c
c   

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The purpose of this note is to understand the subject ͞Indian Management Thoughts
& Practices.͟ Students in TY BMS have this subject in their VI semester.
It has been observed that this subject is taught and learnt in various colleges differently. In
spite of certain guidelines given during the seminar held at NM College, in which some
faculty members met and tried interpreting the syllabus in terms of coverage, there are lot
of areas which are subjective in nature for the reader of the seminar report. Although the
coverage has been defined, that too broadly, the  to which one needs to treat a
particular topic is not mentioned. In the absence of a single standard text book, things
become more complicated. Well intentioned faculty and students have created some
standard answers for some of the sample questions mentioned in the seminar report. These
answers have different approaches and hence quite  to the students. Since the
subject deals with Spiritual aspects, Indian Ethos, Environment, Indian Personality etc͙. is a
multi disciplinary aspect to the subject.
It has been seen that many equate the subject with only Spiritual aspects. In the
bargain, they emphasize more on Sanskrit slokas, Hindu scriptures, etc... Others emphasize
on Indian Ethos͙more on the Social aspects. As is expected everyone has a ͞favorite
strength͟ and deals with the topics through that ͞favorite strength͟. At the end of the
semester, I have found that students are totally confused about the very purpose of this
subject to the extent to which they take is a ͞pain͟. Being too young to appreciate the
complexity of the subject, which is based on Indian Values, primarily, I notice that we need
to have really competent people who know the utility of the subject, who are able to
correlate the various ͞limbs͟ of this subject and translate it into fundamental understanding
to the students in the manner in which they understand.
I understand this is a ͞thinking subject͟ to be answered by building up the answers
from solid first principles. The question is: what are the first principles? I have created some
basic points which when read would form the basic understanding of the various mo dules.
Instead of ͞mugging up͟ standard answers, it is important that students know the basic
fabric of the subject, its purpose, its application, and its usefulness in career.
I find this subject to be extremely rich in content and we could go deep into m any areas and
yet we may have not covered even a small area. My vision is as follows:

1.  IMTP is to be studied in the following manner: basic revision of FHS I & II, POM,
followed by introduction to Indian Ethos through the typical home model, wherein
we through discussions and examples make the students identify how their
backgrounds at the family level have certain built in values, etc.

1.  As per the seminar report of NM college, following are the modules:

a) Personalities & Personality Development.
b) Learning Nature, Nature Synthesis, Work Motivation & Work Ethics,
Productivity.
c) Leadership, Leadership Role Models.
d) Natural Environment & Human Society.
e) Conflict & Harmony in Society and Work Organization.
[.  The Indian Ethos is based on the concept of Sanatana Dharm a ʹ the oldest religion of
mankind, which includes all that is covered in all religions. The Sanatana Dharma
covers primarily the spiritual aspects of the cosmos, creation, man, etc. Certain
͞realities͟ are enunciated and put down for mankind to comprehend through Shruti
(Listening) and Smriti (Contemplation). What Sanatana Dharma enunciates is
enunciated in all religions in different forms.

3.  First and foremost, Sanatana Dharma states that there is Supreme Being who is the
prime cause of all that happens or does not happen. It is the Will of this Supreme
which ultimately prevails over everything.

4.  Next, Sanatana Dharma states that all of us come from the Supreme Being and
hence all the properties which the Supreme Being possesses, we too possess.

5.  It further states that the   of life is to find our way back towards the
Supreme Being.

6.  The way back to the Supreme Being consists of certain understanding of the ͞road
maps͟ leading to the Supreme Being. These ͞road maps͟ are based on certain laws
of Universe. We need to understand these laws and abide by them, without violating
them and find our way back to the Supreme Being.

7.  The whole purpose of life is to underst and these Universal laws and learning every
attempt to live by them. Religion provides the guidance for understanding these
͞complex͟ Universal laws and living by them. Religion is a structured form of spiritual
practices put down with certain do͛s and don ͛ts.

8.  Every land consists of a dominant religion which affects the practices and customs of
the people of that land. By ͞dominant͟ is meant, majority of the people follow and
profess a particular religion. Due to sheer numbers, this majority has an influen ce on
the others more by default than by design on the customs, practices, etc of the
people of that land.

9.  In India, we have had Hinduism as the dominant religion and the practices and
customs of people of India regardless of their religious background h ave been
influenced by Hindu religion. The same applies to say a country like Saudi Arabia. The
dominant religion, Islam, in Saudi Arabia, influences the people who reside there.
This is true with every country. It is said that religion/spiritualism render s a character
and direction to the country making it contribute constructively to the world living
and peace. Every nation needs thus needs a spiritual base for it to lead and direct its
citizens to harmonious living and world peace.

10. Tolerances, Rightful living, Peace, Love are some of the attributes that are common
to all religions. But the approaches are different in different religions. In IMTP, 4
 4   !    
 ! angle & how these are
 a part of our living and how these affect our Personalities and in turn our attitudes,
behaviors, etc. at the work place.

11. We need to know this particularly in global India, to understand how the Indian
minds respond to the fast changing global world of business. We are in a positio n to
understand the ͞drivers͟ and the ͞retarders͟ of the typical Indian professional.

1[. By learning IMTP, we are in a position to conduct a form of ͞SWOT͟ on ourselves as a

nation and on each of us individually as well.

13. In Personality (module one), we stu dy the Indian aspect of what constitutes
Personality as different from the Personality of the West. Here is where we need to
brush up FHS understanding of Personality for ready comparison and correlation. As
an extension, we need to correlate with examples /cases.
14. In  , we are addressing Man not a mere a physical form, but we start form
how we are composed. The " ! ʹ Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Space ( Prithvi,
Jal, Agni, Vayu, Akash) Entire Universe is composed of combination of the five
elements in varying degrees. The human body is composed of these five elements as
well. So we have "# of which we are composed (not one physical) (the five
Koshas). We need to lead a #   to return to the Supreme Being from where
we come. For this balance, we need to balance our five bodies. So that all the five
elements are in optimum balance as is required for harmonious living. Within us
resides a part of Supreme Being. The Supreme Bein g is called as Param Atma
(Supreme Soul) and that part within us is called as Jiva Atma (Living Soul). When we
live balanced lives, we are in touch with our Jiva Atma and find the purposefulness of
life, which is finding us way back to the Supreme Being.

15. Every human being is " and hence the Indian approach with any human being is
one of seeing the Supreme Being within him. ( 
")

16. Since the Supreme Being ʹ Param Atma pervades all that is there in this universe,
and since our prime/only duty is to work towards making our way back to Param
Atma, we need to lead rightful living of balance. In spite of this many of us tend to
leave this mortal world (die) with ͞incompletion͟ with a set of ͞unfinished duties͟.
To fulfill these unfinished dut ies, we are made to be reborn. Hence the 
#. When we are living we perform certain actions which are 4  the
Param Atma and certain actions which are 4  from the Param Atma. Usually due
to ignorance of the Universal laws or partial understanding, we tend to get
͞diverted͟ form the path to Param Atma. As a result, we create certain $ !  that
need to be ͞cancelled͟. Through rebirth, we are given an opportunity to cancel these
͞bad Karmas͟ and finally merge with the Param Atma.

There are five modules in IMTP. The building blocks are established in PERSONALITY, the
basics. The next module is based on NATURE & ENVIRONMENT, an extension of the earlier
module.
 











 %c&

%

1.  In   '! (, we study the Indian aspect of what constitutes
Personality as different from the Personality of the West.(Here is where we need to
brush up FHS understanding of Personality for ready comparison and correlation. As
an extension, we need to correlate with examples/cases).

[.  In  , we are addressing several basic concepts, like Karma, Divinity,
Attachment, Dharma, Yoga, Self a physical form, but we start form how we are
composed. The " ! ʹ Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Space ( Prithvi, Jal, Agni,
Vayu, Akash) Entire Universe is composed of combination of the five elements in
varying degrees. The human body is composed of these five elements as well. So we
have "# of which we are composed (not one physical) (the five Koshas). We
need to lead a #   to return to the Supreme Being from where we come.
For this balance, we need to balance our five bodies. So that all the five elements are
in optimum balance as is required for harmonious living. Within us resides a part of
Supreme Being. The Supreme Being is called as Param Atma (Supreme Soul) and that
part within us is called as Jiva Atma (Living Soul). When we live balanced lives, we are
in touch with our Jiva Atma and find the purposefulness of life, which is finding us
way back to the Supreme Being.

3.  Every human being is " and hence the Indian approach with any human being is
one of seeing the Supreme Being within him. ( 
")

4.  Since the Supreme Being ʹ Param Atma pervades all that is there in this universe,
and since our prime/only duty is to work towards making our way back to Param
Atma, we need to lead rightful living of balance. In spite of this many of us tend to
leave this mortal world (die) with ͞incompletion͟ with a set of ͞unfinished duties͟.
To fulfill these unfinished duties, we are made to be reborn. Hence the 
 #. When we are living we perform certain actions which are 4  the
Param Atma and certain actions which are 4  from the Param Atma. Usually due
to ignorance of the Universal laws or partial understanding, we tend to get
͞diverted͟ form the path to Param Atma. As a result, we create certain $ !  that
need to be ͞cancelled͟. Through rebirth, we are given an opportunity to c ancel these
͞bad Karmas͟ and finally merge with the Param Atma.









