenues for recreating a universal energy within the human psyche. This cosmic
level of consciousness is very necessary in order to lead a life that is both
meaningful and satisfying. Once ego and other vices are surrendered to the Divine
force, a person can attain higher forms of happiness. But the biggest sacrifice is
Self-sacrifice, which helps in the attainment of Moksha, Nirvana or immortality.
The Yajur Veda is also a liturgical collection and was made to meet the demands
of a ceremonial religion. The Yajur Veda practically served as a guidebook for the
priests who execute sacrificial acts muttering simultaneously the prose prayers and
the sacrificial formulae (‗yajus‘). It is similar to ancient Egypt‘s ―Book of the
Dead‖. There are no less than six complete recessions of Yajur Veda -
Madyandina, Kanva, Taittiriya, Kathaka, Maitrayani and Kapishthala.
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The Atharva Veda: The Book of Spell
Often called the fourth and the last Veda, the Atharva Veda is different from all the
other three Vedas. Though the classical Atharva Veda is related to religious and
socio-cultural aspects of the society, it dwells on an entirely different level of
knowledge. The hymns that are contained in Atharvaveda are more diverse in
nature and character than the ones in Rig Veda. It is also of a much simpler
language than the Rig Veda. Most scholars in fact don't even consider Atharva
Veda to be a part of the Vedas.
The Atharva Veda basically consists of charms and spells that were prevalent at
that time in the society. The Atharva Veda presents a portrait of the Vedic society.
One can find an independent and parallel stream of knowledge and thought in the
Atharva Veda. It is said that the mantras are very powerful and should be chanted
with much caution and only by specific priests who have a wide knowledge about
the Atharva Veda.
The Atharvaveda is associated with the area and cult of mystic science and the
dark side of science. It is said to deal with death, spirits and afterlife. It is said that
if pregnant women attend the rituals where Atharva Veda is chanted, the effects
can be so powerful that they may suffer an abortion. An example of the power of
Atharva Veda is sited in epic of Mahabharata. When the Pandavas are exiled for a
period of thirteen years, they consult Atharva Veda and shrink time so that it
compresses to thirteen days.
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The last of the Vedas, this is completely different from the other three Vedas and is
next in importance to Rig-Veda with regard to history and sociology. A different
spirit pervades this Veda. Its hymns are of a more diverse character than the Rig
Veda and are also simpler in language. In fact, many scholars do not consider it
part of the Vedas at all. The Atharva Veda consists of spells and charms prevalent
at its time, and portrays a clearer picture of the Vedic society.
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Upnishad- the supreme book of knowledge
The Upanishads form a part of the Vedas and are essentially a set of ancient mystic
teachings and imparting of knowledge. The term Upanishad has been derived from
three words: "Upa" (near), Ni (down) and shad (to sit), i.e., sitting down near.
During ancient times, pupils used to sit near the teacher in a circle to learn the holy
teachings and sacred scriptures. The Upanishad philosophy basically indicates
learning from a spiritual teacher. The exact number of classical Upanishads is not
known. Scholars differ when it comes to estimating the number of Upanishads that
exist. It is estimated that there are around 350 Upanishads that exist today.
The Upanishads provide us with spiritual knowledge and philosophical reasoning.

Upanishads aim at attaining a level of understanding beyond ordinary knowledge
about living. They aim at seeking a higher level of understanding about survival.
They seek to create awareness about our purpose in life. They dwell on the
psychology of the human mind. They speak about consciousness, sub-
consciousness and dreams. They go beyond ordinary knowing and aim at a higher
level of realization.
The Upanishads also contain information on the divine power of the word "Aum".
This word is said to have cosmic vibrations and is said to underlie all forms of
existence and trinity principles. For creating sound, one needs to have atleast two
things that strike against each other. But Aum is one sound that is created without
any help or friction. Thus, this is the sound of the Universe, the vibrations that you
feel inside when you close your ears. The Upanishads aim at making our lives
more meaningful by making us realize the importance of self-realization that goes
a long way into shaping the kind of individual we become.
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The Upanishads form the core of Indian philosophy. They are an amazing
collection of writings from original oral transmissions, which have been aptly
described by Shri Aurobindo as "the supreme work of the Indian mind". It is here
that we find all the fundamental teachings that are central to Hinduism — the
concepts of 'karma' (action), 'samsara' (reincarnation), 'moksha' (nirvana), the
'atman' (soul), and the 'Brahman' (Absolute Almighty). They also set forth the
prime Vedic doctrines of self-realization, yoga and meditation. The Upanishads are
summits of thought on mankind and the universe, designed to push human ideas to
their very limit and beyond. They give us both spiritual vision and philosophical
argument, and it is by a strictly personal effort that one can reach the truth.
Meaning of 'Upanishad'
The term 'Upanishad' literally means, "sitting down near" or "sitting close to", and
implies listening closely to the mystic doctrines of a guru or a spiritual teacher,
who has cognized the fundamental truths of the universe. It points to a period in
time when groups of pupils sat near the teacher and learnt from him the secret
teachings in the quietude of forest 'ashrams' or hermitages. In another sense of the
term, 'Upanishad' means 'brahma-knowledge' by which ignorance is annihilated.
Some other possible meanings of the compound word 'Upanishad' are "placing side
by side" (equivalence or correlation), a "near approach" (to the Absolute Being),
"secret wisdom" or even "sitting near the enlightened".
Time of Composition
Historians and Indologists have put the date of composition of the Upanishads
from around 800 - 400 B.C., though many of the verse versions may have been
written much later. In fact, they were written over a very long period of time and
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do not represent a coherent body of information or one particular system of belief.

However, there is a commonality of thought and approach.
The Main Books
Although there are more than 200 Upanishads, only thirteen have been identified
out as presenting the core teachings. They are the Chandogya, Kena, Aitareya,
Kaushitaki, Katha, Mundaka, Taittriyaka, Brihadaranyaka, Svetasvatara, Isa,
Prasna, Mandukya and the Maitri Upanishads. One of the oldest and longest of the
Upanishads, the Brihadaranyaka says:
"From the unreal lead me to the real! From darkness lead me to light!
From death lead me to immortality!"
The crux of the Upanishads is that this can be achieved by meditating with the
awareness that one's soul ('atman') is one with all things, and that 'one' is
'Brahman', which becomes the 'all'.
Who wrote the Upanishads?
The authors of the Upanishads were many, but they were not solely from the
priestly caste. They were poets prone to flashes of spiritual wisdom, and their aim
was to guide a few chosen pupils to the point of liberation, which they themselves
had attained. According to some scholars, the main figure in the Upanishads is
Yajnavalkya, the great sage who propounded the doctrine of 'neti-neti', the view
that "truth can be found only through the negation of all thoughts about it". Other
important Upanishadic sages are Uddalaka Aruni, Shwetaketu, Shandilya,
Aitareya, Pippalada, Sanat Kumara. Many earlier Vedic teachers like Manu,
Brihaspati, Ayasya and Narada are also found in the Upanishads.
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The Principle Upnishad:
In the Upanishads we can study the graceful conflict of thought with thought, the
emergence of more satisfactory thought and the rejection of inadequate ideas.
Hypotheses were advanced and rejected on the touchstone of experience and not at
the dictate of a creed. Thus thought forged ahead to unravel the mystery of the
world in which we live. Let's have a quick look at the 13 principal Upanishads:
1. Chandogya Upanishad
The Chandogya Upanishad is the Upanishad that belongs to the followers of the
Sama Veda. It is actually the last eight chapters of the ten-chapter Chandogya
Brahmana, and it emphasizes the importance of chanting the sacred Aum, and
recommends a religious life, which constitutes sacrifice, austerity, charity, and the
study of the Vedas, while living in the house of a guru. This Upanishad contains
the doctrine of reincarnation as an ethical consequence of karma. It also lists and
explains the value of human attributes like speech, will, thought, meditation,
understanding, strength memory and hope.
2. Kena Upanishad
The Kena Upanishad derives its name from the word 'Kena', meaning 'by whom'. It
has four sections, the first two in verse and the other two in prose. The metrical
portion deals with the Supreme Unqualified Brahman, the absolute principle
underlying the world of phenomenon, and the prose part deals with the Supreme as
God, 'Isvara'. The Kena Upanishad concludes, as Sandersen Beck puts it, that
austerity, restraint, and work are the foundation of the mystical doctrine; the Vedas
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are its limbs, and truth is its home. The one who knows it strikes off evil and
becomes established in the most excellent, infinite, heavenly world.
3. Aitareya Upanishad
The Aitareya Upanishad belongs to the Rig Veda. It is the purpose of this
Upanishad to lead the mind of the sacrificer away from the outer ceremonial to its
inner meaning. It deals with the genesis of the universe and the creation of life, the
senses, the organs and the organisms. It also tries to delve into the identity of the
intelligence that allows us to see, speak, smell, hear and know.
4. Kaushitaki Upanishad
The Kaushitaki Upanishad explores the question whether there is an end to the
cycle of reincarnation, and upholds the supremacy of the soul ('atman'), which is
ultimately responsible for everything it experiences.
5. Katha Upanishad
Katha Upanishad, which belongs to the Yajur Veda, consists of two chapters, each
of which has three sections. It employs an ancient story from the Rig Veda about a
father who gives his son to death (Yama), while bringing out some of the highest
teachings of mystical spirituality. There are some passages common to the Gita and
Katha Upanishad. Psychology is explained here by using the analogy of a chariot.
The soul is the lord of the chariot, which is the body; the intuition is the chariot-
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driver, the mind the reins, the senses the horses, and the objects of the senses the
paths. Those whose minds are undisciplined never reach their goal, and go on to
reincarnate. The wise and the disciplined, it says, obtain their goal and are freed
from the cycle of rebirth.
6. Mundaka Upanishad
The Mundaka Upanishad belongs to the Atharva Veda and has three chapters, each
of which has two sections. The name is derived from the root 'mund' (to shave) as
he that comprehends the teaching of the Upanishad is shaved or liberated from
error and ignorance. The Upanishad clearly states the distinction between the
higher knowledge of the Supreme Brahman and the lower knowledge of the
empirical world — the six 'Vedangas' of phonetics, ritual, grammar, definition,
metrics, and astrology. It is by this higher wisdom and not by sacrifices or worship,
which are here considered 'unsafe boats', that one can reach the Brahman. Like the
Katha, the Mundaka Upanishad warns against "the ignorance of thinking oneself
learned and going around deluded like the blind leading the blind". Only an ascetic
('sanyasi') who has given up everything can obtain the highest knowledge.
7. Taittiriya Upanishad
The Taittiriya Upanishad is also part of the Yajur Veda. It is divided into three
sections: The first deals with the science of phonetics and pronunciation, the
second and the third deal with the knowledge of the Supreme Self
('Paramatmajnana'). Once again, here, Aum is emphasized as peace of the soul, and
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the prayers end with Aum and the chanting of peace ('Shanti') thrice, often
preceded by the thought, "May we never hate." There is a debate regarding the
relative importance of seeking the truth, going through austerity and studying the
Vedas. One teacher says truth is first, another austerity, and a third claims that
study and teaching of the Veda is first, because it includes austerity and discipline.
Finally, it says that the highest goal is to know the Brahman, for that is truth.
8. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, which is generally recognized to be the most

