Management concepts from Bhagbat Gita

Most of us consider and look up to Gita as Spiritual book. For the Hindus it holds the same position as Bible is for Christians. Although there is not an iota of doubt of Gita as a spiritual guide of very high order, but looking towards Gita only as a spiritual guide will be underestimating its other dimensions. Gita can also be viewed as agreat management guide where the great management Guru Krishna advices todays managers on how to deal with difficult situations. In this view point Arjuna can be considered as a highly skilled worker who is overwhelmed by seeing the task at hand and begins to doubt his own abilities. How Lord Krishna re-motivates Arjuna to do his job gives us a glimpse of his leadership qualities. The concepts of management that we get from Gita are;-

Utilization of available resources

The first lesson of management science is to choose wisely and utilize scarce resources optimally. During the curtain raiser before the Mahabharata War, Duryodhana chose Sri Krishna's large army for his help while Arjuna selected Sri Krishna's wisdom for his support. This episode gives us a clue as to the nature of the effective manager the former chose numbers, the latter, wisdom.

Work commitment
A popular verse of the Gita advises "detachment" from the fruits or results of actions performed in the course of one's duty. Being dedicated work has to mean "working for the sake of work, generating excellence for its own sake." If we are always calculating the date of promotion or the rate of commission before putting in our efforts, then such work is not detached. It is not "generating excellence for its own sake" but working only for the extrinsic reward that may (or may not) result.

Work culture
An effective work culture is about vigorous and arduous efforts in pursuit of given or chosen tasks. Sri Krishna elaborates on two types of work culture "daivi sampat" or divine work culture and "asuri sampat" or demonic work culture. Daivi work culture involves fearlessness, purity, selfcontrol, sacrifice, straightforwardness, self denial, calmness, absence of faultfinding, absence of greed, gentleness, modesty, absence of envy and pride.

Asuri work culture involves egoism, delusion, personal desires, improper performance, work not oriented towards service. Mere work ethic is not enough. The hardened criminal exhibits an excellent work ethic. What is needed is a work ethic conditioned by ethics in work. It is in this light that the counsel, "yogah karmasu kausalam" should be understood. "Kausalam" means skill or technique of work which is an indispensable component of a work ethic. Yogah" isdefined in the Gita itself as "samatvam yogah uchyate" meaning an unchanging equipoise of mind (detachment.) Tilak tells us that acting with an equable mind is Yoga.

Manager should not look at the background of workers but only at their skill
Lord Krishna advices in chapter 5 verse 18 that the sage look evenly at a Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and even the most despicable of men are blessed with the highest degree of knowledge. Here the sage can be a taken as a synonym for perfect manager.

Manager always helps the workers focus on their strong points to overcome their weakness
Lord Krishna motivates Arjuna in Gita by telling him that all your weakness are result of your sensory attachments and you shouldnot forget that Above senses there is the mind and above mind there is the intellect, and the one which lies above all of them is the Soul within, supremely powerful and yet subtle.(ch3 verse 43)

The manager should Practice what he preaches

"Whatever the excellent and best ones do, the commoners follow," says Sri Krishna in the Gita. So he says Although, O Parth, there is no task in all the three worlds which I have to do, and neither is there any worthwhile object which I have not achieved, I am yet engaged in action.(chapter 3 verse 22)

-Debabrata Banerjee

Idol worship or not- which is a better option?

The practice of idol worship has been dealt with negatively especially by the abrahamical religions like Islam, Christianity and judasism. This form of religious worship has been termed as pagan religious beliefs and people have been advised to abstain from such acts. Although; what actually is meant by idol, is a matter of debate among the three religions. However if we turn our heads towards Hinduism we see the rampant practice of not only idol worship but also polytheism. It is said that there are 33 crores of gods in Hindu religions. So the question that arises is which is the true path? Although the different religions talk of different things... i.e one preaches idol worship while other talk against it, one concept is core to every one of themGOD IS ONE AND ONLY. People following Hindu religion may find this fact disturbing but it is true as evident from following lines that I use from Wikipedia. A text in the Shukla Yajur-veda (32.3) reads, Of Him there is no likeness (pratima), whose glory is infinite. The Upanishads, which form the philosophical conclusions (vedanta) of the Vedas, repeatedly stress the formlessness (nirkra, no material form) and unimaginable nature of God, and advise the aspirant to realise the divine presence inwardly. However, it was evident to the Indian mystics from very early on that it is very difficult to focus on a all pervading but a formless, unimaginable god (especially for beginners) for the purpose of worship and meditation. So they preached idol worship but didnt in any way recommend idol as god. They only recommended visualization of the single god or eka bramho through idol. This idea is also stated by lord Krishna in Bhagabat Gita Chapter 12, Verse 5, -

It is much difficult to focus on God as the unmanifested than God with form, due to human beings having the need to perceive via the senses.