 )c  

%
All Creation is a gift to mankind and need to be used properly. We must respect Nature and
be grateful towards its abundance. By leading a *#  life of   we
automatically get sensitive to the surroundings and prevent any exploitation or ravage of
Nature and Environment.

There are modules in IMTP that are of  *! +: % , % 
and . To be used in practice in managing Indian corporate world.

A) % c  module
1)  ,- Ethics being inner benchmark one sets for oneself based on one͛s
Value system (please draw the Value diagram discussed in the class͙ better
clarity!)͙. Morals being ethics in practice.
[) c which is the Holistic Personality attributes. . / /
3) "   c  + ͙͙Value-based motivation͙.Dharma, Artha, Kama
Moksha path͙..not always for material gains. (Draw the Dharma ͙.pyramid)
4) "   . +͙.Need-based motivation͙ usually material/tangible
based (Draw the Maslow͛s Pyramid)
5) %   c  + ͙..Gurukul system͙.learning the hard way͙..to inculcate
Dharma͙as a primary building block of life͙.learning is holistic͙.material gain
ensues as result of the Dharma-Artha-Kaama-Moksha path. Implicit Trust between
Guru and Shishya that the Guru would always mean Shisya͛s welfare/progress.c
 approach. Values, Skills, Results, People (Transformational Leader)

B) In %
c , we have to study what modern leaders are composed of, in terms of
Personality characteristics, Behaviors, Values, etc. This is a broad coverage based on FHS.
Then we need to understand how the Indian Leader compares and contrasts with the
Western counterpart.  !   %  vs.     %  vs.  
   . (Give examples of Ratan Tata, Narayan Murthy, B M Munjal, Suresh Krishna,
etc.)

C) In  0%c1 the same approach needs to be followed. FHS fundas on Conflict to be

brushed up. Then, the Indian context, where we follow the  ! *
! *2 *

principle of Conflict resolution. Issue based and not Personality based. This path takes
care of Conflicts due to Perceptions & also due to Values. In the process, issue -based
Conflict is encouraged and personality-based Conflict is discouraged.









cc %
I) Since we are dealing with IMTP which is based on Indian Ethos, we need to study the
͟͞:
1.  Four Yugas͙. Satya Yuga, Dwapara Yuga, Tretya Yuga, Kali Yuga
[.  Four Vedas ͙.. Yajur Veda, Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Atharva Veda
3.  Four Ashramas͙. Brahmachari, Grahastashrama, Vanaprastha, Sanyaas
4.  Four Purusharthas͙..Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha
5.  Four Varnas͙..Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra
6.  Four Steps of Conflict Resolution͙ Sama, Dama, Bheda, Danda
&  4- 

II) We also need to remember the ͞"͟

1.  Five elements͙.. Prithvi, Agni, Vayu, Jal, Akash
[.  Five Koshas͙. Anna Maya, Prana Maya, Mano Maya, Vignayana, Ananda Maya
3.  Five Pollutants of the Personality: Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Matsarya. (Lust,
Anger, Greed, Illusion, Jealousy)

III) There are the ͟͞:

1.  Three attributes of the Creator: Sat, Chit, Ananda -- Truth, Consciousness, and Bliss.
[.  Three Gunas: Satvic, Rajasic, Tamasic --- Divine/Sublime, Dynamic/ Material action-
oriented, Inert/Non-creative/Non-generativeprimordial drives in human beings.
3.  Three Shariras: Sthula Sharira, Sukshma Sharira, Kaarana Sharira -- Gross Body,
Subtle/Aura Body, Causal Body.
4.  Three forms of the Supreme: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva --- the three aspects of Creation,
Operation, Destruction
5.  Three Yogas: Jnyana Yoga, KarmaYoga, Bhakti Yoga. (these are Yogas prescribed for
the individual based on what primordial drive is predominant in them͙Satvic, Rajasic
or Tamasic.   # !+  4  *    & , which are the
stages of practices leading to the Ultimate Goal)
IV) Then there are the 4 conjugates:
1.  Raaga & Dwesha Attraction & Repulsion (Like/Dislike)
[.  Shruthi & Smriti Listening & Contemplation (Effective Learning)
3.  Prakriti & Purusha Creative Energy & Operative Energy (Female/Male Energy)
4.  Param Atma & Jiva Atma Supreme Soul & Living Soul











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The basics of Indian living are learnt here. Terms like Indian Ethos, Dharma, Divinity, Karma,
Attachment, Detachment, Swadharma, etc. are to be understood the students. The
foundation for all others chapters is laid here. The IMTP in the minds of students is created
and then the other subsequent chapters are dealt with.

The concept of     
 ! is the starting point.

There is a Creator of this entire Universe.
The Creator has created us, human beings.
The properties which the Creator possesses, is thus possessed by all human beings.

The Creator is
"͙.. meaning that the Creator has a benign presence, all encompassing,
omnipotent, omnipresent, and ever loving all with equality.
Hence we all have
" in each of us.
The Creative energy is contained in all of us. The Creator is known as Paramatma͙..the
Supreme Soul. That Creative energy is also in us attached to our physical bodies, rather
͞trapped͟ in our bodies. This is called as Jiva Atma ͙.the Living Soul.

We are born as human beings with the 
3  to return to the Creator
Paramatma. To fulfill this sole Purpose we need to understand how to return to the Creator.
There are !  4 that govern the path to the Creator but these simple laws are not
known to us so easily. We need to understand these simple laws through certain
learnings/writings called  (of various religions) which basically comprise of coded
form of these simple laws. Under a learned   we need to unravel these coded forms
and arrive at the simple laws.

In the Indian context certain concepts need to be basically understood and contemplated on
and practiced. These practices may appear to have not͟immediate meaningfulness͟ to the
first-timer, since most of these are logical in composition. There are repetitions and
contradictions.
The only approach is to practice under the guidance of a spiritual Master by trusting him
and his intentions and being dedicated to the study.

The concepts to be understood are:

1) 
 ! - the path of Righteousness and Truth

[)  4  ! ʹ the practice of Dharma towards  before others.

3)   ʹ is not just physical body, but consists of more. Three -body concept & Five-
body concept are to be learnt.

4) 
" ʹ that every human being is basically divine and our approach towards
them should be divine͙. Spiritual openness, optimistic approach, that all that the
person is doing is because of his Attachment with the material world.
5)   ! ʹ Man is affected by all that is around him. Either he likes them or
does not like them. This majorly shifts his focus to material matters and he would
lose his focus of returning to the Creator. He would miss out. Hence Attachment
has to be understood with all its ͞diverting͟ tendencies and ͞illusions͟ that the
world we see is real.

6) 
 ! ʹ This follows Attachment as a concept. After knowing Attachment

and what it does to Man, he needs to understand how to detach. This he learns
under a Master͙ Guru and realizes the concept of Illusion. Realizing that the
world around us is illusory he gets motivated to learn and practice detachment .
7)  $ ! ʹ the path of actions which is done as a Duty, focusing on selfless actions
(Nishkama Karma) and not getting affected by the results.

8)  # ʹ We live lives to understand the ways to reach the Creator ultimately.
But we also get affected by the Attachments of this world and get digressed from
our only Goal. A lifetime is spent, our body dies and there is the unfinished Duty
of reaching the Creator. We are born again with the ͞carry forward͟ balance
from the past birth to given another chance to reach the Creator. We carry
͞thoughts͟ ͞desires͟ ͞frustrations͟ etc. from the past birth and display them in
the next birth through our Personality characteristics.

9)  / ʹ After several rebirths, based on thoughtful living, finding a proper

path, we finally return to the Creator, the Supreme Source from where we
emerge.