important of the Upanishads, consists of three sections ('Kandas'), the Madhu
Kanda which expounds the teachings of the basic identity of the individual and the
Universal Self, the Muni Kanda which provides the philosophical justification of
the teaching and the Khila Kanda, which deals with certain modes of worship and
meditation, ('upasana'), hearing the 'upadesha' or the teaching ('sravana'), logical
reflection ('manana'), and contemplative meditation ('nididhyasana').
TS Eliot's landmark work The Waste Land ends with the reiteration of the three
cardinal virtues from this Upanishad: 'Damyata' (restraint), 'Datta' (charity) and
'Dayadhvam' (compassion) followed by the blessing 'Shantih shantih shantih', that
Eliot himself translated as "the peace that passeth understanding."
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9. Svetasvatara Upanishad
The Svetasvatara Upanishad derives its name from the sage who taught it. It is
theistic in character and identifies the Supreme Brahman with Rudra (Shiva) who
is conceived as the author of the world, its protector and guide. The emphasis is not
on Brahman the Absolute, whose complete perfection does not admit of any
change or evolution, but on the personal 'Isvara', omniscient and omnipotent who is
the manifested Brahma. This Upanishad teaches the unity of the souls and world in
the one Supreme Reality. It is an attempt to reconcile the different philosophical
and religious views, which prevailed at the time of its composition.
10.Isavasya Upanishad
The Isavasya Upanishad derives its name from the opening word of the text
'Isavasya' or 'Isa', meaning 'Lord' that encloses all that moves in the world. Greatly
revered, this short Upanishad is often put at the beginning of the Upanishads, and
marks the trend toward monotheism in the Upanishads. Its main purpose is to teach
the essential unity of God and the world, being and becoming. It is interested not
so much in the Absolute in itself ('Parabrahman') as in the Absolute in relation to
the world ('Paramesvara'). It says that renouncing the world and not coveting the
possessions of others can bring joy. The Isha Upanishad concludes with a prayer to
Surya (sun) and Agni (fire).
11.Prasna Upanishad
The Prashna Upanishad belongs to the Atharva Veda and has six sections dealing
with six questions or 'Prashna' put to a sage by his disciples. The questions are:
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From where are all the creatures born? How many angels support and illumine a
creature and which is supreme? What is the relationship between the life-breath
and the soul? What are sleep, waking, and dreams? What is the result of meditating
on the word Aum? What are the sixteen parts of the Spirit? This Upanishad
answers all these six vital questions.
12.Mandukya Upanishad
The Mandukya Upanishad belongs to the Atharva Veda and is an exposition of the
principle of Aum as consisting of three elements, a, u, m, which may be used to
experience the soul itself. It contains twelve verses that delineate four levels of
consciousness: waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and a fourth mystical state of being
one with the soul. This Upanishad by itself, it is said, is enough to lead one to
liberation.
13.Maitri Upanishad
The Maitri Upanishad is the last of what are known as the principal Upanishads. It
recommends meditation upon the soul ('atman') and life ('prana'). It says that the
body is like a chariot without intelligence but it is driven by an intelligent being,
who is pure, tranquil, breathless, selfless, undying, unborn, steadfast, independent
and endless. The charioteer is the mind, the reins are the five organs of perception,
the horses are the organs of action, and the soul is unmanifest, imperceptible,
incomprehensible, selfless, steadfast, stainless and self-abiding. It also tells the
story of a king, Brihadratha, who realized that his body is not eternal, and went
into the forest to practice austerity, and sought liberation from reincarnating
existence.
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Shashtras
In Hindu religion, Dharma Shastras are social laws that include the codes of
conduct to be observed by individuals living in a society. Dharma Shastras are
works by various sages of ancient India. The most famous and the most
controversial Dharma Shastra is the Manu Smirti. Apart from Manu‘s Dharma
Shastra, there are 18 Dharma Shastras that are applicable in different periods of
time.
A particular Dharma Shastra is applicable only during a Manvantara. A

manvantara is the period of time or duration that a Manu (the archetypal human
being) rules the entire creation. One Manvantara is 306,720,000 human years.
Apart from Manu, the other Dharma Shastras that are applicable in different
periods are named after Apastamba, Bharadvaja, Daksha, Devala, Samakha,
Vasishta, Gautama, Samavarata, Vishnu, Harita, Shatanika, Vyasa, Likhita,
Shatotraya, Yajnavalkaya, Parashara, Sahunaka and Yama.
Traditionally accepted as one of the supplementary arms of the Vedas, 'The Laws
of Manu' or 'Manava Dharma Shastra' is one of the standard books in the Hindu
canon, and a basic text for all gurus to base their teachings on. This 'revealed
scripture' comprises 2684 verses, divided into twelve chapters presenting the norms
of domestic, social, and religious life in India (circa 500 BC) under the Brahmin
influence, and is fundamental to the understanding of ancient Indian society.
Background
The ancient Vedic society had a structured social order where the Brahmins were
esteemed as a highest and the most revered sect and assigned the holy task of
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acquiring ancient knowledge and learning. The teachers of each Vedic schools
composed manuals in Sanskrit, known as 'sutras', pertaining to their respective
schools for the guidance of their pupils, which were highly venerated by the
Brahmins and memorized by each Brahmin student.
The most common of these were the 'Grihya-sutras', dealing with domestic
ceremonies, and the 'Dharma-sutras', treating of the sacred customs and laws.
These extremely complicated bulk of ancient rules and regulations, customs, laws
and rites were gradually enlarged in scope, written aphoristically and set to musical
cadence and systematically arranged to constitute the 'Dharma-shastras'. Of these
the most ancient and most famous is the 'Laws of Manu', the 'Manava Dharma-
shastra', a 'Dharma-sutra' belonging to the ancient Manava Vedic school.
Genesis
It is generally believed that Manu, the ancient teacher of sacred rites and laws, is
the author of 'Manava Dharma-shastra'. The initial canto of the work narrates how
ten great sages appealed to Manu to pronounce the sacred laws to them and how
Manu fulfilled their wishes by asking the learned sage Bhrigu, who had been
carefully taught the metrical tenets of the sacred law, to deliver his teachings.
However, equally popular is the belief that Manu had learnt the laws from Lord
Brahma, the Creator, and so the authorship is said to be divine.
Dates:
Sir William Jones assigned the work to the period 1200-500 B.C., but more recent
developments state that the work in its extant form dates back to the first or second
century AD or could be even older. Scholars agree that the work is a modern
versified rendition of a 500 B.C. Dharma-sutra, which no longer exists.
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Structure
The first chapter deals with the creation of the world by the deities, the divine
origin of the book itself, and the objective of studying it. Chapters two to six
recounts the proper conduct of the members of the upper castes, their initiation into
the Brahmin religion by sacred thread or sin-removing ceremony, the period of
disciplined studentship devoted to the study of the Vedas under a Brahmin teacher,
the chief duties of the householder - choice of a wife, marriage, protection of the
sacred hearth-fire, hospitality, sacrifices to the gods, feasts to his departed
relatives, along with the numerous restrictions — and finally, the duties of old age.
The seventh chapter talks of manifold duties and responsibilities of kings. The
eighth chapter deals with the modus operandi in civil and criminal proceedings and
of the proper punishments to be meted out to different caste. The ninth and the
tenth chapters relate the customs and laws regarding inheritance and property,
divorce and the lawful occupations for each caste. Chapter eleven expresses the
various kinds of penance for the misdeeds. The final chapter expounds the doctrine
of karma, rebirths and salvation.
Criticisms
Present-day scholars have criticized the work significantly. The rigidity in the caste
system and the contemptible attitude towards women are not acceptable today. The
almost divine reverence shown to the Brahmin caste and the despicable attitude
towards the 'Sudras' (the lowest caste) is objectionable. The Sudras were forbidden
to participate in the Brahmin rituals and were subjected to severe punishments
whereas the Brahmins were exempted from any kind of reprimand for crimes. The
practice of medicine was prohibited to the upper caste. Women were considered
inept, inconsistent, and sensual and were restrained from learning the Vedic texts
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or participating in important social functions. They were kept in abject subjugation

all their lives.
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Smrities
Role of Smriti within Hindu law
Smriti is the second source of authority for dharma. The first source of dharma is
Sruti: the Vedas or Revelation. With regards to Hindu law, scholars have
commonly translated Smriti as ―tradition‖. Although Smriti is also considered a
written source; it differs from Sruti in that Smriti does not have divine origins.
Smriti‘s literal translation, ―to remember‖ explains this. In a sense, Smriti consists
of the memories of wisdom that sages have passed on to their disciples. These
memories consist of traditions. It is these memories that make up the second source
of dharma and consequently have been recorded to become a written source;
commentaries such as Laws of Manu, for example. The Smrti texts have become a
binding of ―sacred literature‖ which includes the six Vedangas, the epics: the
Mahabharata and the Ramayana, as well as, the Puranas It is within all of these
works that the rules of dharma remain and are passed down. However, Smriti is
still only considered a second authority after Sruti and becomes relevant only when
Sruti provides no answer.
 There are two important sides of Smriti: Smriti as Tradition and Smriti as
Texts. Smriti as Tradition consists of Smriti as memories. It is from these
memories that the rules of dharma are preserved and passed down.
Conversely, Smriti as Texts refers to the notion of Traditional Texts. These
consist of mostly the dharmasastras and are described as literature which has
been ―inspired by the smrti‖.
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Smriti as Tradition
The history of smrti begins around 500 BCE. Some scholars argue that the original
meaning of smrti differs from the medieval Sanskrit commentators‘ understanding
of smrti. This is understood by looking at passages where the word smriti appears.
It is from the context in which the word is used that scholars find evidence for a
switch in the meaning and understanding of the term. The present general
understanding of smrti consists of non-Vedic literatures that portray the rules of
dharma; for example, the Dharmasastra, Itihasa, and Purana. Some scholars argue
that this general understanding is inaccurate. The view of Smriti as literature,
specifically that of Dharmasastra texts, has created this notion of Smriti as
Traditional texts. However, some scholars argue that the original meaning of
Smriti was used to refer to tradition in its simplest understanding and not to texts.
This process looks at the textualization of tradition and examines passages where
smrti refers to literature in contrast to passages where there are no connections
between smrti and literature. The earliest texts where the term smriti is used are
also examined. By a process of looking at the context of what is being stated
within the passage, a scholar is able to better derive the correct definition. Scholars
also argue about Smriti in terms of it meaning ―specifically ‗Brahmanical
tradition‘‖.
Smriti as Texts
The smṛtis are metrical texts. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of texts that
fall into this category and it is remarkable how consistent the topics and reasoning
used in these texts are. Though the smṛti texts acknowledge variability in regional
religious and legal practices, their principal concern is to explain dharma. This
unity of purpose led to a standardization of topics dealt with by the texts, even
27
though the texts still exhibit differences between them. Whether these differences
can be attributed to differences in the provenance or time period of the texts, to
ideological or other disagreements between authors, or to some other factor is an
issue opens to debate.
The most famous and the earliest known smṛti text is the Laws of Manu, which
dates to approximately the first century AD. The Laws of Manu, or
Mānavadharmaśāstra, has recently been critically edited and translated by Patrick
Olivelle (2004, 2005). His introduction and translation are perhaps the best starting
points for understanding the nature of Dharmaśāstra and its contents. A major
piece of the Hindu law tradition is, however, not represented in the main body of
this translation, but rather in its footnotes - namely, the commentarial or scholastic
tradition that took texts like the Laws of Manu and explained and elaborated upon
them in an unbroken tradition that extended at least up to the time of the British
and in some ways beyond. Similar to other scholastic traditions of religious law,
the Dharmaśāstra commentators' first concern was to explain the sacred legal texts
precisely, with careful attention to word meanings, grammatical structures, and
principles of legal hermeneutics.
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Purans
The holy Puranas are a vast treasure of literary and spiritual knowledge that throw
light on past, present and future. It is said that the Puranas are the richest collection
of mythological information in this world. In totality, the Eighteen Puranas contain
information about ancient myths and folklores that pertain to some form of
spiritual knowledge. Each of these Puranas is a book of hymns, stories, knowledge
and instructions regarding sacred rituals and the way life should be led. It contains
cosmic knowledge and how the universe affects our living.
Traditionally, there are supposed to be 18 major Puranas. They are listed below.
Agni: It contains 15,400 verses and has information regarding the various
incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
Bhagavata: It contains 18,000 verses and contains information on the practice of

