A Study on the Principles of Management in Today's Perspectives from Bhagvat Geeta

Authors:

ANJALI CHUGH and Dr. N.K. GUPTA

Pages: 140-150

Abstract:

The Bhagavad-Gita Before we look at the self knowledge and human capital development from the Bhagavad-Gita, we will introduction this ancient Indian philosophical text. The Bhagavad-Gita is a sermon given by Sri Krishna to Arjuna regarding the correct technique of life (Dharmaratnam, 1987). Over the centuries many renowned scholars and philosophers from all over the world have commented on the Bhagavad Gita and elucidated it’s teaching in many publications and lectures. It is universal and non-sectarian and its teachings are applicable not only to Indians but to everybody. The background for the Bhagavad-Gita is the epic Mahabharata, extolled as the 5th Veda. Mahabharata is an encyclopedia of life and its central theme is dharma meaning occupational duty, righteousness and virtues. It deals not only with dharma but also artha, which is the acquisition of wealth, kama which is the enjoyment of pleasures and moksha which is the liberation. The Mahabharata was composed by Sri Vyasa Muni (son of Parasara Muni) and was written by Sri Ganesa more than 5000 years ago and it has 110,000 verses (Rosen, 2002). The Bhagavad-Gita appears in 700 verses (of which 575 are uttered by Sri Krishna) in Bhisma Parva of the Mahabharata and consists of 18 chapters. The Mahabharata narrates the war between two cousins; the 5 Pandavas and 100 Kauravas to claim the kingdom of Hastinapura. Sri Krishna, the champion of dharma offered to go on a peace-making mission on behalf of the Pandavas (This is a lesson to the world that peace is preferred at all costs). However the Kauravas refused to make peace and hence war became a certainty. Sri Krishna humbled himself into becoming the charioteer of Arjuna, the Pandava prince. In fact, Arjuna could choose unarmed Sri Krishna who would not engage in battle or Sri Krishna’s army consisting of great warriors. Arjuna (Pandava) decided to choose Sri Krishna unarmed, while Duryodhana (Kaurava) was happy to get the large army from Sri Krishna. He (Duryodhana) felt that, without the army, and without weapons, Sri Krishna not could be of much help to the Pandavas (Subramaniam, 2001). The entire armies (7 Pandava divisions and 11 Kaurava divisions) of both sides were assembled at the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Thus the stage was set for the Bhagavad-Gita. The sermon was given on the battlefield before the commencement of the war. The battlefield also represent our body where an unending battle is raging between the forces of good and evil – the evil always outnumbering the good (5 Pandavas against the 100 Kauravas; or 7 Pandava divisions of soldiers against 11 Kaurava divisions). On a spiritual level, the focus is on the battle between the higher self and the lower self, the war between man’s spiritual calling and the dictates of the body, mind and senses for material pleasures.