± ( / ʹ the process of Learning under a Master, the Guru who coaches you in
an overall manner. The process entails Value sowing, Character building, Physical
strength, Mental calmness and alertness, Power of Discrimination, Compassion,
 Truthfulness, Seeing the World around as One, etc.The Guru has a larger involved
role to play than a ordinary teacher. It is an inside -out approach-


















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 %  %c&
Personality is an attribute that plays an important role in our lives. As we understand
Personality in the broadest form, it is the sum total of what is inside the individual and what
is outside plus ͞something more͟.
Personality comprises of the   and   aspects of the human
being. It implies that it has all to do with the human being himself and not his surroundings.
In real terms Personality constitutes besides the psychological and physiological aspects, the
environment-situational aspects too.
We could say that Personality has a + l aspect and also an  " aspect
also besides the psychological and physiological dimensions.
We must remember that by our very existence we ͞display͟ a natural Personality
without our knowing it and quite effortlessly. This happens as a result of the various
attitudes/behaviors/habits etc. which we create for living in a ͞comfort zone͟. This
Personality is known as    and is said to constitute the ͞real person͟.
In our lives we play multiple  for attaining multiple  . For the Goals to be
accomplished effectively, we must develop   and  0.
For example a man plays a role of a father to his children to achieve the goal of
proper nurturing his children; a role of a husband to his wife for attaining the goal of
protecting her and creating the progeny; the role of an executive at the workplace to attain
the goal of working efficiently and earning his living. For each of these we need to develop a
set of attitudes, behaviors, habits, etc. which the serve the purpose of the respective goal
achievement. There are +  and  " attitudes, behaviors, habits, etc. to be
cultivated. With the careful and conscious cultivation (keeping in mind the role and the
goals) of these attitudes, behaviors, habits, etc. we develop a    for each of
the Roles that we play.
 Thus we have  True Personality and "  Role Personalities. Although these
appear to be ͞put on͟ for every Role, it is clearly seen in the long run that the 
  in underlying the several   that we play.
It must also be remembered that Role Personality does not much reflect the Values and the
basic Beliefs of the individual, whereas the True Personality reflects the ͞real person͟

    4  ./ 

At the workplace, we see a number of roles being played by all of us. We are in the
workplace for efficient and effective work accomplishment. Through the understanding of
True and Role Personality, we are in a position to define and clarify the Role and Goals for
the individual which make him ͞put on͟ those roles which are co ngruent to his True
Personality.
The expression ͞ Right person for the Right Job ͞ thus stand corrected as ͞Right job for
the Right Person͟ with a much more powerful shift in paradigm.


 &.c )c  
"!in the context in which we normally understand implies:  
" 5. This forms the part of definition which we have learnt from
the Western context. In the Eastern context, Environment involves two parts: the internal
Environment & the external Environment. As we all know the, in the oriental spiritual
context,  of our lives is to find our way back to the Source (Cosmic Force) from
where we originate. The journey back to the Source is Life, which has to be led
understanding the ͞complex͟ laws of the Cosmic Force that has created us and the whole
world. Man as we know comprises of the five sheaths (koshas/coverings/bodies) within
which is contained the Life Force (Jiva Atma) which is the part of the Cosmic Force (Param
Atma). To attain the Param Atma and merge within It as a final destination, we need to
follow certain guidelines/rules of living, based on Self -control and moderation in the
nurturing and upkeep of the five sheaths. Internal Environment includes all the five sheaths
within which the Life Force is contained. This environment should be harmoniously balanced
such that all the bodies are adequately nurtured and attended to pave the way for the
smooth progress of the Jiva Atma towards the Param Atma. Unless the internal Environment
is harmonious, the external Environment is bound to be disharmonious. As a matter of fact,
the harmony of the external Environment is controlled by the harmony of the internal
Environment. It is important to note that not only the external Environment, but also the
internal Environment needs to be harmonious. In the Indian (Eastern) context, Environment
is all that pervades outside the human Life Force (Jiva Atma).

The environment consists of:

1.  Man (Jiva Atma with the five sheaths/koshas made of the five Elements-Earth,
Water, Air and Space),
 [.  Nature (the five Elements- Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space)
3.  Creator (Param Atma)

Environmental Harmony occurs only when we understand certain basic principles of

Creation:
1.  that Creator is ever giving all resources for all mankind to use;
[.  that living is the process of give-and-take between Man and Nature maintaining the
balance of creation, consumption and wastage;
3.  that wastage to be minimized to maintain the healthy balance between creation an d
consumption.
4.  that all that is created has to receive their ͞legitimate share͟ of resources for their
survival, sustenance and growth.

Whenever we disturb the balance between creation, consumption and wastage, there is
pollution of ͞one into the other͟ ʹ leading to excess of one over the other/s (more
consumption, more wastage, more creation). Harmony with environment thus entails
harmony with oneself and one͛s sheaths through proper practices like Yoga etc, followed by
sensitivity to the others and the N ature that provides us all the bounty through moderation.

   0 0%c
Conflict is the state when there is ͞discomfort/threat͟ experienced as a result of
differences in perceptions/values between two or more bodies. The discomfort/threat
results in unresourceful attitude/behavior which hampers harmony and productivity of the
situation.

Conflict is a part of living. There are mixed perceptions towards Conflict. Some feel
that Conflicts have to be avoided at all costs, while some other feel that Conflicts are to
encouraged.
Both are ͞right͟ in their viewpoints.

The Conflicts that need to be " are what is Personality*#  , while
the Conflicts that need to be   are c*# .

 *#  arises from identifying the Conflict to the "  who
are involved in the Conflict situation. All aspects are focused #6" on the people,
rather than on the causes/reasons/issues that are responsible for the Conflict. As a result,
the issues remain unresolved in most cases, and people get into unresourceful behaviors
that demotivate them.

c*# arises due to the issues rather due the people who are in it. The
tendency is to address the issues through #6" by ͞separating͟ the issue from the
person.
I t takes a matured outlook to separate the issue from the person without the
emotional content of the human elements.
Conflicts could happen due to the following reasons:
a) Perceptions between two people not mat ching.
b) Values between two people not matching.
c) Both Perceptions and Values not matching.
d) Perceptions (seemingly) matching, but Values not matching.

In most corporate scenarios,  not matching are common. In

these cases, the Values are in congruence (͞the heart is in the right place͟) and in turn the
attitude s and behaviors are aligned with the company mission. Such conflicts are usually
Issue-based and result in more or less easy resolution.

Also, we must remember that )  are not many in an organization.
This is facilitated through the recruitment & selection process wherein the mismatch of
Values is noticeable and accordingly the candidate is kept away.

When #)   !  , we have a major ͞problem͟. It turns
out to be both Issue as well as Personality based Conflict, with little or least chance of
effective resolution. There are structural differences leading to constant misunderstandings,
leading to discomfort and breakdown in c ommunication.

Interestingly, in quite a few situations, especially in fast -track work cultures, it has been
observed that people   their Perceptions to suit the need of the hour. Since the stakes
are perceived to be ͞crucial͟ and ͞high͟, there is a careful cultivation of Perceptions that are
͞politically acceptable͟. Deep within there may be structural differences in Values. These
never surface until a critical incident occurs. We all know that in critical incidents, the
individual͛s True Personality emerges automatically to survive and ͞fight͟ the situation. The
hidden Value systems emerge starkly and make it evident. Such a conflict seems to ͞come
from the blue͟ as a ͞shock͟, in the form of a hitherto unseen behavior.
In the Indian system of Conflict resolution we have the Dharma approach in the form of
Sama-Dama-Bheda-Danda. The principle behind this is the concept of Divinity (hate the sin
not the sinner͙.Issue not the Personlity) and is guided by the Group principle of living
together in Harmony.
Sama involves a mediation process of comfortable dialogue urging the Issue to
emerge.
Dama is resorted to next when the first step ͞fails͟ to produce conflict resolution. In this
there is a deeper dialogue getting into the Value part of the individual as we ll, again with
the view of an amicable solution. The dialogue is taken to a reasonableness level of mutual
acceptance.
Bheda is the next stage wherein through the process of Differentiation of the Values
and Perceptions, a viable solution is resorted to. A gain this process is peace-oriented
dialogue.(not one of violence or bullying)
Danda is resorted as the last step when all the above three processes fail. Simply stated
when all Dharmic steps fail, then action to ͞punish͟ the ͞sinner͟ to remove the sin is
resorted to. It is the stick approach, a severe approach.

(In MahaBharata, we have the classical example of Lord Krishna reprimanding the
evil Sisupal through this path. When Sisupal starts insulting Krishna, the Latter shows
compassion for Sisupal the person who is ͞afflicted͟ by the ͞sin͟ of Adharmic thinking and
words and actions. Krishna patiently adopts the Sama-Dama ʹBheda-Danda approach. After
Sisupal ͞insults͟ Krishna 108 times, he is slain by the Sudarshan Chakra, the Discus weapon
as the last resort)

(It is also relevant to understand that there are      in the
traditional Indian culture: )  )  , 7  )  , &  !! )  . While the first is
based on proving oneself right, the second is based on proving the other wrong. Both these
are Personality-based dialogues which usually lead to debates and Conflicts. These dialogues
lead to Problem basis rather than Solution orientation.
The third type of dialogue is Samm Vaada, which is what encouraged, i.e. Issue-based
dialogue is. In this type of a dialogue, the Issue is discussed, not the persons involved in the
Issue. The sole purpose of this dialogue is to seek the Truth not to ͞nail down͟ the person by
proving him/her wrong. Thus the dialogue is Solution -oriented, not Problem-based
At the end of every Chapter in Bhagwad Geeta, there is mention͙.͟ Krishna Arjuna Samm
Vaadey͙.͟ Meaning that the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna is one of Issue and
seeking a solution, rather than one of Personality to be with the problem/ people.)