Bhakti Yoga, which helps in the realization of God.
Bhavishya: It contains 14,500 verses and contains information on the fact that past
repeats itself in future. It is also called the Book of Prophecies.
Brahma: It contains 24,000 verses and has details about the beginning of universe
and cosmos.
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Brahmanda: It contains 12,000 verses and contains the Lalitha Sahasranamam, a

text recited as a prayer.
Brahmavaivarta: It contains 18,000 verses and describes the creation and purpose
of life and the deeds of different Gods like Ganesha, Krishna, etc.
Garuda: It contains 19,000 verses and has information about what happens after a
person dies and kind of treatment he gets for his deeds on earth. It is similar to the
concept of Judgment Day in Christianity.
Harivamsa: It contains 16,000 verses and has information on the life of Lord
Krishna.
Kurma: It contains 17,000 verses and has information on the avatar of Lord Vishnu
as a tortoise that came to be known as the Kurma avatar.
Linga: It contains 11,000 verses and it has information on the importance of the
holy Linga and the origin of the Universe.
Markandya: It contains 9000 verses and it contains the dialogue between two
ancient sages, Jamini and Markandya.
Matsya: It contains 14,000 verses and describes the first avatar of Lord Vishnu as a
fish.
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Narada: It contains 25,000 verses and contains the description of major pilgrim
places.
Padma: It contains 55,000 verses and has information on the essence of religion
and cosmos.
Shiva: It contains 24,000 verses and is completely dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Skanda: It contains 81,000 verses and is probably the longest Purana of all. It is
dedicated to the life of Lord Shiva and Parvati's son, Karthikeya.
Vamana: It contains 10,000 verses and contains information regarding the Vamana
avatar of Lord Vishnu.
Vayu: It contains 24,000 verses and is dedicated to the Wind God, Vayu.
Vishnu: It contains 23,000 verses and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
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Indian Epics
Mahabharata
The longest Sanskrit epic ever written, Mahabharata has a collection of more
than 74,000 verses, divided into 18 books. The Mahabharata story is much revered
in India and basically among the Hindus. The Mahabharata contains the Bhagawad
Gita, the famous gospel of duty that was taught to the great warrior, Arjuna by
Lord Krishna. The Mahabharata dwells on the aspect of the important goals of a
human being in his mortal life. The epic aims at making people realize the relation
between the individual and the society and how they both are inter dependent on
each other. Read on further a summary of Mahabharata, the greatest epic ever.
The epic revolves around the struggle for the throne of the kingdom of
Hastinapura. The struggle is between two branches of the same family, the
Kauravas and Pandavas. The Kauravas were collectively the hundred sons of the
blind king Dhritarashtra and the Pandavas were the five sons of Pandu, who died of
a curse. The five brothers named Yudhisthira (eldest son), Arjuna, Bheema, Nakula
and Sahdeva were always obedient and dutiful, which made them the most loved in
the kingdom. Each of the Pandavas had a special virtue in them that made them
stand apart from the rest of the world. This made the Kauravas hate them and they
planned many devious ways to get rid of them.
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As time went by, the Pandavas got married and shared a common wife named
Draupadi. The Kauravas got even more enraged and challenged the Pandavas to a
game of gamble. The Pandavas lost and were banished from the kingdom for an
exile of 12 years. There was a condition that if they were recognized by the end of
12 years, they would have to begin from scratch.
One of the most important and dramatic character in this epic is Lord Krishna. He
was the sole advisor, guide and true friend of the Pandavas and helped them in
each and every difficulty in their exile. He is said to be the incarnation of God,
who came to earth in human form to relieve the world of evil people and restore
faith in his devotees. During the great battle of Kurukshetra fought between the
Kauravas and the Pandavas, Lord Krishna took upon himself the duty of driving
Arjuna's chariot. He imparted the valuable and practical lessons of the Bhagawad
Gita, a text of the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, where Lord
Krishna shows Arjuna a glimpse of his majestic divine form.
The Pandavas won the battle and ruled over Hastinapura for a number of years. It
is said that Dhritarashtra and his wife retired into the forest to lead a stress-free life
of an ascetic and Krishna left after around thirty six years after the battle took
place. When the Pandavas realized that it was time to leave this earth, they all set
out on a journey towards the North on foot. It is said that the gates of heaven
opened on the northern horizon. One by one they dropped dead, until Yudhisthira
finally reached the gates of heaven to be united once again with his brothers and
wife.
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Slide 1
Learning
From
Mahabharat
By: Prashant Kumar Siddhey
34
Slide 2
Overview
• Second Longest Epic of the World
• “What’s not in Bharata, is not in Bharata”
• “A Buffet of Ideologies.”
• Written around 3000 BC.
• “Harappan” Cultre. Urban Way of life.
• Narrated thrice :
– “Jaya” by Vyasa to Ganesha
– “Bharata” by Vaishampayan to Janamejaya
– “Mahabharata” by Suta/Sauti to the Rishis at Naimisharanya.
• Has “mindboggling” revelations.
– Astronomy: Existence of Uranus(Shweta) and Neptune(Ksharaka).
– Geography. Lands as far as Cambodia(Kamboja), Kazakhistan and/or
Scandinavia(Uttarakuru),
– Mathemetics: Nos to the range of 10 raised to powers of 16 and -16.
– Descriptions of Weapons which resemble modern day weaponry including Nuclear and/or
Chemical Weapons.
– Complex Millitary Formations and Strategies.
– Philosphy, Psychology, Sociology, Spirituality, Religion, Politics.
– Even Mangement Lessons.
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Slide 3
Logistics
• Kauravas :11 Akshouhini
• Pandavas : 7 Akshouhini
1 Akshouhini = 21,870 chariots, 21,870

elephants, 65,610 horses and 109,350
foot-soldiers (in a ratio of 1:1:3:5).
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Slide 4
Generals
Kauravas : Pandavas :
• Bhishma • Arjuna
• Drona • Bhima
• Karna • Dhrshtadyumna
• Shalya • Abhimanyu
• Kripacharya • Ghatotkach
• Ashwatthama • Shikhandi
• Duryodhan • Satyaki
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Slide 5
Background
Pandavas :
Exiled for 13 years. Have no kingdom. Their main strength both in terms of
political and financial power depends on their friends and relatives : The
Pancalas, The Yadavas, The Magadhas and The Chedis.
Kauravas :
In power for 13 years. Duryodhan has been a benevolent king. Theres no

guarantee that the Subjects really miss the Pandavas. Not only have they
the wealth and power of Hastinapur, but also that of Indraprastha, the
kingdom that the Pandvas had taken such labors to build and which had
surpassed the Hastina of old in all degrees. Karna had gone on a nation-
wide conquering on behalf of Duryodhana. They are the national sovereigns
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Slide 6
Motivation
Kauravas :
“Without war, will concede not a needle-prick of earth.” - Duryodhna
Duryodhana was completely focused on the War.It was his moment of truth. He
had usurped a kingdom, and he meant to keep it. He had resorted to any
means, foul or fair to get the kingdom, which he believed to be rightfully his,
and he was in no mood to give it up.
Pandavas :
“We fight over a Kingdom, as dogs over a piece of meat.”-Yudhisthira
The Pandavas had been humiliated, their wife insulted, their kingdom taken.
But…still they wanted to avoid the War. The three elder Pandavas were
against the War. They even went as far as making an offer that they will
stop the War in exchange of 5 villages.
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Slide 7
Result
War Lasted : 18 Days. 10 Days (Bhisma), 3 Days(Drona), 1½ Days (Karna) ½
Day (No General),1 Day (Shalya), 1 Night(Ashwatthama)
18th Night of the War :

Ashwatthama slaughtered the Pandava camp in sleep.
Before That :
Kauravas :
Bhishma, Drona, Karna and his sons, Shalya, Bhagadutta, Bhurisrava,
Susharma, Jayadrath, Duhsasana and all of Duryodhana’s brothers,
Shakuni and Ulooka.
Pandavas :
Drupad, Virat and his sons, Abhimanyu, Ghatotkach and Iravan.
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Slide 8
SO HOW DID THE PANDAVAS WIN ?????
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Slide 9
Preparation
Kauravas :
• Karna went on a country-wide military mission, subdued the different

kingdoms and acquired wealth. But it meant a loss in terms of both men and
money and creation of new enemies.
Pandavas : Though in exile they turned their attention to improving over their
weakness
• Arjuna set out on a mission to acquires Divyastras.
• Bhima met his brother Hanuman and got a blessing of enhanced strength.
• Yudhisthira acquired teachings from the various wise rishis, and also learnt
the Game of Dice from Gandharava Chtrasena, lest he was challenged to
yet another dice game. Its said that he had become undefeatable in Dice.
Turn your weakness into your Strength.
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Slide 10
Allies
Kauravas : Centralized power system. The greatest empire of the time. But not many
powerful allies, except from old relations from far off places like Gandhara(Shakuni),
Sindhu(Jayadrath) and Kambodia(Camboja - Bhagadutt)
Pandavas : No wealth. No power of their own. But powerful allies all over India.
• Panchala through Marriage with Darupadi.
• Dwarka through marriage with Arjuna and Subhadra.
• Magadh through marriage of Shadeva and Vijaya.
• Chedi through marriage of Nakula and Karenmayi.
• Kasi through marriage of Bhima and Balandhara.
• Kekaya through marriage of Yudhisthira and Devika.
• Matsya through marriage of Abhimanyu and Uttara.
• The Rakshasas through marriage of Bhima and Hidimba.
• The Nagas through marriage of Arjuna and Uloopi.
Make Powerful Allies.
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Slide 11
Leadership
Kauravas : Centralized leadership. One Head of Army at a time, who has supreme
authority of 11 akshouhini of army. Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Shalya and
Ashwatthama.
Pandavas : Distributed leadership. Seven commanders for the seven divisions.(1 man
command 1 akshouhini each).
• Virat (King of Matsya).
• Drupad (King of Pancala).
• Sahadeva(King of Magadha).
• Dhrshtaketu (King of Chedi).
• Satyaki (Only warrior from Dwarka).
• Shikhandi (Prince of Pancala).
Dhrshtadymna – Commander in Chief.