 *#  are  1 as in they stay with the problem and
compound the problem, rather than direct towards the solution. And hence, Personality -
based Conflicts are discouraged. They depict stagnation and hamper progress of goal
achievement.

c*  are  , as in they orient with the solution and seek
fulfillment of goals. Hence Issue-oriented Conflicts are encouraged. They are synonymous
with movement and direction towards goal fulfillment.

 c
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Indian organizations handle conflicts in a manner different than the Western

counterparts. Traditionally, Indians are group -centric people, who prefer staying together to
being alone/individualistic. This Ethos permeates in the Indian thoughts and hence in the
Indian organizations, we find that there is sense of tolerance towards Conflict situations.
One does not resort to quick-fix immediate resolutions (unlike in the West). One takes the
path of Sama-Dama-Bheda-Danda path of Conflict resolution, though which enough
͞chance͟ is given to the Conflict to be resolved without disturbing the peace and Comfort
Zone of the group.

In situations where Conflicts arise, Indian Managers do not hire -and-fire people with
͞instant actions͟. Rather they wait till all paths have been tread and finally as a last resort
they go the extremes, justifiably so. This is not in line with the Western approach which
handles Conflict by a ͞cut-and-dry͟ approach. In trying to solve Conflicts, they inadvertently
create extreme discomfort to the concerned parties leading to breakdown in mutual Trust.
Their action steps are almost instant. They are a Taskʹoriented culture.
Indian Managers on the other hand, belong to the People -oriented culture. The Indian Ethos
believes that people matter more than Task alone. Hence the Indian path of Conflict
Resolution appears to the Western eye as time -consuming, unproductive, and lenient even
procrastinating to a large extent.












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In the Indian context, when a person is born, he brings with him # ( ),
which he is supposed to repay as his duty.
These are a) Pitr Runa: Debt towards forefathers
b) Deva Runa: Debt towards the Creato r
c) Acharya/Guru Runa: Debt towards the Teacher, usually a spiritual Master.

Each of these debts are emerging from the fact that these three sources are
responsible for our (re)birth from the previous birth. Although these are termed as Runas ʹ
Debt, they are to be considered as duties to be fulfilled for our spiritual progress. Instead of
getting bogged down to ͞repaying͟ these debts grudgingly, one has to repay with a sense of
understanding, gratitude and reverence. Many are not even aware of these Debts to be
͞repaid͟ and carry on with their lives ͞ignorantly͟.

Let͛s analyze these debts.

a) Pitr Runa: All the ancestors of a lineage by virtue of their fulfillment of their duties
and understanding the spiritual context of life, through the path of rightful living,
created families, by having children after marriage and their children in turn did the
same down the lineage. The creation of children is perceived not as a mere ͞product
of sexual pleasure͟ but more as a repayment of what the ancestors have paid us
being instrumental in giving us birth. In fact, the context of having children is ͞duty -
based repayment͟ course of action. Thus the repayment of this ͞debt͟ is prescribed
through the simple act of having children through marriage and raising family. By
doing this the individual is said to repay the Pitr Runa.
 b) Deva Runa : The world in which we are born consists of beauty and bounty of the
Creator, naturally endowed by the Almighty for our consumption and benefit. The
creation around us is taking care of us by satisfying our physical, emotional, spiritual
needs and even more. We take Creation for granted most of the time. Through the
prescribed act of
  ' ( we are expected to fulfill the repayment of Deva
Runa. Through Dana, we are also ensuring that we don͛t get greedy and that we lead
balanced need-based living.

c) Acharya/Guru Runa: The teacher has an important role in the traditional Indian
ethos. The teacher is not an ordinary teacher who transfers knowledge to students.
He imbibes values and character-forming habits and puts the student on the self-
transformation path. He gives the students inputs through multiple dimensional
training& an inner confidence of facing living alone without any ͞crutches͟. Thus his
role is of larger significance. The repayment of this debt is through ensuring that we
pass on the knowledge to others down the line, through 7  
 . In simple
terms, it is considered that knowledge cannot be ͞cornered͟ within oneself alone. It
becomes truly useful only when it is shared through transference. It must be
remembered that the Guru Dakshina is a gratitude paid by the Shishaya to the Guru
on his own, not a compulsion, while transfer of knowledge is a duty and a prescribed
repayment to be done.

To sum it up, all Runas are repaid through selfless duty -bound service (Nishkama
Karma).By doing so we constantly remind ourselves that we need to be grateful to our
parents and ancestors, the Creator, and the Master. While our ancestors facilitate our
presence in this material world, our Guru through his spiritual excellence adds immense
value to us and the Creator of course sets the wonderful backdrop/setting for all this to
happen.

   0  c$$
Attachment involves the identification & indulgent involvement of Man with sensory
based objects. These sensory objects are nothing but the world around us, our
surroundings, the people, and the things which we come across in touch with on a day-
today basis. We are driven by desires to acquire whatever we find ͞meaningful͟, ͞pleasant͟.
When we acquire them we are happy; when we do not acquire them we are unhappy. In
other words our happiness or unhappiness is dependent on these external objects. These
objects are themselves not responsible for our happiness or unhappiness. What is
responsible is the  we make to allow these external objects to be sources of
happiness through their acquisition/possession.

Attachment is the result of the Mind & Intellect making choices that act as hin drance to
Man͛s spiritual progress. As a result of Attachment, we get ͞carried away͟ both by joy and
sorrow and we tend to identify all experiences #6". That is, if a certain task gives us
happiness we like it and do more of it and also crave for it to be permanent. While on the
other hand, if a certain task gives us sorrow we don͛t like it and try and avoid doing it and
hate it all the more. This comes from the attribute of deep desire in every human being to
feel eternally happy. The reason we seek eternal happiness or bliss is because that is the
true nature of ourselves which is ͞hidden͟ behind the sheaths of ignorance, such that
instead of identifying with the inner bliss we try to ͞reach͟ it through ͞external͟ means
using our Mind & Intellect.

    %cc 
The significance of Attachment is in understanding that all attachments arise from
desires. In the corporate context we are in the process of moving up the ladder of
achievement and position. Desire and in turn greed turns an indivi dual to resort to any
means of reaching the goals. The position and power gets too heady and all the activities of
the individual is centered around goal achievement. This shifts his focus from prime and
only duty of living, viz. reaching the Source from h e has emerged. Due to desire, greed and
mindless ambition he may tend to get insensitive to the environment and cause all sorts of
disturbances in the name of ͞duty͟.

Detached Involvement is practiced by great leaders. In fact one of the attributes they
possess is Detached Involvement. By certain self awareness practice like Yoga, appropriate
to oneself, Detached Involvement could be achieved. 

This leads the leader to / !  $ ! ʹ selfless work, without getting ͞attached to
the nature of the outcome͟. It emerges from the prescription of Karma Yogic practices,
which postulates that ͞One͛s duty is to perform actions with detachment, with surrender to
the Almighty & one needs to not get  by the outcome of the action or Karma.͟
This is famously learnt and known through the Sloka from Bhagwad Gita:
 91/ :;
$ ! ) /  ! 0 $    
 $ ! 0 #!  " / ! -

In the Corporate world of targets& achievements, people tend to get ͞intoxicated͟

with material Goal achievement at any cost. We come across justification of means to
achieve the ends goals. This perception itself is a sign of Attachment to material success.
When they succeed they are very ͞happy͟; when they do not succeed, they are ups et. They
want to always succeed and get attached to success. The disappointment due to failure
takes them ͞off course͟. Either they give up through passive behavior or they try to achieve
at all costs through aggressive behavior. Both ways they live subjective lives of alternating
sorrow and joy, which even affects their motivation of the work itself. The Karma or work
performed is with a deep expectation of wanting to only succeed and all tasks are
undertaken which ͞assure͟ success. Expecting is normal, bu t getting obsessed with
expectation creates Attachment which ultimately creates anguish to the individual. An
anguished leader cannot motivate and lead his team to effectiveness and performance.
Moreover he tends to ignore the efforts of the work, choosing to focus only on the results.
Hence corporate leaders need to properly understand that they are just playing Roles in the
organizations to achieve Goals. They need to understand the Roles with clarity and just do
them without expectations. Those who have practiced this in the true sense have emerged
as great leaders.
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Superstition is commonly perceived to be irrational set of practices which people
follow. Superstitions are part of every man͛s life. We need to understand how superstitions
are formed. Superstitions are seen as irrational because one cannot see logic in them. And
most of us, especially the Westerners, demand logic for every phenomenon and are
convinced only if logically valid.Although superstitions do not seem to have any rational
(apparently), they have originally had a reasoning and meaningfulness at tha t point of time
when they were created. The creators were available for explaining the rationale behind the
superstitious practices. Gradually as time progressed the creators of these practices passed
on these practices to the next-in-line.

   0


There are four stages man is prescribed through in rightful living. They are
collectively known as Purushartha. This consists of Dharma, Artha, Kaama Moksha. These
are comparable with the Western model of Maslow͛s Pyramid of Hierarchy of Needs. While
Maslow͛s Model addresses need fulfillment, Purushartha model addresses the duty -based
necessary and sufficient that is a ! for appropriate spiritual growth.