Arjuna –Supreme Commander.
Krishna – Arjuna’s charioteer and counselor.
Share your responsibilities.
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Slide 12
Team Spirit
Kauravas : No team spirit. They all fought their individual wars.
• Bhishma : For his Vow to protect the throne Hastinapur.
• Drona and Kripa : They owed allegiance to the throne.
• Shalya : Simply cheated by Duryodhana to be there. Was originally a Pandava ally.
• Karna : To prove his mantle against Arjuna. Friendship for Duryodhana.
They didn’t gel well with each other. Bhishma and Karna. Bhisma and Shakuni. Karna nd
Shakuni. Karna and Shalya. Shalya and Bhishma. It was like a bees, hornets and
mosquitoes put together in a jar.
Pandavas : One team. One Goal. As men, they all had huge respect for Krishna and
Yudhisthira. While as warriors they were in complete awe of Bhima and Arjuna. Most
of them were close relatives – cousins, brother-in-laws, father-in-laws. More than that
they all were part of the decision-making process. It was their “common” war.
Teamwork succeeds where Individual effort fails.
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Slide 13
Individual Motives
Kauravas : Except for Duryodhana nobody wanted the War. All the 4 main generals had strong ties
with the Pandavas.
• Bhishma(grandchildern) – Wont kill the panadavas. Will kill a thousand soldiers each day.
• Drona (students) – Wont kill the Pandavas. Will capture them only.
• Shalya (Nakula-Shadeva’s maternal uncle) : Loved the Pandavas and covertly helped them by
humiliating Karna
• Karna (brother to the Pandavas) : Promised not to kill any of the other Pandavas save Arjuna.
A Team of Traitors.
Pandavas : Common goal. But the individuals had their individual targets. Their own agenda, which
just became one with the teams’ agenda.
• Dhratsadyumna : Drona.
• Shikhandi : Bhisma.
• Satayaki – Bhurisravas.
• Arjuna – Karna.
• Bhima – Duryodhana and his brothers.
• Sahadeva – Shakuni and his sons.
• Nakula –Karna’s sons.
The Right team is made by selecting the Right

Individuals. Get the right man for the right job.
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Slide 14
Commitment
Kauravas : Already said the Big 4 had big emotional attachment with the 5 Pandavas. Looking further
on their commitment.
• Bhisma himself gave away the secret of killing him to the Pandavas.He prolonged the War by
killing only inconsequential soldiers. He did not fight a warrior like Shikhandi because of his
personal bias.
• Drona too indirectly gave away his secret, by saying he was invulnerable as long as he held a
weapon. Moreover he abandoned weapons as soon as he knew his son had died.
• Karna did not kill Yudhisthira and BHima when he got the chance. He gave away his Kavac and
Kundala prior to his War. Karna fled innumerous times from the War when he was hurt. He didn’t
save Duhsasana when Bhima was killing him.
• Shalya kept on insulting Karna while in Battle.
Pandavas :
• Abhimanyu , a 16 year old kid. Ventured beyond enemy lines alone. This was suicide mission but
he still went in and took a great part of the army down with him. It took the combined effort of 7
Maharathis to take him down.
• Ghatotkach even in death, took with him almost half the army.
• Yudhisthira, he knew he couldn’t face Karna in War, but still went in to set an example.
Yudhitshira didn't hesitate to tell a lie or a twisted truth when faced with the decision of whether to
stick to his personal integrity or welfare of the team.
• Krishna took up arms twice and almost entered the War, inspite of his promise, only to be stopped
by Arjuna.
The interests of the Individual should never exceed the Team

interest.
The best man for a Job is not the one with the best capabilities but
one with the greatest commitment.
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Slide 15
Right Managers
Krishna : The Greatest Crisis Manager the world has seen.
Yudhisthira : Low-key strategist.

• On the first day of the War, he played a Master game. Went over to the
Enemy side to seek blessings from Elders. In reality he made a covert deal
with them, wherein all of them agreed to help him and unfolded the secrets
of defeating them.
• While coming back, he took a calculated risk. He made an offer to all the
assembled people to change sides if they wanted to. He knew well of the
lack of cohesiveness among the Kauravas. Yuyutsu, son of Dhrtarashtra
crossed over to the Pandavas. This exposed the weakness of the Kauravas
for all to see.
Know your enemies weaknesses and exploit them.
Take Calculated risks.
Inspire, invigorate, counsel your own team in moments of
need.
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Slide 16
The Roots
Kauravas : Princes brought up in the comfort of the Royal Palace, matured on
romanticized ideals of Power, Fame, Courage and Valor. No experience of ground
reality.
Pandavas :
• Spent the greater part of their lives in Poverty. Childhood in the Himalayan foothills
among Rishis. One year exile among the poor people of Kuru-Panchala. 12 years of
Vanvas and 1 year of Agyatvas.
• Experinced with the ground reality. Contact with people from various strata of the
society. Sannyasis (celibate monks), Acharyas(Householders, teachers), poor
Brahmanas, lower-class Potter.
• Different races of people. Rakshasas, Gandharavas, Apsaras, Nagas. People from
different regions Uttarkuru, Bengal etc.
• A Sense of Sharing. A sense of Brotherhood.
Know ground realities.

Know different ideologies.
Share.
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Slide 17
Women Empowerment
Kauravas : Patriarchal structure. Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Dhratarashtra, Vidur, Shakuni,
Duryodhana, Karna, Duhsasana. No women in the decision making process.
Gandhari retreated to the Inner Chambers. Nobody listened to her.
Pandavas : Matriarchal Structure.

• Kunti was the authority supreme for the Pandavas.
“Whatever my mother says is Dharma to me” : Yudhisthira.
• Draupadi was a companion in whatever the Pandavas did. She had a big role in all
the decision making. Without her the Pandavas would have most probably reclined to
the forests.
• Even the younger Pandavas : Ghatotkach, Abhimnanyu and Iravan were brought up
by their mothers. So the female influence was huge.
Women = Better Half. Any team which doesn't have women

is unbalanced, for the Masculine traits of Aggression and
Dominance should be balanced by the Feminine traits of
Harmony and Sustenance.
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Slide 18
Recap
• Turn your weaknesses into strengths.
• Turn enemies into allies.
• Share your responsibilities.
• Teamwork scores over Individual Effort.
• Right Team = Right set of Individuals. The right man for the right job.
• Commitment scores over Competence.
• Team interests over Individual interests..
• Know your enemy/challenges. Exploit its weaknesses. Take
calculated risks.
• The Right Managers : To inspire, invigorate, counsel in crisis .
• Know Ground realities. Accept different ideologies. Cooperate.
• Empower Women. The Gender Balance is required for stability and
administration.
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Slide 19
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Ramayana
Ramayana is one of the most read and famous epics of all times. Maharshi
Valmiki wrote the Ramayana epic. Every boy and girl in India knows the
Ramayana story by heart. Every Hindu has the highest respect for this great epic,
which is also given the status of a holy book. The flawless values and idealistic
principles highlighted in the epic are something that is taught to every kid in a
household. Given here is a summary of Ramayana epic by Valmiki.
Long time back, in the kingdom of Ayodhya, there lived a noble king known as
Dashratha. He had three wives, but no children. After performing an elaborate
Yagna to please Gods, he was granted with four sons. The eldest one was called
Rama and was known for his idealist values and outlook. He is considered to be
the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The king decided to crown Rama, as he
was the rightful heir to the throne.
But the king's second wife, Kaikeyi grew jealous and she wanted her son to be the
king. She reminded the king of a promise he gave her long back and made him
announce that hr son would be the king. Rama was exiled for a period of 14 years.
Being the obedient son and an idealist, Rama obeyed his father and bid farewell to
the kingdom and riches and donned the robes of an ascetic.
Thus set out Rama with Sita and Lakshmana on his 14 year long exile in the forests
of India. Then one day, a Demoness saw Rama and was mesmerized by his
charming personality. She tried to seduce him but he ignored her completely. She
53
then tries to seduce Lakshmana, but enraged, he cuts off her nose. Thoroughly
insulted, she goes back to her brother Ravana, the Demon king of Lanka and
complains about what happened. Ravana seeks revenge by abducting Sita and
captivating her in his palace. Determined and confident, Rama sets out to find her.
He is helped by a group of monkeys who put in their best efforts to get Sita back
from Lanka. Ravana is spoken of as a powerful demon, who was blessed by many
Gods. His only flaw was vanity.
A battle ensued between the monkey army of Rama and the demon army of
Ravana. In the end, Rama emerged victorious and was united with Sita. By this
time, their exile had ended and they returned back to their kingdom victorious.
Rama was crowned the king and he proved himself to be a devoted ruler. The
moral of this epic is good always triumphs over evil. No matter what happens, one
must never accept anything wrong and never deter from his path of duties of life.
54
SS RR II G
G UU RR UU G
G RR AA NN TT HH SS AA HH II BB JJ II
W
Whhoo IIss Y
Yoouurr G
Guurruu ??
The word ``Guru'' is used to mean guide/expert, it is composed of two parts ``Gu''
meaning darkness and ``Ru'' meaning light; darkness representing ignorance and
light representing knowledge/understanding (enlightenment). Who do we get
guidance from ?, Who do we turn to ?, Who is/are our Guru(s) ?
Media Fashion Friends Horoscopes
However all these are transient, all these `guides' are influenced by society and are
not ``true'' i.e. change with time, by following these guides we are living up to
societies opinion on life. These ``gurus/guides'' only tell give knowledge of the 3
dimensional physical/materialistic world we see around us.
IIss tthheerree aannootthheerr ddiim

meennssiioonn ttoo lliiffee aanndd hhoow
w ccaann ii ddiissccoovveerr iitt ??
55
There is another dimension to life that is the spiritual dimension whether you call it
God, salvation, liberation etc, without this dimension our lives cannot be truly
fulfilled. We mistakenly believe that man is a rational being and that he always
behaves in accordance with reason, however modern psychology has shown this to
be incorrect. Man acts according to his instinct and is easily led by society, also
man cannot extend further than his experience, man's understanding necessarily
depend on the circumstances in which he spends his life.
It is thus necessary that one is guided by those that are not easily led by society,
those that are spiritually enlightened and have experienced the full splendour of
God. There are many who claim these experiences, each indicating a different way.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji did not have a man as his guide but was in direct communion
with God, Guru Ji in the sacred scriptures enumerates the criteria which enable the
ordinary person to recognise the Guru ``spiritual enlightener/guide''.
 The Guru who would lead the disciple to union with God must himself have
attained that perfect union. [ A physics lecturer cannot teach you about music].
 He must also be one who leads others to the divine Lord without any concern
for his own gain.
 He must be free from all enmity.
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These qualities enable a disciple to recognise the Guru as a true representative of