In the Purushartha model we have
 ! taking the  and ! stage
through an individual is *# to start his life learning process. Largely, this stage is
characterized by Value-sowing and nurturing and strengthening the character and ethical
base of the individual at the early age. ͞Catch them young͟ is the approach. Dh arma is the
path of righteousness and truth. This ͞training͟ is imparted through the ͞hard approach͟
through the rigorous but highly effective Gurukul method of education.

After the ͞convocation͟ the student returns to his abode (home) and enters into the
next stage. He enters into the next stage of 1 fulfillment, meaning the creation
of material wealth through Dharma path and setting up his home and making himself self -
sufficient and adequately comfortable. This again is a , not a whim which one could
͞take it or leave it͟

Having made himself comfortable materially, man enters into fulfilling his desires in
the $ ! stage of duty fulfillment, in which he is prescribed to fulfill all his desires with
Dharma as the guideline following the path of moderation (not overindulging, neither
repressing his desires).This includes settling with a married partner, having a family, raising
children, nurturing them and sowing Values in them (all activities of involved living, in short)

The last duty for man should strive to fulfill is the attainment of / . In the
Kaama stage, he goes through involved living of life. Although it is prescribed that he has
fulfill his Kaama tendencies through moderation, man tends to overindulges or
underindulges as a result he experiences a certain attachment with his ͞not fully
experienced and not fully expressed͟ desires. Through understanding and careful steps he
should address these issues and enter into Moksha stage, where the individual enters into
transcending (going beyond the twin attributes of attraction and repulsion, not getting
affected by the extremes, by joy or sorrow). He practices the wise art of detachment both
mentally and physically from the world of interaction, involvement and indulgence. At the
end he is ͞ready͟ to meet the Creator through ͞shedding his mortal coil͟ (physical death)
into the life thereafter. This stage is prescribed to make the transition spiritually easier and
meaningful and less painful.
One could compare the Purushartha model with Maslow͛s Pyramid. The basic notable
difference is that in the Indian context need fulfillment has to happen with Dharma as the
first stage not through the physical need fulfillment as the first stage. Artha, Kaama Moksha
stages are similar to the five stages of the Maslow͛s Pyramid, with the additional base at the
base of Dharma.

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Leadership is the natural ability of any individual to direct any one or a group of
people towards getting some goal accomplished.
Leadership in the Indian context is a ͞build-up͟ process. It an overall build-up of
various human attributes that one builds up from his younger days  #  as a
Leader.
Leadership in the Indian context has its foundations on ethical base and chara cter of
the individual. They are paramount for a person to be accepted as a Leader. Results have to
ensue from a strong ethical base and character (following the Dharma-Artha-Kaama-Moksha
path).
As a result of his ethical behavior and moral practices, he commands respect and
inspires others to follow him. Thus he !! , rather than ! respect.
Such people who have rigorously lived a Dharmic life automatically qualify to be a Leader,
and when they run businesses they run Dharmic businesses, based on human values and
relationships leading to profits.

Unlike in the Indian context Leaders in the West are driven by tangible factors of
achievement and material success. As a matter of fact, leaders in West are focused on issues
of !   , where leaders are glorified and talked about as super achievers,
with media exposure. In the Indian context, on the other hand, Leaders emerge from a
background that comes from acceptance by society, (because of the virtues) and not by
͞being thrust͟ upon them. He is pleasantly and willingly accepted as a leader more by
!  than by ͞thrust and domination͟. Indian leaders are accepted as leaders 
when they are seen to be Dharmic in action, whereas the Western leaders are accepted as
leaders when they are result-oriented and goal focused, the Dharmic part of the task, being
given a secondary or little importance (more by default rather than design)

Leadership is symbolic of hero worship in the Indian context, because the Indian
leader is seen as a paragon of virtue from which emerges results and goal achievement.
While in the Western context, the Leadership symbolism is functional in content. Beyond
the functional aspect, there is hardly any ͞mass hysteria͟ over the Leadership position.

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We have come across principle-centered Leadership which Stephen Covey talks

about. Simply stated, Dharmic Leadership is an all-encompassing approach towards leading
people into goal achievement. It emphasizes as much on the means as on the ends. In f act,
there is a greater emphasis on the means.
Dharmic Leadership is based on the concept of Dharma, which includes the path of Truth &
Righteousness. In the corporate context, to be a Dharmic Leader is not easy. On one hand
we have the challenges of performance in a highly competitive marketplace, while on the
other hand we have the brand/image of the company to be maintained in the marketplace
as a truly fair and ethical player.

While in the past due to certain compulsions, companies ͞mindlessly͟ and/or

͞ignorantly͟ emphasized on results (ends) and did not give importance to the means, in the
global businesses of today, companies have increasingly become conscious of their brand
and image. To create an enduring true brand, one needs to be value-centered, in other
words Dharmic centered. Hence Dharmic Leadership is more relevant today and imperative
to be understood and followed and propagated.

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Learning, as we all know is the process of acquiring knowledge to know about
something. This definition presupposes that we do not know about that something.
In other words, it presupposes that we are ignorant and through learning we become
knowledgeable. This is typically the * approach towards Learning, largely followed
in the conventional Western model of Learning processes.
The Eastern concept of Learning compares and contrasts with the Western concept in many
aspects.

The Eastern concept of Learning starts of with the idea that we are embodied Jiva
Atmas emerging from the All-knowledgeable Cosmic Power (Param Atma), the attributes of
the Param Atma are present in our Jiva Atmas. The attribute of Param Atma being All-
Knowledgeable is also present in us. Thus we are not ignorant; on the other hand we are All-
Knowledgeable, an attribute we are not aware of because of the sheaths (koshas) of
Ignorance that covers our Jiva Atmas.
The Eastern concept of Learning, thus, forms the process of unraveling the fact that
we are not ignorant and that we are All-Knowledgeable. This is an Inside-out approach.
The Western approach is largely based on perceivable facts and verifiable attributes that are
measurable and the use of logic.
The Eastern approach, on the other hand, is based on observations, e xperiences, and
contemplations on information that is made available through  & !. The writings
are, thus, deeper in content and context than what is merely understood at the primary
level.

Shruthi means Hearing, rather Attentive Listening. The Vedas are also known as
Shruthi, because the Vedas have come through Hearing form Master to Disciple down the
line.
Smrithi means Contemplation. Along with Shruthi, i.e. Attentive Listening, one needs
to practice Smrithi, of contemplating on what one attentively listens, trying to absorb and
find deeper and deeper meaning with an idea of a understanding the larger & related
picture.

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Mind stilling is a form of mind control thorough careful thought channeling. We are a
͞storm͞of mixed thoughts most of the time. Every time we want to concentrate or focus, we
find ourselves ͞making efforts͟ to concentrate or focus. The mind i. e. the Mano Maya
Kosha follows the streaming principle like water. If thoughts are ͞forced͟ to be contained
then the thoughts ͞fill͟ the same very ͞container͟. On the other hand if the thoughts are
͞left alone͟ and just observed, they take a natural course of flow, which does not ͚disturb͟
the individual with opposing and mixed thoughts.

Mind stilling is a process in which thought streaming is ͞observed͟ by the individual

without any ͞effort͟. This is taught by a qualified Master. While observing the thoughts, a
stage comes when the thoughts are seen to flow and their randomness does not affect the
individual. The individual takes the position of an ͞observer͟ rather than a ͞involved
particiapant͟. The dissociation of the person from the thoughts through observation leads
to disidentification of the thoughts as ͞mine͟. Hence the mind gradually becomes calm and
still. Hence the term Mind stilling.

Dhyana is a form of meditation. By adopting a calm disposition, the individual does

observation of a form or chants a mantra. There is a focus but 4-It is more of a
  rather than a - Initially it starts with a guidance through effort, till the
observation starts. Then on, the observer takes over and acceptance follows. For Dhyana to
be effective, the prescribed conditions are calmness, let-go, observation, effortlessness or
minimum effort. The key is to not to put in effort and thus keep the stress totally out.

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Approach to the answer:

Traditionally and conventionally Indian Businesses have operated like a family. In a

typical family model there exists a patriarch ʹ a father figure or matriarch ʹ a mother figure
who acts a ͞guru͟ (mentor) treating all others as ͞shishyas͟ (mentees).

This position is adopted on the basis of traditional strength in business acquired by

the patriarch as a result of whom he/she knows life more than just the ordinary. In the
recent post-liberalized India, businesses including family businesses were subjected Western
influences of management styles and Western Management success factors. These were
predominantly task-oriented. Tangibles mattered more than intangibles.

The hallmark of the Guru-Shishya relation is the implicit Trust which the Shishya has
on his Guru, A Trust that emerges from the faith that the ͞Guru knows what is best for me in
line with my Personality. He will lead me to Transformation. He is a form of the Creator who
has come into life to redeem me from the entrapments of the material world͟

In a typical business, those employees who stick on in an organization over a period

of time, understand the overall vision/mission of the organization, is spite of the
inconsistencies. Such employees have a deeper meaningfulness towards their Roles and
Goals. They are committed and seek more guidance and look up to someone who could act
as a Mentor/Coach. Usually they get ͞attracted͟ to seniors with whom they have Value-
congruence and with whom they have established Comfort Zone. By default, they get a
Mentor/Coach. The Mentor as a result, also acts like a spiritual guide of sorts, guiding and
protecting the Mentee from the vagaries of Corporate ͞jungle͟.