God, his words are God's words, because the Guru is spiritually one with God, his
message communicates the divine wisdom of God. The divine wisdom of the ten
Gurus is contained within Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Eternal Spiritual guide of the
Sikhs (and the world, the rest of the world doesn't know it yet).
History shows this to be true, Bhai Lehna Ji who worshipped the Hindu goddess
Durga, met Guru Nanak Dev Ji and recognised these divine qualities, he devoted
his life to Guru Nanak Dev Ji and became the next Guru; Guru Angad Dev Ji
(Guru Nanak Dev Ji renamed Bhai Lehna to Angad, to indicate that he was a part
of him, ``ang'' in Panjabi means limb).
In Guru Gobind Singh Ji's autobiography Bacchittar Natak (Wonderful Drama)

Guru confirms that the divine light of Guru Nanak Dev Ji was passed through the
different Gurus as one candle is lit from another).
H
Haavvee yyoouu rreeccooggnniisseedd tthhee T
Trruuee G
Guurruu ??
Before Guru Gobind Singh Ji left for God's court he ordained:
Sabh Sikhan ko hukam hai Guru manyo Granth,
Guru Granth Ji manyo, pargat Guran ki deh,
Jo Prabh ko milbo chai, kojeh Sabad mai lai.
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To all Sikhs of the Guru realise that Guru Granth Sahib Ji is your Guru,
recognise it as the manifestation of God. He who wants to unite with the Lord
should contemplate on the Sabad (message).
Similarly when Guru Nanak Dev Ji was asked by the yogis as to who was his
Guru, Guru Ji replied:
Sabad Guru surat dhun chela
Sabad is my Guru, my conscience is the disciple that is tuned to the

message contained within the Sabad.
On many occasions when Guru Nanak Dev Ji would leave a congregation on his
many journeys outside Panjab, his Sikhs asked how long would it be before they
see him again, and how could they survive without seeing him. Guru Ji always
stated that his Sikhs should not be attached to him, but to the Sabad (message) of
God which came through him.
Satgur ki bani sat sat kar janho gursikho, Har Karta aap muho kadhae
Disciples of the Guru know that the True Guru's words are perfectly true, God, the
creator, Himself inspires the Guru to utter them from his mouth.
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Bani Guru, Guru hai Bani, wich Bani amritsare,
Gurbani kahai sevak jan manai partak Guru nistare
Guru's holy word is the True Guru, and the Guru is the embodiment of the holy
word. In the holy word is contained nectar, if the Sikh puts faith in what the Guru
says then manifestly the Guru saves him.
So even while we had the physical Gurus, the Guru was not the body, the eyes, the
feet etc. but was the word (Sabad) which was spoken and today it is not the
physical pages or the ink of Guru Granth Sahib Ji but the word (Sabad) that is
written. The True Guru has always been the Sabad Guru, which is the
manifestation of God:
Wah Wah Bani Nirankar hai, Tis jevad avar na koi.
Wonderful are the words, which denote the Formless one (God), there is none so
great as He.
59
This is a difficult concept to understand:
Guru Nanak
Dev Ji…
God = Guru Granth =
(/Guru
Sahib Ji
Gobind Singh
Ji)
Formless Guru Sabad Guru Physical Guru
(written word) (spoken word)
These are all different forms/manifestations of God, let us consider an imperfect

analogy of different forms of water:
Vapour = Water = Ice
(invisble) (liquid) (solid)
60
It would be difficult for us to understand that invisible water vapour is fact a

different form of liquid water but with the aid of scientific advances (microscopes
etc) we can see that they are the same compound with a different form.
W
Whheenn ddoo w
wee hhaavvee aa G
Guurruu ??
Satgur no sabh ko vekhda jeta jagat sansar,
Dithai mukat na hovee jichar Sabad na kare vichar
The whole world may go on having sight of the True Guru, but none will be saved
without contemplation upon the divine word (hymns).
How very true this statement is, each of us visit the Gurdwara (some only at
weddings, funerals and christenings) and we quickly bow ritualistically (without
any true feeling) in front of Guru Granth Sahib Ji, sit for 2 minutes, have ``langar''
and leave. Is it any wonder that we come away empty handed ?, we have not
focused or even attempted to focus on the message of the True Guru !
What was it about this message that tuned Bhai Lehna Ji (lost in idol worship of
Durga) into the next True Guru, Guru Angad Dev Ji ?, What was it about Guru
61
Tegh Bahadur Ji's message that turned cowards into warriors who even under
tortures of being sawn alive, wrapped in cotton wool and being set on fire etc never
denied there allegiance to Sikhi ?
This something is hidden in the message of Guru Granth Sahib Ji, it cannot be
written or explained but it can be experienced by those who show faith and are
ready to follow the path. The Sabad guides the individual on the path, it enlightens
the follower and destroys his ignorance. Teaching is useless, if one does not pay
attention, if one does not understand and if one does not act upon the
wisdom/teaching.
Raeni rahai soiee Sikh mera, ohu Sahib mai uska chera
He is a Sikh who follows the discipline/teachings, he is my master and I his slave.
Bina rahet ne Sikh kahavai, Rahet bina dar chota kavai
Without the Sikh discipline (rahet) call not yourself a Sikh, without Sikh rehat, at
the court of God you shall be punnished.
rahet pyari mujh ko, Sikh pyara nahe
The Sikh discipline is more valuable to me than a so called Sikh who has no rehat.
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Pritham rahet yahe jan, Khande Ki pahul shhuke
The first/supreme discipline is to drink the nectar of the double edged sword
(amrit).
Can we truly say that we have a Guru if we do not follow Guru Ji's advice/teaching
?
What is our discipline ?, we follow the foolish physical world which is rapidly
destroying itself, it has no spiritual/ moral life. We bend over backwards to be
accepted by this world and the false gurus/guides, what have we got out of it ?
To hit the spiritual goal first you must aim at YOURSELF!
Take a look at our own life, at our own achievements and those of our false guides.
Is there something missing ? What was it about Bhai Amardas Ji who on meeting
Guru Angad Dev Ji stated:
63
On meeting the True Guru, I have attained true bliss…
Bliss and joy all talk about, but only the True Guru knows true bliss.
It is clear that there is a need for a guide in our lives for true fulfilment, that there
is a greater purposein our lives rather than the low/mundane physical fulfilment‘s
we have. That this guide is the living True Guru: Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and that
the True Guru communicates to us via Hukamnama and Akhand Path and that this
advice is the same since Guru Nanak Dev Ji and comes from God Himself.
So what now ? , learning about Guru Ji's message / Sikh History (or any other
subject) requires effort, but you are not alone :
Charan sharan Gur ek painda jai chal, Satgur kot painda agai hoi lait hai
For every step taken towards The True Guru, Guru Ji takes a myriad of steps
towards you.
64
Buddhism
For centuries, Buddhism has been the dominant religion of the Eastern world.
Today it remains the predominant religion in China, Japan, Korea, and much of
southeast Asia. With the rise of the Asian population in the U.S., Buddhism has
made a tremendous impact in the United States. Presently, there are over 300,000
Buddhists in the U.S. It remains the dominant religion in the state of Hawaii and
many prominent Americans have accepted this religion, including the former
governor of California, Jerry Brown.
The Origin of Buddhism
Buddhism began as an offspring of Hinduism in the country of India. The founder

was Siddhartha Gautama. It is not easy to give an accurate historical account of the
life of Gautama, since no biography was recorded until hundreds of years after his
death. Today, much of his life story is clouded in myths and legends which arose
after his death. Even the best historians of our day have several different--and even
contradictory--accounts of Gautama's life.
Siddhartha Gautama was born in approximately 560 B.C. in northern India. His
father Suddhodana was the ruler over a district near the Himalayas which is today
the country of Nepal. Suddhodana sheltered his son from the outside world and
confined him to the palace where he surrounded Gautama with pleasures and
wealth. Despite his father's efforts, Gautama one day saw the darker side of life on
a trip he took outside the palace walls.
He saw four things that forever changed his life: an old man, a sick man, a dead
man, and a beggar. Deeply distressed by the suffering he saw, he decided to leave
65
the luxury of palace life and begin a quest to find the answer to the problem of pain
and human suffering.
Gautama left his family and traveled the country seeking wisdom. He studied the
Hindu scriptures under Brahmin priests, but became disillusioned with the
teachings of Hinduism. He then devoted himself to a life of extreme asceticism in
the jungle. Legend has it that he eventually learned to exist on one grain of rice a
day which reduced his body to a skeleton. He soon concluded, however, that
asceticism did not lead to peace and self realization but merely weakened the mind
and body.
Gautama eventually turned to a life of meditation. While deep in meditation under

a fig tree known as the Bohdi tree (meaning, "tree of wisdom"), Gautama
experienced the highest degree of God-consciousness called Nirvana. Gautama
then became known as Buddha, the "enlightened one." He believed he had found
the answers to the questions of pain and suffering. His message now needed to be
proclaimed to the whole world.
As he began his teaching ministry, he gained a quick audience with the people of
India since many had become disillusioned with Hinduism. By the time of his
death at age 80, Buddhism had become a major force in India. Three centuries later
it had spread to all of Asia. Buddha never claimed to be deity but rather a "way-
shower." However, seven hundred years later, followers of Buddha began to
worship him as deity.
The Way of Salvation
The question Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, sought to answer was, Why is
there pain and suffering? Also, he held to the Hindu belief of reincarnation: after
66
death one returns to earthly life in a higher or lower form of life according to his
good or bad deeds. This belief prompted a second question that needed to be
answered, How does one break this rebirth cycle? The basic teachings of
Buddhism, therefore, focus on what Gautama believed to be the answer to these
questions. These basic tenants are found in the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-
fold Path. Let us begin with the Four Noble Truths.
The First Noble Truth is that there is pain and suffering in the world. Gautama
realized that pain and suffering are omnipresent in all of nature and human life. To
exist means we will all encounter suffering. Birth is painful and so is death.
Sickness and old age are painful. Throughout life, all living things encounter
suffering.
The Second Noble Truth relates to the cause of suffering. Gautama believed the
root cause of suffering is desire. It is the craving for wealth, happiness, and other
forms of selfish enjoyment which cause suffering. These cravings can never be
satisfied for they are rooted in ignorance.
The Third Noble Truth is the end of all suffering. Suffering will cease when a
person can rid himself of all desires.
The Fourth Noble Truth is the extinguishing of all desire by following the eight-
fold path. "The eight-fold path is a system of therapy designed to develop habits
which will release people from the restrictions caused by ignorance and craving."
Here are the eight steps in following the eight-fold path. The first is the Right
Views. One must accept the four noble truths. Step two is the Right Resolve. One
must renounce all desires and any thoughts like lust, bitterness, and cruelty. He
must harm no living creature. Step three is the Right Speech. One must speak only
67
truth. There can be no lying, slander, or vain talk. Step four is the Right Behavior.
One must abstain from sexual immorality, stealing, and all killing.
Step five is the Right Occupation. One must work in an occupation that benefits
others and harms no one. Step six is the Right Effort. One must seek to eliminate
any evil qualities within and prevent any new ones from arising. One should seek
to attain good and moral qualities and develop those already possessed. Seek to
grow in maturity and perfection until universal love is attained. Step seven is the
Right Contemplation. One must be observant, contemplative, and free of desire
and sorrow. The eighth is the Right Meditation. After freeing oneself of all desires
and evil, a person must concentrate his efforts in meditation so that he can
overcome any sensation of pleasure or pain and enter a state of transcending
consciousness and attain a state of perfection. Buddhists believe that through self
effort one can attain the state of peace and eternal bliss called Nirvana.
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Karma, Samsara, and Nirvana
Three important concepts in understanding Buddhism are karma, Samsara, and

Nirvana.
Karma refers to the law of cause and effect in a person's life, reaping what one has
sown. Buddhists believe that every person must go through a process of birth and
rebirth until he reaches the state of nirvana in which he breaks this cycle.
According to the law of karma, "You are what you are and do what you do, as a
result of what you were and did in a previous incarnation, which in turn was the
inevitable outcome of what you were and did in still earlier incarnations." For a
Buddhist, what one will be in the next life depends on one's actions in this present
life. Buddha believed, unlike Hinduism, that a person can break the rebirth cycle
no matter what class he is born into.
The second key concept to understand is the law of Samsara or Transmigration.

This is one of the most perplexing and difficult concepts in Buddhism to
understand. The law of Samsara holds that everything is in a birth and rebirth
cycle. Buddha taught that people do not have individual souls. The existence of an
individual self or ego is an illusion. There is no eternal substance of a person which
goes through the rebirth cycle. What is it then that goes through the cycle if not the
individual soul? What goes through the rebirth cycle is only a set of feelings,
impressions, present moments, and the karma that is passed on. "In other words, as
one process leads to another, ... so one's human personality in one existence is the
direct cause of the type of individuality which appears in the next." The new
individual in the next life will not be exactly the same person, but there will be
several similarities. Just how close in identity they will be, Buddha did not define.
69
The third key concept is Nirvana. The term means "the blowing out" of existence.
Nirvana is very different from the Christian concept of heaven. Nirvana is not a
place like heaven but rather a state of being. What exactly it is, Buddha never
really articulated.
Nirvana is an eternal state of being. It is the state in which the law of karma, and
the rebirth cycle come to an end. It is the end of suffering, a state where there are
no desires and the individual consciousness comes to an end. Although to our
Western minds this may sound like annihilation, Buddhists would object to such a
notion. Gautama never gave an exact description of Nirvana, but his closest reply
was this. "There is disciples, a condition, where there is neither earth nor water,
neither air nor light, neither limitless space, nor limitless time, neither any kind of
being, neither ideation nor non-ideation, neither this world nor that world. There is
neither arising nor passing-away, nor dying, neither cause nor effect, neither
change nor standstill." Although no Buddhist really understands the condition of
Nirvana, it is their eternal hope.
70
Leadership
Management is based on behavioural science. A leader can be successful when he

knows his subordinates well. And for this he should know the characteristics of the
Indian psyche.
Give more
imp.ce to P.
Illiterate but not Rela^ then to Prefer Natural
uneducated contractual Leader rather
relations then official
leader
Culture & Don‘t like

tradition is most involvement of
important mediators
approach dir.ly
top mgmt
Attached to
Indian Leader as role
their family Psyche model
Hard worker but Can

not smart accommodate
worker always apparently
contradictory
Likes to see a Basically
views
father-figure in emotional but
the leader has sharp
common sense.
Fig: Characteristics of Indian Psyche
71
1. Indian gives more importance to the personal relationship then contractual

relationship.
2. Indian prefers natural leaders rather then official leaders. Here natural leader
means someone whom they accept as their leader. You may promote me as
your leader but I must get your resolution ratified by my sub-ordinates that is
to say, they must accept me by their heart.
3. Indians don‘t like any mediators or managers/officers. They like to contact

the top person directly. Means the proper/formal channel of communication
is not work in India. A leader must be prepared for it and then develop a
proper communication channel.
4. Indian like to see their leaders as an ideal person, so a leader must be very
particular when he is with his subordinates. Any small deviation will spill
the image of the leader. And it will be difficult for him to get their loyalty. In
India obedience comes from respect, so a leader must learn to respect his
subordinates. Indian gives more importance to the character then academic
qualification and achievements of the leaders.
5. Indian are very much attached to their family, and at the same time family
tradition, religion, local culture. If a leader doesn‘t show concern for these,
he will not succeed.
6. (IMP) Indian likes to see a father-figure in their leaders. They like freedom,
but at the same time they psychologically depend on the leader. So a leader
should encourage his subordinated to express their talent and always be
ready to support when they need.
72
A parent is the best leader. He, while bringing up his child, tries to make the
child self-reliant, he empowers him. In India a leader will be more effective
when theory P (Parent).
7. To be a successful, a manager has to go through the three steps of

empowering his subordinates : ―Bhakti-Yukti-Mukti-Shakti‖ Model
Bhakti: (Mother-Child)
A leader has to play a role of mother:
a. Gives love
b. Emotional support
c. Physical support
d. Establish repo
e. Nurtures
Yukti: (Teacher-Student)
A leader plays a role of teacher.
a. Gives intellectual support
b. Develops subordinates to think, plan, execute and review the process
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Mukti: (Grandfather- Grandson)
a. Empowers
b. Gives freedom
c. Helps when needed/ necessary
Shakti: (Manager-Worker)
a. Bargaining
b. No trust
c. Fighting
d. Insecurity
There are two types of leadership:
1. Artificial
2. Natural
An artificial leader depends upon external factors like his rank, post, academic
degrees, authority, power, etc.
But a natural leader depends more upon internal factors.
Leadership, basically is a mind set one can develop leadership when he moves
towards freedom.(review last model)
74
The first step to develop leadership quality is to become independent

psychologically, to take more responsibilities on the shoulders.
This attitude makes him self-managed, develop his inter-personal & professional
skills. There are many factors which helps to create or develop a leader:
a. Behaviour of Parents
b. Inspiration by Teachers
c. Circumstances
d. Need
e. Interest
f. Environment –internal and external both
g. Work group
h. Friend circle
i. Learning
j. Survival
k. Growth
Note: develop your own examples of great leaders.
75
Motivation:
Management text books refer to Maslow‘s need hierarchy theory to motivate

people (note; write the theory), but this theory is not helpful on shop-floor and
practical life too in many aspect, firstly management should try to fulfill the needs
of employees but does this act really motivates them.
Indian, specially illiterate people specially good, hard-worker and greedy
Leadership Model
The Three Qualities of Leadership
Leadership is often construed as being powerful and lording it over others.

However, Buddhism teaches that true leadership is being compassionate, wise and
free of cravings and negativity. According to Thich Nhat Hanh, leadership has
three virtues or qualities:
1. The Virtue of Cutting Off is the quality of getting rid off anger, desires and
ignorance.
2. The Virtue of Loving is the quality of being compassionate, thoughtful and
forgiving.
3. The Virtue of Insight is the quality of using wisdom to lead people towards
happiness.
Effective leadership, according to Buddhism, is developing these three qualities

and basing the use of power on them.
76
Being in a leadership position of power should not be a reason to dominate. Rather

it should be a way of leading others towards their goals, taking decisions that help
society and making a difference to people‘s lives. By using compassion, wisdom
and other Buddhist teachings, it is possible to develop better leadership skills and
be a leader who is truly admired and respected.
The word sangha originally meant something like council or parliament - a group
of leaders. A good leader needs to overcome self, at least in some degree, because
he or she must act "for the good of the many" not just for personal advantage. Such
people need to be adaptable. The leader is the holder of the vision, but that does
not necessarily mean creator of the vision. Vision is something discerned rather
than made. It emerges. It is somebody's job to discern what is emerging and point it
out. It is then a collective task to give it form in a way that is fertile for further
emergence. Another function of the leader is to spot and cultivate leadership talent.
Leadership does not just go on at the "top" or in the centre of an organisation.
There are many centres. There is, however, also a need for co-ordination. All this
makes personal demands. Being the leader in a new small organisation is not the
same as being leader of an older more complex one. I am already experiencing
transitions in my role in this respect. Time was when nothing happened around
here unless I was centrally involved in it. Not any more. As things get more
complex there is more reliance on checks and balances, but the exercise of
personal initiative at all levels remains a crucial factor in organisational health.
Buddhist training teaches people how to do this. It also taches us tolerance - a hard
lesson sometimes. Both these elements - taking responsibility and making
allowance for diversity and the bits one cannot reasonably control - are forms of
"tough love" - tough on oneself as much as on others. There are times when a
77
leader's failure to say, "It shall be thus" creates chaos and confusion. On the other
hand, a leader is ill advised to make any such pronouncement without having
listened carefully and got a fine sense of the balance of forces in play. To a very
large degree the organisation makes itself, but leadership is an essential catalyst.
78
Guna
We often get completely involved in the grosser aspect of our lives, the nuts and
bolts things, and consequently don‘t realize the subtler things that influence our
lives in a significant way.
Yogis, in their on-going effort to improve themselves, try to shape their lives and
consciousness by both the grosser external aspects and also the subtle forces or
qualities which pervade every aspect of their existence. These subtle forces or
qualities are called gunas. When properly understood and applied in a scientifically
correct manner, the proper understanding of gunas can very effectively mold one‘s
consciousness and character. Furthermore, understanding these principals helps
make sense of all of the things that are happening around us. It‘s as though a light
flashes in our heads, and we think, "Yes, that seem so obvious. Why didn‘t I see
that before?"
Gunas pervade everything. They cover much more than just the physical plane.
Subtle things like speech, smell and even thought are better understood within the
context of gunas. There is nothing that we experience that does not fit into one of
the three guna categories. They can be applied to experiences, environments and
even desires. They help to give us a very clear picture of how things affect our
minds.
One of the areas in which a practical knowledge of the gunas is essential is food.
Foods shape our thoughts and our consciousness. Next month, when we discuss the
practical application of this philosophy, we will go into this in more detail.
Of the three gunas, sattva (purity) is of the foremost concern to yogis. Sattvic
things make both the body and mind healthy. They uplift ones consciousness and
help one‘s higher nature to come into play.
79
Rajas is the quality that makes the mind active, passionate or restless. It is that
aspect which is continually moving, which doesn‘t allow the mind to be quiet and
peaceful.
Tamas is the gunas which projects a dull, lazy or lethargic energy. Tamasic things
bring our energy right down; they tend to make us almost inert.
The three categories of human behaviour