The commonality between the Guru-Shishya and Mentor-Mentee relationship is that

both are based on mutual Trust and Comfort Zone. The differences are quite a few. While
the former is based on a rigorous path, the latter is a relatively easier path. Moreover the
end purpose of the Mentor-Mentee is restricted to Corporate Ethics/Goal achievement,
while Guru-Shishya relationship has a wider implication, goes beyond the Corporate
requirements into Self trans formation of the Individual with no selfish agenda on behalf of
the Guru.

Although in traditional Indian (family -run) businesses we had the patriarch acting as
a guide to all his employees, in modern Indian business which is professionalizing, we have a
combination of the old method and the new one.

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 Hindu religious literature, the most ancient writings in the world, is of two types:
primary scriptures (›
) and secondary scriptures (› . The Sruti scriptures are of divine
origin, whose truths were directly revealed to ancient  (sages) in their deep
meditations. The Smriti scriptures are of human origin and were written to explain the Sruti
writings and make them understandable and meaningful to the general population. Sruti
scriptures include the four Vedas (
  

 ›     ) and the    ,
and constitute the highest religious authority in Hindu religion. Smriti scriptur es include five
distinct groups of writings :

h Itihãsas (History or Epics)

h Purãnas (Mythology)
h Dharma Shãstras Law Codes
h §gamas & Tantras Sectarian Scriptures.
h Darshanas Manuals of Philosophy

Traditional Indian learning process has emerged form the twin practices of Shruti and
Smriti, i. e. Listening and Contemplation, the very basics of effective communication. The
various scriptures have come down to modern through the process of these two methods.
The various ͞complex Truths ͞of the world have been passed down form ͞mouth-to-ear͟ in
an encrypted form ʹ Shlokas. These have a basic meaning and several levels of deeper
meanings.
Instead of writing them, they were told verbally.
When we  we have # #6" aspect and #6" aspect to the listening,
(while when we   a written matter, the #6" aspect is !! (. So each
individual starts interpreting both subjectively and objectively in his own unique manner.
There are discussions and debates and point of views whic h result in going deeper levels of
understanding the ͞hidden secrets͟ through Smriti that is contemplation.
Everyone thus goes through the alternating cycle of Shruti and Smriti continuously like a
communication loop.
It ensures that the learner identifies the subjectivity of his understanding and separates
it form the objectivity of his understanding, thereby the ͚issue͟ from the ͞personality͟

In corporate world today there is an emphasis on Communication, especially effective

listening. Many senior managers in spite of being ͞successful͟ seem to be poor listeners.
Many a time, Corporate Communication has different interpretations with various
managers. The cultivation of Shruti & Smriti methods is very useful in these contexts. In fact
Corporate Training is including such modules involving, reading, listening and contemplation
Cases, more to develop soft skills than analytical skills.


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Superstitions are as old as Mankind. Anything without an easy -to-understand logical
explanation could be termed as Superstition. Superstitions have interesting existence in
Society. Although everyone perceive Superstition as irrational, they all follow them in one
form or the other. Many do not confess or they would add some suppo rtive logic for their
Superstition when they are ͞caught͟.
Western & Eastern cultures all have their share of Superstitions. But due the
economic conditions prevailing in the West, they had be collective logical in their approach
towards living. So, by and by, there was a collective suppression, ridicule, even punishment
of superstitious people.
Superstitions have their origins, in most cases, in some logical practices of situational
conveniences adopted at certain points of time. At that time there are peo ple who practice
these actions through an understanding. Over a period of time, these practices remain, but
the creators of these practices pass away. Many a time the successors of these creators are
not fully aware of the reasoning behind these practices and they add on their own
interpretations to thus diluting the real significance of the practices. Gradually, the
reasoning is ͞lost͟ but the practice remains. When someone questions the body for logical
reasoning they seem to not have it and they fumble. With movement of time, situations
become different and needs become different. A practice that was once relevant does not
seem relevant anymore. So people question that practice and when it does not explain the
relevance, they reject it as superstitious ou tdated practice.

One cannot really pinpoint and say that all Superstitions have a deeper reasoning.
But some of the Superstitions have a deeper connotation and needs to be ͞delved into͟.
Thus we have people who follow superstitions blindly and some of the m understand the
deeper significance and follow them through an understanding.
Superstitions, whether relevant or not, when followed by the individual gives him a
meaningful and a deep comfort zone of operation. And inexplicably at many times though,
people get ͞reinforced͟ through Superstitions in their work situations.

Indian businesses are known to follow Superstitious practices for long, as much as
their Western counterparts. The CEO of an Indian company comes from an Indian Ethos
which is full of Superstitions. Moreover, whenever an Indian faces too many Unknowns, he
does not use his rationale the way the Westerner does. One of the things he banks on is
Superstition. Through the practice of Superstitions (with his own inner reasoning) he
develops a Comfort Zone and meaningfulness and ͞faces͟ the Unknowns.
In case of Eastern cultures the practice of Superstitions are very obvious, because
they do not ͞cloak ͞them with logic. But in the West, Superstitions are never ͞known to be
followed͟ and even they come to light, are clinically ͞dressed in acceptable ͞log ic͟.

The discussion is drawing the attention to the fact that logic alone is not the driver in
business decision making. Approaches other than logic play a vital role in the case when the
Unknowns and immeasurables are more. The ͞gut-feeling͟ decision maker is a combination
of logic and ͞irrational͟ practices. But, practically all of them would not admit it for fear of
ridicule, because in the world of business, especially with the Western model approach,
there is an emphasis on logic and irrational practi ces are discounted and discouraged.

The point to be noted is that Indian businesses have been conventionally been
driven by Superstitious practices either blindly or with understanding and are also now
being driven    driven by Superstitions. The only difference now is that those who
follow Superstitions seem to have a spiritual reasoning or a logical reasoning, thanks to the
advent of the New Age Manager and the GeneXt manager.

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% 22


There are certain terms drawn from the Scriptures which are to be known and used
  and "  in answering questions.

Some of these are:

1)  ! 2 ! !͙͙.͟I am the Creator͟ (empowering statement from the Vedas

implying that I am more than what I think I am. Since I am a part of the Supreme Creator, I
have His properties too. So I can create almost anything. Also it implies that whatever
happens to me ultimately is my creation (by conscious/unconscious choice). There are
several interpretations, based on the Smriti pra ctice of contemplation.

[)  " !  ͙..͟That thou art͟ (Several interpretations are available. It is a statement of
Absoluteness which states that ͞realize that you are more than the just the body and mind
and the attributes͟. By addressing the Creator t he Vedas suggest that man contemplates on
this statement and experiences the true Reality of Bliss)

3)  "2 " /  ͙͙.͟Let everyone be Happy͟ (It is an all-inclusive approach
where one is taught to seek Happiness for all, not selfishly for oneself alone. Most of the
Scriptural statements address the group, rather than the individual. Thereby one sows the
Value of tolerance, gratitude, equality, state of benign existence. This comes from the
concept of Divinity, wherein one rises above the Mind and Intellect attributes of
discriminating and gets in touch with the Oneness of Creation.).

4)  !   !  1 ! ! 7 !  1! ! ! !  ͙..͟Lead

me from Untruth to Truth, Lead me from Darkness to Light, Lead me from Death to
Immortality͟ (It represents the invocation that any student has towards any learning. In the
learning process, we come across deception which appears as ͞truth͟, we also come across
some learning that deludes us into believing that we are getting enlightened , and we come
across instances when the knowledge we are gathering {although appearing very clear and
meaningful}could lead us into doom. This is the result of our logical world of existence
where we use our Mind and Intellect to define things. Through thi s mantra, we understand
that there is a Creator whose Grace is important to be showered upon us, over and above
the worldly knowledge that we gather and actions that we perform. Prarthana (Prayer) and
Prayatna (Efforts) go hand in hand.)

5) !  1 !  1 !   ͙.Peace, Peace, Peace (The concluding part of any
prayer usually has this thrice repeated conclusion. There are several interpretations to why
this is done. One of the reasons is while doing our prayers; ignorantly we might have
invoked certain negative energies or been subject to certain violent thoughts, actions, and
words. By uttering Om Shanti thrice, we are invoking the Creator to re-establish Peace in
and around us͙.Sthula Sharira, Sukshma Sharira, and Kaarana Sharira. By this we radiate
Peace to all around us. Even the (benign) effort of a prayer could subtly create violence in
us, unknowingly.)