(also called modes, attitudes or gunas )
These are:
Satva, Rajas and Tamas, meaning roughly,
divine, dynamic and dark (or dull).
In reality no man or woman has any one of
these gunas in an exclusive manner.
It is always a mixture of the three.
These three gunas are the three strands which constitute the
Prakriti.
Prakriti means Nature, in general
but actually stands for it in its broadest sense encompassing
the entire universe of matter and material,
in fact anything which is inert.
They are actually Nature's concomitant and

indispensable strands.
Satva is that of equilibrium and serenity.
Rajas is that of dynamism and kinesis.
80
Tamas is that of ignorance and inertia.

These three are inextricably interwoven in all forms of
cosmic existence and phenomenon
The imperishable resident of the body, namely the jiva or the

individual soul is by itself free but what binds it to the
transmigratory cycle of births and deaths is the Prakriti through the
three gunas. Of these,
the rajo-guna
the tamo-guna
the satva-guna is made up of desire,
is born out of ignorance
because of its purity of attraction, repulsion,
and deludes man
quality likes and dislikes, and
from his real nature.
is the cause of attachment to objects
It binds by the dark
light and illumination. of desire. It binds man by
qualities of
It binds man, however, repeatedly involving him
indolence, sleep
by creating an attachment in the dynamics of work.
and negligence.
to knowledge, happiness Dynamism broadly
It attaches one to error &
and bliss. includes excitement,
in action.
reaction to action,
a constant distraction
and so an antithesis
to peace and calm.
It attaches one to action.
81
Six entities of the past that contribute to

the genetic roots of the present life.
This three-fold qualitative division of man's

behaviour into
satva, rajas and tamas
is done by Krishna with respect to
the six entities chosen by Him:
Knowledge (jnaanam); Action (karma);
Doer (kartaa); Intellect (buddhi);
Will (dhriti) ; Happiness (sukham).
Each of these is dissected into
what shade of behavioural response
belongs to the satva mode,
what belongs to the rajas mode,
and what belongs to the tamas mode.
82
Thus there are six entities and three modes of responses to each,
altogether making 18 different responses. Krishna devotes one verse
(sloka) to each of these eighteen in the 18th chapter of the Gita. Below,
these 18 verses have been converted (by this author) into 18 leading
questions (using almost the same words of Krishna) that one is supposed
to ask oneself. The honest answers to these questions will point out, in a
broad way, the cumulative character-type of oneself. Krishna's
hypothesis is that we bring along this character-type from our previous
lives. For those who have difficulty in accepting this fundamental
hypothesis of Hinduism, it would be a good exercise to do a self-
analysis in search of one's own character-type by means of these
questions. For each of the six entities the 3 questions are framed in such
a way that the answer is either Yes or No. But the assumption however
is that these three constitute, as it were, a multiple choice question and
only one of these three can be answered affirmatively. In other words
you have to categorise yourself into one of those three modes of
response as far as that entity is concerned. For each entity you therefore
end up with one of satva, rajas or tamas mode of response. It could be,
for instance,
a satva response in the case of the question about KNOWLEDGE
a rajas response in the case of the question about ACTION
a rajas response in the case of the question about DOER
a rajas response in the case of the question about INTELLECT
a tamas response in the case of the question about WILL, and
a tamas response in the case of the question about HAPPINESS.
This string of six responses is your cumulative type.
83
Purely for convenience of discussion,

we shall specify this string of six responses as:
one satva, three rajas, and two tamas.
Note that we blur the issue of which one is satva, which three are rajas
and which two are tamas.
Certainly that distinction is necessary to be nearer to reality but we
shall not be making that distinction.
Note: The questions are phrased in the third person purely for the sake
of not hurting an individual's sensibility. Also since the conventional
interpretation is that the character-type is carried over from the nature
of responses in the previous life, the phrasing in terms of the third
person is meaningful. If the reader wants to ask them of himself he is
welcome to do so.
84
one satva, three rajas, and two tamas

is just one type of response.
How many such types are possible?
To see this denote the above type as
1,3,2.
The first digit in this sequence stands for
the number of satva modes of response;
the second digit stands for
the number of rajas modes of response;
and the third digit stands for
the number of tamas modes of response.
Together the three numbers have to add up to 6.
It is therefore a question of finding
in how many ways we can partition
the number 6 into an ordered partition
of three digits which may vary among
0,1,2,3,4,5,6.
The answer is 28 by a mathematical calculation.
It can be experimentally verified when we
come to the actual responses and their classification.
Classification of the 28 types into
Four character-types ( = varnas)
85
Before we mention the criterion for the classification, it is

worthwhile to represent the illustrative example of the type
one satva, three rajas and two tamas
(represented by the partition 1,3,2) also
by a symbolic colour chart as follows:
1
2
3
4
5
6
Here the blue line-segment represents satva

the red line-segment represents rajas and
the black line-segment represents tamas
86
Now we shall give the criteria of classification.

In this illustration above,
the dominant mode is rajas,
87
The Sanskara Theory
It is the culture or refinement distinguishes mankind from its fellow creatures. It

took a very long time for the human beings to evolve certain norms or disciplines
which were considered 'a must' in a civilized society. Slowly such social norms
were transformed into religious rites or rituals typical of each community. Hindu
samskars (a.k.a. samskaras) which symbolize disciplinary rites, were evolved over
four millennia to make a house-holder's life refined and useful. From birth to death,
sixteen samskars or rites of refinement are laid down by sastras and religious texts.
These samskars (or samskaras) are considered stepping stones in shaping a perfect
individual in Hindu society. They were meant to be purify the person by observing
of which a person became 'susamskrit' (civilized or refined).
The word samskar is evolved from the root 'samskri' which means to purify or
form thoroughly. Samskriti (civilization) and Sanskrit are derived from this root
'samskri'. Sanskrit was considered the most refined and grammatically perfect
language compared to other regional languages in ancient times.
The sixteen samskars laid down by Hindu religious texts are:
1. Impregnation (Garbhadana)
2. Pumsavana (Ensuring birth of a male child)
3. Simanta (Hair-parting)
4. Jatakarma (Ceremony on birth)
5. Namakarana (Naming ceremony)
6. Karnavedha (Ear-boring ceremony)
7. Nishkramana (Taking the child out)
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8. Annaprashana (First solid food-feeding)

9. Chudakarana (Tonsure; removing impure hair)
10.Vidyarambha (Teaching alphabets)
11.Upanayana (Munji, initiation)
12.Vedarambha (Higher studies)
13.Keshanta or Godana (First shave of beard)
14.Samavartana or Snana (Completion of studies)
15.Vivaha (Marriage)
16.Antyeshti (Last or funeral rites)
The samskaras vary in ceremonial details from one community to other. All the
sixteen rituals are hardly observed now-a-days except among highly conservative
pockets of rural India.
"God dwells in human body" was the ancient belief. It became a befitting place
(Brahmi) for Brahma – the supreme spirit only when sanctified by various
samskaras, sacrifices, Vedic study and observation of vows, declared Manu, the
Law-giver. Another law-writer Shankha commented "Refined by samskaras a
person, who was able to cultivate the eight noble qualities viz., mercy, forbearance,
freedom from envy, purity, calmness, right behavior and freedom from greed and
coveting would rise up in the world of Brahman from where he has no fear of fall."
Atri's statement is famous. "By birth every one is a shudra, by samskars he

becomes a Dvija (i.e., twice-born). By learning (studying Vedas), he becomes a
Vipra and by realizing Brahman, he attains the status of a Brahmana" (Janmana,
jayate etc.)
89
Shabarand Kumarila summarized thus "Samskars are those rites which impart
fitness and eligibility to perform certain actions."
In short, Upanayana, the eleventh samskar was a passport for education and
openings. Vivaha (marriage), the fifteenth samskar was a door way to house-
holder's duties and social obligations. According to Manu this stage was the most
important one. A householder depended on all the other ashrams. Hence, wedding
ceremony alone made an individual fully responsible to undertake social
obligations.
All the samskars have lost their religious important nowadays and recitation of
mantras are either mechanical or half-uttered. Samskars number two, three, four,
six, ten, twelve, thirteen and fourteen have disappeared. Seventh or Annaprashan is
important in Bengal and Eastern Regions and the eleventh has become optional!
Even when performed, they are just ritualistic. Upanayana and marriage have
become big socializing events of status where feasting and gifts have taken
priority. But it is worthwhile to know the hidden precepts of samskaras to
understand how our ancients determined an individual's behavior in society. To be
disciplined, faithful and charitable were virtues which made a person good citizen.
90
Self Management
The wellness and well-being is emerging a major issue in self management. The
pill of wellness is all about mind-body-soul balance. In order to achieve this people
are adopting an organic life style, wellness homes, wellness offices an wellness
travel; the main objective is to maintain health, beauty, and longevity, etc. in the
future it will be achieved by doing meditation, yoga, biotech, pharmacy and
wellness travel. In short people are going back to the roots with holistic healing
method and a penchant for spiritual satisfaction.
There are two ways to manage self:
1. Developing the daily routine or habit.

2. Developing morality in life.
Daily Routine or Habits: Code of Conduct
 Ahinsha : Non-injury
 Satya : Trustfulness
 Asteya : Non-stealing
 Brahmacharya : Divine conduct
 Kshama : Patience
 Dhriti : Steadfastness
 Daya : Compassion
 Arjava : Honesty
 Mitahara : Moderate Appetite
 Saucha : Purity
91
Do’s
 Hri : Remorse
 Santosh : Contentment
 Dana : Giving
 Astikya : Faith
 Puja : Worship
 Satsang L. : Sidhdhanta Shravana
 Mati : Cognition
 Varta : Sacred Vows
 Japa : Recitation/ Chanting
 Tapas : Austerity
Morality:
 Discipline : Self- Help

 Trustfulness : Self-respect
 Justice : Self-confidence
 Humanity : Self-duty
 Security : Self-control
 Honesty : Self-restraint
 Obedience : Self-realization
 Virtuality : Self-actualization
92
Interpersonal Effectiveness:
Interpersonal effectiveness judged by the proficiency achieved in energy

processing in the psychological sense. There is an Indian thought to improve
Interpersonal Effectiveness:
1. Self-Actualization and Self-Realization

2. Self-Identification
3. Karma, Guna, Sanskar Theory
4. Work Theory & Methods according to Indian or Vadic Instruction
5. Leadership and Motivational thought according to Gita-way
6. Spirituality
Professionalism & Effectiveness:
The importance of professionalism and organizational effectiveness as national

standards cannot be under-emphasized in the context of meeting global challenges.
It is the completion that distinguishes the weak from the strong with opening of the
world economy, this aspect has received more significance, since what is strong
domestically may not be that much strong globally. It is the professional standards;
be in it, dealing with customers, and business effectiveness from where the western
countries derives most of their competitive advantage.
Professionalism Activities:
 Summarizer
 Orienteer
 Fact seeker
 Initiator
93
 Harmonizer
 Analyzer
 Gatekeeper
 Credibility
 Ventilation
 Knowledge
 Innovative
 Improvement
 Sharing knowledge
 Ignoring distraction
 Producing quality
 Understanding communication
 Possessing attitude
 Keeping ethics and law
Professional Characteristics
 Ethical
 Altruistic
 Responsible
 Theoretical
 Intellectual
 Committed
Productive Efficiency and Spirituality:
Spirituality is the relationship one has with one‘s self. It is a sense of which one is,
one‘s values, and self worth. It is respect for the diversity of people in this world
94
and the belief that we are all God‘s people. Spirituality is the basic feeling of being
connected with one‘s complete, others and the entire universe. More spiritual
people could deploy more of their full creativity, emotions and intelligence.
Spirituality is defined and interpreted differently by different people but the
purpose remains same.
It is abbreviated as follows:
 S- Sense of
 P- Personal
 I- Insight
 R- Religious
 I- Interest
 T- Towards
 U- Universal
 A- Acceptance for
 L- Love
 I- Integrity
 T- Trustfulness and
 Y- You (God)
95
According to Chakroborty(1996) Spirituality means:
 A pure mind, a pure heart.

 A calm head, a cool brain.
 Smooth, deep, regulated breathings and nervous harmony.
 Peace, light, power and anand.
 A core of luminous, and also identical with the self in everyone else.
 A weakening of the divisive, selfish ego and strengthening the expansive,
inclusive consciousness.
 Greater giving an less grabbing
 Diminution of pettiness and meanness, & enhancement of dignity and
nobility
 Putting the faltering human intellect in contact with the infallible supreme or
universal or infinite intelligence or creative principle called Bramhman or
Allah or God.
Fruits of Spirituality:
 Kashma : Forgiveness, control of mind

 Dana : Control of Sense
 Upasati : Thoughts, words and deeds
 Titikha : Endurance
 Shradhdha : Faith
 Samadhana: Mental equilibrium, balance and normalness.
Productive Efficiency:
 Acquisition
 Rewards
96
 Development
 Privacy
 Democracy
 Growth
 Social Integration
 Work Institutionalism
Competition and Cooperation:
Is the completions necessary to excel in life?
Is the competition humane?
If a bowl of rice is offered to two dogs, they fight over it. But offer this is to two
men, they share it. So what are we doing in the name of competition; are we
behaving like humans or dogs?
Competition means beat others. Preachers of healthy competition don‘t know what
they are teaching or preaching.
In the Indian wisdom the Upnishad Says:
―Sah: nau bhunattu‖ : Let us share together.
―Sah: viryum kavavahe‖ : Let us share work and manhood.
―Ma vid vishavahe‖ : We shouldn‘t feel jealous to each other.
―Mitrashya chakchusha sameekcha mahe‖ Let us see like friends of each other.
―Samani prapa sah vodannum bhagah‖ : Let us distribute food in equal. (Arth-ved)
97
―Puman pumasum paripatu vishwatah:‖ : human should defend each-other.
―Samaneev aakruti: samana hridyani va:, Saman mastu vo manoyatha va:

susahasati‖(Rig-Ved)
Means: Hey Humans; May your Thoughts, Decisions, Heart, chintan-manan all are
same, so that there is always good for you.
―Vashudhev Kutumbkam‖
―Yatr Vishvam Bhavatyekniyum‖
―Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Sarve Bhavantu Niramayah, Sarve Bhadrani

Pashchyantu Ma Kachit Dukh Bhag Bhavet‖
Now tell do we really need to compete? Or Sharing is the better solution.
So we don‘t want any one to be the market leader?
Let their be more and more market leaders. What is the harm? But by leader we
mean path- maker, trend-setter. Today in India there are many blue chip
companies, but how many of them are path-makers? This is what we need. Let all
flourish, let all grow in their respective field.
This is not idealism, not even a pious wish.
How Cooperation help us to succeed?
Instead of competing with the others, we can play complementary role. Instead of
competing with one can we target another customer group, and offer the services at
an affordable price?
98
Indian wisdom speaks about cooperation. Transform the forces-people, companies,

product, environment into friends and helpers. The confrontation attitude should
make way for peaceful, hand-in-hand cooperation between one‘s company and
society. The public and private benefits must be synchronized. Today there is a
craze for meditation among the professionals. They like to meditate to get rid of
stress and strain. It is useless. As long as one compete with others, he will remain
stressed; no amount of meditation will help him. So according to Indian wisdom.
The philosophy of the business is more important.
The health of the company doesn‘t depend upon the economy or productivity, but
on one important point – how best it can solve the problems of the people. Growth
comes only when a company does what is in the interest of the society it serves. It
is in the goal of helping society that the personal interest of the company and that
of the society meet. Means ―Atmano-mokshartham jagat-hitya ca‖- Swami
Vivekananda
The more closely the company concentrate on solving the problems of the society,
the better it is able to solve its own problems.
99
Modern Trends
In Indian concept of cooperation a sheer idealism, or is it the most practical

strategy in business?
The core concept of competition is ―I win, you lose‖. But today even the western
management; gurus are for new concept WIN-WIN situation. How is this possible?
Only when we cooperate and don‘t like to win at the cost of others.
US companies are learning to cooperate in order to take on the real competition.
We like to emphasis the concept of ―SEVA‖ in business. If I focus on the question

How can I serve the customers better and still better the quality will automatically
improve. Secondly, I have to compete with my self. I must beat my previous
performance at each and every step. This is how we can implement the Upnishadic
idea of ―Chareivati‖ (Move on, Move on) in business.
Today what is going on in the industry and business? It is nothing but residual
capitalism. It is true that maximum socialization had failed, but capitalism and
socialism capitalism makes one enterprising and socialism stresses social
responsibility. We should integrate these two aspects.
- Swami Vivekananda
How can we make it happen? Here Indian wisdom can help us. One can be
enterprising and yet people-oriented.
For Example: Cooperate & Grow strategy opt by following:
100
Hind Motors & Anagram Finance, Cocke & Uncle chips, Motorola & All India
Radio
Air India & Indian Airlines, Videocon & Tata Unisys.
Dimensions of cooperation:
1. Cooperation with the customers

2. Cooperation with the competitors
3. Cooperation with the government
101

Management by Indian Values

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Management by Indian Values

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Dr.

Prashant Kumar Siddhey

MANAGEMENT BY INDIAN VALUES

Origin of the Vedas

Who wrote the Vedas?

Classification of the Vedas

Structure of the Vedas

The Mother of All Scriptures

The Rig Veda: The Book of Mantra

The Sama Veda: The Book of Song

The Yajur Veda: The Book of Ritual

The Atharva Veda: The Book of Spell

Upnishad- the supreme book of knowledge

The Upanishads provide us with spiritual knowledge and philosophical reasoning.

do not represent a coherent body of information or one particular system of belief.

The Main Books

Who wrote the Upanishads?

The Principle Upnishad:

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, which is generally recognized to be the most

A particular Dharma Shastra is applicable only during a Manvantara. A

or participating in important social functions. They were kept in abject subjugation

Role of Smriti within Hindu law

Bhagavata: It contains 18,000 verses and contains information on the practice of

Brahmanda: It contains 12,000 verses and contains the Lalitha Sahasranamam, a

Shiva: It contains 24,000 verses and is completely dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Vishnu: It contains 23,000 verses and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

By: Prashant Kumar Siddhey

1 Akshouhini = 21,870 chariots, 21,870

In power for 13 years. Duryodhan has been a benevolent king. Theres no

18th Night of the War :

SO HOW DID THE PANDAVAS WIN ?????

• Karna went on a country-wide military mission, subdued the different

Turn your weakness into your Strength.

Make Powerful Allies.

Dhrshtadymna – Commander in Chief.

Share your responsibilities.

Teamwork succeeds where Individual effort fails.

The Right team is made by selecting the Right

The interests of the Individual should never exceed the Team

Yudhisthira : Low-key strategist.

Know ground realities.

Pandavas : Matriarchal Structure.

Women = Better Half. Any team which doesn't have women

Media Fashion Friends Horoscopes

IIss tthheerree aannootthheerr ddiim

These qualities enable a disciple to recognise the Guru as a true representative of

In Guru Gobind Singh Ji's autobiography Bacchittar Natak (Wonderful Drama)

Before Guru Gobind Singh Ji left for God's court he ordained:

Sabh Sikhan ko hukam hai Guru manyo Granth,

Guru Granth Ji manyo, pargat Guran ki deh,

Jo Prabh ko milbo chai, kojeh Sabad mai lai.

Sabad Guru surat dhun chela

Sabad is my Guru, my conscience is the disciple that is tuned to the

Bani Guru, Guru hai Bani, wich Bani amritsare,

Gurbani kahai sevak jan manai partak Guru nistare

Wah Wah Bani Nirankar hai, Tis jevad avar na koi.

This is a difficult concept to understand:

Formless Guru Sabad Guru Physical Guru

(written word) (spoken word)

These are all different forms/manifestations of God, let us consider an imperfect

Vapour = Water = Ice

(invisble) (liquid) (solid)

It would be difficult for us to understand that invisible water vapour is fact a