6)  " ! !    ! ! ͙͙ Protect everyone equally {O, Creator} (this
incantation reflects the concept of Divinity we follow and the all-inclusiveness with which
we live. We pray that everyone, not us alone, is protected from Evil. Regardless of what sort
of a person one is, we have this Universal attitude of not only pardoning him, but also going
one step further in selflessly praying to the Cr eator for his deliverance from Evil)

7) &    6      6 ͙.. As the King, so the subjects (Based on Dharmic Leadership,

the king is considered next to the Creator in the traditional Indian Ethos. He is supposed to
possess all divine properties along with his inborn capacity to protect his subjects. What the
king does, the subjects follow. Thus if the king is just, the citizens are just in their dealings. It
is thus necessary that the king needs to be noble in his disposition and dealings with a great
sense of responsibility and accountability with minimum selfish needs/desires. The sense of
Trusteeship is followed by a noble king.An example is of King Janak who ruled his kingdom
with a detached involvement as a Nishkama Karma.)

8)  
" 2 " 1 
" 2 " 1   
" 2 " 1 
" 2 " ͙..
Mother is God, Father is God, Teacher is God, Guest is God (This again emerges form a
deeper concept of Divinity. We come to this Earth as children of our parents. They are
instrumental to bring us here, hence they are God͙.. creator whom we know with deep
bonds. Our next important contact after our parents, is our Teacher who takes us to the
path of learning and transformation, hence he is considered as God. The Guest who comes
to our homes is considered a form of God coming home to partake of our joys and sorrows.
The Guest gives us an automatic scope to fulfill our duty of serving Society which gives us all
the resources to lead better lives.)

%0  %
Self Control is a way of life and an attribute that Indians profess and practice as a
discipline.
We are constantly swayed by opposing attributes like Happiness and Sorrow, Peace
and War, Like and Dislike, Victory and Defeat, etc. This is a result of our !
 to constantly
attain happiness.
Eastern living advocates the need for Self Control as a means of keeping in the
centre ʹpath of moderation, such that one does not over indulgence or abstain from living a
complete live.
One of the qualities that we imbibe is of     of any desired object,
instead of the Western approach of    .
The delayed gratification makes us appear slow in decision making in the eyes of the
Western world. It must be understood that this quality of    has emerged
from the past due to several reasons: Scarcity of resources & multiplicity of wants; Optimum
utilization of resources with minimum wastage after careful thoughtfulness; etc.
But underlying all these is the spiritual context of pausing before using any resour ce
# from the viewpoint of Self Control of the Individual leading to his ͞progress͟. It
is the action-step of  rather than   to a stimulus. An ordinary person
(unevolved) reacts almost instantly to a stimulus without careful though t to the
repercussions of the reaction; while an evolving person responds to the stimulus. Between
stimulus and action he pauses, thinks and then acts. This is the form of Self Control that has
been the integral part of the Indian ethos.

Yoga is the most popular, time-tested form of Self Control that takes care of, if
practiced diligently, the upkeep and nurturing of the five sheaths/koshas of which Man is
made.(Anna Maya Kosha, Prana Maya Kosha, Mano Maya Kosha, Vignyana Maya Kosha,
Ananda Maya Kosha)
The system of Yoga created by the great sage Patanjali consists of eight stages of
practice and is known as Patanjali͛s Eight-fold path of Yoga.
The stages consist of: 1: Yama. [. Niyama 3. Pranayama 4. Asana 5. Pratyahara 6. Dharana 7.
Dhyana 8. Samadhi.

Yoga takes care of three types of purification:

a) Vichara Shuddhi ʹ thought purification
b) Bhava Shuddhi ʹ feelings/emotions purification
c) Atma Shuddhi - Being purification.
By purification is meant the clarity that is brought about to experience a
healthy/happy balance of the Mano/Vignyana/Ananda Maya Koshas (much needed to attain
reach the Supreme Source from where we emerge and need to go back)

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1.  Ayam Atma Brahma The Self is Brahman.
[.  Tat Tvam Asi That thou art
3.  Prajnanam Brahma Intelligence is Brahma
4.  Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma Universe is Brahma
5.  So͛ ham He am I

These are statements of the identity of the individual consciousness with the Absolute
or Divine reality. They all derive from and merge into Om (AUM), the Div ine Word of "I am
all". The basic teachings of the Upanishads are summed up in six great sayings
(Mahavakyas). These are :

"I am Brahman" (Ê
 


). This states the identity of the inmost
consciousness of the individual with that of the supreme D ivine. The ultimate truth of Vedic
knowledge is not that some great savior is God or the Lord or that such and such a God or
name and form of God is the supreme. It is not the worship of a person, book, image or
idea. It is not even the worship of God. The Upanishads say that whatever we worship as
truth apart from ourselves destroys us. They teach that our own Self is the true Divinity, that
it is the presence of the absolute within our heart and all the universe.

"The Self is Brahman" (Ê
 Ê
 

). This also states the identity of the soul
with the Absolute but in a more objective and less direct manner. Not only is our Self the
Divine. It is the same Self in all beings that is the same Absolute truth.
 "That thou art" (?



). Whatever we see or think about we are that. Not only is
the I That, the You is also That. We are that ultimate I and Thou in all. The consciousness in
the other is also the Divine.

"Intelligence is Brahman" (


 

). Our discernment of truth is the truth
itself. It indicates that the Divine intelligence is present within us and has the power to
return us to the Divine. Our inmost intelligence is that supreme intelligence through which
we can merge into the Absolute.

"The Universe is Brahman" (


 
!
 

). The entire universe is the
Divine, which includes our self. The Divine is not only the consciousness principle in you and
I, it is also the being principle in all things. It is the ultimate object as w ell as the inmost
subject in all beings. It is one and all and all in one.

"He am I" (

). This shows the identity of the self with the Divine Lord inherent
within the natural movement of our breath. "So" is the natural sound of inhalation, "ham"
of exhalation.

These are statements of the identity of the individual consciousness with the Absolute
or Divine reality. They all derive from and merge into Om (AUM), the Divine Word of "I am
all".

0
&
  c c

Creation of the Universe transcends the Time dimension. In the Sanatana Dharma, these
periods are marked by noticeable metamorphosis in mankind as a collective body.
The time periods mentioned run to thousands of years and are termed as Yugas.
The Yugas that have unfolded so far since the first creation are: Kritya Yuga, Dwapar Yuga,
Tretya Yuga and Kali Yuga. One more Yuga, mentioned in the scriptures, is the Satya Yuga
which is yet to unfold.

1.  Kritya Yuga: In the beginning, we had the Kritya Yuga characterized by Virtue,
Wisdom, and Religion. People were filled with Sattvic Gunas (divine properties) and
to ͞reach͟ the Creator, they practiced Tapas or ͞meditative contemplation͟, the
highest and the most difficult path to reach the Supreme.

[.  Dwapar Yuga: With the closing of the Kritya Yuga came the Dwapar Yuga,
characterized by the dilution of Sattva Gunas and the infusion of Rajasic Gunas (
action-ridden properties arising out of passion). The people in this Yuga practice
͞Yagnas͟ (sacrificial fires wherein offerings are poured) to ͞reach͟ the Supreme.

3.  Tretya Yuga: The advent of this Yuga, following the Dwapar Yuga is characterized by
the infusion of Tamasic Gunas (properties of indolence, inertia, inaction) into the
individual, with a further dilution of Sattva Guna. The peopl e practice religious rituals
and singing the glory of the Lord invoking His blessings.
 4.  Kali Yuga: The present age in which we live is the Kali Yuga characterized by the
predominance of Tamasic Gunas and practically very little Sattvic Gunas.In this Yuga;
people practice the group singing of the Lord in the form of Namasamkirtanam.

 4" " 3 4  =+ 

We are living in an age of Tamasic/Rajasic predominance. There is overall material

progress and prosperity. Individual consumerism has taken over group contentment of the
past. More and more want to increase their standard of leaving, driven by all -round
consumerism. Greed-driven living has replaced need-based living of groups. We are all
pulled in the opposite directions of high material indulgence and the need to find larger
meaningfulness in life. Increased materialism leads to greed and dissatisfaction and today
we are caught up in a stressful state of existence, wherein human sensitivity has been
hijacked by human indifference. We are hard pressed for time and are not in a position to
connect to the Almighty even if we have the desire to do it.

c c0c  00

) 
0

The ancient system of division of labour came to be misund erstood due to
malpractices as the infamous caste system. The caste system is condemned even today
more vociferously to the extent that the source from where it is supposed to have emerged
- The Manu Smriti is condemned.
Manu is believed to be the Aadi Manav (first human) and is supposed to be the
Father of Mankind. (In Christianity we have Adam and Eve as the first ͞parents͟ of
Mankind).
Manu created a set of rules needed for living a harmonious social living. This is
famously known as ͞Manu Smriti͟, a compilation, comprising among others, principally of
the roles that man and woman need to play to fulfill duties and obligations of living.
It must be remembered that the compilation was valid and quite relevant for the
times when the Manu Smriti was written and compiled, based on man-woman roles &
duties, social equations etc. With time progressing, the relevance needed to be modified
with changing man-woman roles & duties and social equations. Although many claim that
Manu Smriti is outdated for modern times, we need to remind ourselves that certain
practices that are prescribed are based on basic spiritual Truths which are the same for all
times. Only a ͞well-read͟ and ͞well-experienced͟ person who is objective in his fact - finding
and analysis and focused in his approach would be in a position to interpret it in a time -
relevant manner.

The four Varnas are: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. The original purpose of
these divisions in society was based on divisions of labour and distribution of tasks based on
the basic nature of the person. (The basic nature being the Gunas: Sattvic, Rajasic, Tamasic).
Tasks were allocated and distributed based on the perceptions of the individual nature and
capabilities. At that point of time, the distributi on was based on the family to which the
person was born. It is said that  gets transferred through birth, so the qualities of
the person were supposed to be a part of his grooming. (In Personality Theory we come
across the role of Heredity as a contributor to the Personality of the individual)
The Brahmins are supposed to be of Sattvic disposition and upholders of Dharma taking care
of activities of the religious practices like the temple rituals, etc, education and higher
studies, etc. They acted, as a result of this, as advisors to the Kings on matters of spiritual
and related context.
The Kshatriyas are of predominant in Rajasic Guna and were to take up the task of
warriordom and protection of the land and life. The royalty belonged to this caste and had
the Brahmins as their advisers and ͞conscience keepers͟ for the kingly clans. They came
next in hierarchy after the Brahmins.
The Vaishyas were involved in the trading and commerce of the Land. They are
predominant in Rajasic and bit of Tamasic Gun a. They took care of the business activities of
the Land and the monetary system of the Land. They came next to Kshatriyas in hierarchy.
The Shudras were considered to be of menial disposition and were having Tamasic Guna in
predominant in them. They were assigned the tasks of tasks of housekeeping, cleaning, etc.
which were considered to be ͞lowly͟. They came next/last in hierarchy after Vaishyas.

These divisions of labour unfortunately resulted in caste system and inherent evils of
discrimination and domination by the ͞upper castes͟. To this day the Caste system arising
from the Varnas is haunting Indian society. It must be remembered that the Varnas were
meant for Division of Labour and not to create divisive castes.
In modern-day living, the interpretations of the Varnas have to be understood (not
the Caste system) in the context of the ͞the right job for the right person͙͟.in HR practices,
meaning thereby: allocate jobs as per basic traits of the individual instead of ͞fitting ͞people
into jobs they a re not cut out to do.
Based on the classification in line with the predominant Gunas, we could identify and
allocate right people with Guna- compatible jobs.

The Asramas consists of the stages which a man goes through during the process of
physically growing up. In the Indian context, there are four stages: Brahmacharya,
Grahastahrama, Vanaprastha and Sannyas.
Each of these is stages for which are prescribed certain do͛s and don͛ts and certain
disciplines, appropriate to the spiritual progress of the indiv idual.
Brahmacharya is the stage of childhood to premarital youth stage. This is the learning stage
of life when the entire focus is only transformational education involving learning multiple
skills and developing oneself into facing life after. Usually this stage was spent at the
Gurukul under a competent master, the Guru.
Grahastashrama is the stage when the grown up and learned youth enter into family
life by getting married and raising a family and nurturing the children. The upkeep and the
wellbeing of the family is reinforced by the individual in this stage of life, so as to make the
family members self sufficient and confident to face life.
Vanaprashtha is the stage where the individual having done his basic duties for the family,
prepares to withdraw from active involvement into passive presence. This stage is
prescribed for various deeper reasons. Firstly, to make the individual develop a detachment
towards worldly attachments. It starts with mental processes of detaching through reducing
involvement in family and social life. Secondly, Vanaprastha prepares the individual to face
the imminent separation from the material world ʹfor death. Thirdly, this stage takes the
individual through mentorship and adviser to the family from a detached angle.
Sannyas is the stage when the individual physically withdraws from all family and
social ties and goes to seclusion of the forest. The purpose is to introspect and prepare him
to ͞meet the Creator͟ and make the transition from living world to the next world
meaningfully understood and least painful.

These stages are prescribed to have a disciplined progress towards our only Goal of life, viz.
returning to the Source from we all emerge. (Reflect on the similarities and differences with
Maslow͛s Pyramid and correlate)

)


The Rig Veda is the oldest of the Vedas. All the other Vedas are based upon it and
consist to a large degree of various hymns from it. It consists of a thousand such hymns of
different seers, each hymn averaging around ten verses. The Rig Veda is the oldes t book in
Sanskrit or any Indo-European language. Its date is debatable. Many great Yogis and
scholars who have understood the astronomical references in the hymns, date the Rig Veda
as before 4000 B.C., perhaps as early as 1[,000. Modern western scholars tend to date it
around 1500 B.C., though recent archeological finds in India (like Dwaraka) now appear to
require a much earlier date. While the term Vedic is often given to any layer of the Vedic
teachings including the Bhagavad Gita, technically it appli es primarily to the Rig Veda.

The Rig Veda is the book of Mantra. It contains the oldest form of all the Sanskrit
mantras. It is built around a science of sound which comprehends the meaning and power
of each letter. Most aspects of Vedic science like the practice of yoga, meditation, mantra
and Ayurveda can be found in the Rig Veda and still use many terms that come from it.

While originally several different versions or rescensions of the Rig Veda were said to
exist, only one remains. Its form has been structured in several different ways to guarantee
its authenticity and proper preservation through time.

The Sama Veda is the Yoga of Song. It consists of various hymns of the Rig Veda put
to a different and more musical chant. Hence the text of the Sama Veda is a reduced version
of the Rig Veda.

Its secret is in its musical annotation and rendering. The Sama Veda represents the
ecstasy of spiritual knowledge and the power of devotion. The Rig Veda is the word, the
Sama Veda is the song or the meaning. The Rig Veda is the knowledge, the Sama Veda its
realization. Hence the two always go together like husband and wife. The Rig Veda is the
wife and the Sama is the husband.

The Yajur Veda seen by the outer vision is the Veda of ritual. On an inner level, it sets
forth a yogic practice for purifying the mind and awakening the inner consciousness.

Several versions of the Yajur Veda exist, which differ in a number of respects. It was
the main Veda used by the priests in ancient India and has much in common with the
Egyptian Book of the Dead.

Its deities are the same as the Rig Veda. The purpose of the ritual is to put together
and recreate within ourselves the Cosmic Man or Indra. The ritual is to recreate the universe
within our own psyche and thereby unite the individual with the universal. Its series of
sacrifices culminate in the Atmayajna or the self-sacrifice wherein the ego is offered up to
the Divine. While the lesser sacrifices win the lesser worlds, the Self-sacrifice wins all the
worlds and gains the greatest gift of immortality.

The Atharva Veda is the last of the Vedas. It has not always been accepted as a Veda,
which are often spoken of as three. It still contains many hymns from the Rig Veda but also
has some more popular magic spells which are outside of the strictly ritual-knowledge
orientation of the other Vedas.

Like the Rig Veda it is a collection of hymns but of a more diverse character, some
very exalted like the Rig Veda others of more common nature. As such it gives us a better
idea of the life of common people in Vedic times.

Atharvan is also an important figure in the Zoroastrian religion. Atar is the Persian
name for fire and the Atharvan is the fire priest. The deities of the Atharva Veda are also the
same as the Rig Veda although Rudra-Shiva assumes a more visible role. The language is a
little simpler and less variable in its forms

The Vedas are the ancient scriptures or revelation (Shruti) of the Hindu teachings.
They manifest the Divine Word in human speech. They reflect into human language the
language of the Gods, the Divine powers that have created us and which rule over us.
There are four Vedas, each consisting of four parts. The primary portion is the mantra or
hymn section (samhita). To this are appended ritualistic teachings (brahmana) and
theological sections (aranyaka). Finally philosophical sections (upanishads) are included. The
hymn sections are the oldest. The others were added at a later date and each explains some
aspect of the hymns or follows one line of inter preting them.

The Vedas were compiled around the time of Krishna (c. 3500 B.C.), and even at that
time were hardly understood. Hence they are very ancient and only in recent times has their
spiritual import, like that of the other mystery teachings of the ancient world, begun to be
rediscovered or appreciated even in India. Like the Egyptian teachings they are veiled,
symbolic and subtle and require a special vision to understand and use properly.

The great compiler of the Veda and Puranas was Vyasa Krishna Dwaipayana. He was
said to be the twenty-eighth of the Vyasas or compilers of Vedic knowledge. He was
somewhat older than the Avatar Krishna and his work continued after the death of Krishna.
Perhaps he is symbolic of a whole Vedic school which flouris hed at that time, as many such
Vedic schools were once prominent all over India and in some places beyond.

In classical India there were four ways of getting things done: sama, dama, bheda,
and danda. Danda means punishment - which is not a good approach, unless you happen to
be extremely powerful. Bheda means diplomacy, which you can employ if you are really
clever; but in dealings with gods and goddesses, diplomacy does not usually work very well.
Dama means offering, and offerings are a good way to go. Sama means appeal to reason
and rationale, which is also wise. Working with sama and dama together is usually a good
approach for dealing with beings like Ganesha: give him things that he wants, explain
politely and clearly what you'd like, and there is ev ery chance that he will cooperate.