In another context if we look at the other religions, the Islam has shunned the practice of idol worship and considered it as a great sin. This may have arisen due to the fact that Prophet Muhammad emphasized on the fact that he is only messenger of God and that people should worship only that true god allah. This is the reason why there is no image, statue or even tomb of Muhammad.

Muhammad and the Christians likewise emphasized on the practice of worship without an idol form because they believed that people would in time begin to associate the idol to be the true god and forget that it is only an image (a representation or a means to imagine the unimaginable). But if we look at the recent historical findings it is to be seen that at the time bible was being written and before that time in israel people widely practiced idol worship and polytheism. The bible in a bid to overthrow this polytheistic view emphasized again and again on the worship of single god. The problem with idol worship is that people over time tend to associate over time the image or sculptor or any other inanimate or animate objects over time to be god. While the essence of this philosophy is that they should only be considered as a medium. The situation is best explained by these lines from a poet

Rathyatra lokaranya, maha dhum dham. Bhaktora lutaye pore, korichey pronam. RATH bhabhe ami deb PATH bhave ami, MURTI bhabhe ami deb hasey ANTARYAMI Explanation--The poet explains a situation in which the rath (chariot of the god laden with image of deities)is taken through the streets. The devotees are rolling in ecstasy at the sight of the chariot to pay their homage.The chariot thinks itself to be the god, the road things it is the god, the images think that they are god but the true god or brahmo is only laughing at the plight.

What is the message that the characters of Mahabharata war (Kaurav) give through blowing their conch shell?
In ancient times conch shells were blown before starting of war as a symbol that its time. In the case of Mahabharata war as described in the Gita we also have to remember that it has been described to drive home a spiritual message. The blowing of conch shells in this respect also tells about strength of each character. The trumpeting of conches is a declaration of the intention, of each of the chiefs, of what he can offer after conquest. Tasyasanjanayanharsam,kuru-vrddhahpitamahah; simha-nadamvinadyoccaihsankham dadhmau pratapavan . . . B.G.CHAP1VERSE12 The mighty grandsire Bheeshm, the eldest of the Kaurav, blows his conch to produce a lion-like roar which gladdens Duryodhans heart. The lion represents the terrible, tooth-and-claw, aspect of nature. Our hair stands on end and our hearts beat violently when we hear the roar of a lion in a still, solitary forest even though we are miles away from the beast. Fear is a property of nature, not of God. Bheeshm is the very image of delusion. If delusion prevails, it will enwrap the material worlds forest of fear which we inhabit in yet another shroud of fear to make the existing dread even more frightening. Delusion cannot offer anything else except this. Fear, although in varying degrees, is born out of each perversion. Similar is also the message of the conches of the other Kaurav chiefs. Tatahsankhascabheryasca,panavanaka-gomukhah; sahasaivabhyahanyantasa, shabdas tumulo bhavat. .. B.G.CHAP 1 VERSE 13 After Bheeshms blowing of his conch, numerous other conches, drums, and trumpets are sounded together, and they make an awesome noise. The Kaurav have no message other than that of fear. Intoxicated with a sense of false success, the outward-looking impulses that offend and demean the human Soul render the bonds of infatuation yet stronger.

What is the message that the characters of Mahabharata war (Pandav) give through blowing their conch shell?
Tatahsvetairhayairyukte,mahatisyandanesthitau; madhavahpandavascaiva,divyau sankhau pradadhmatuh B.G.CHAP 1 VERSE 14 After the Kaurav, Krishna and Arjun, riding in their magnificent, sacred chariot drawn by flawlessly white horses (white symbolizes purity), also blow their celestial conches. Celestial means beyond the material world. Yogeshwar Krishnas transcendental message is a promise to render unto souls the most auspicious, unworldly existence that is beyond the worlds of both mortals and gods, and verily the whole universe (Brahmlok), which is all afflicted with the fear of birth and death. If the words in this verse are carefully looked at they indicate somethingIt says the chariot is celestial (not made of gold or silver) conch is celestial, everything is pure and celestial so the poet wants to state that their message is also celestial. Beyond these worlds there is only the one unique and indescribable God. Krishnas message is of establishing a direct contact with this Supreme Being. But how will he affect this state? Pancajanyamhrsikeso,devadattamdhananjayah; paundramdadhmaumaha-sankham,bhima-karma vrkodarah .. B.G.CHAP 1 VERSE 15 So Hrishikesh (lord of the senses), who knows all the mysteries of the human heart, blows the conch PANCHJANYA. This is a declaration of his intent to restrain the five organs of perception which correspond to word, touch, form, taste, and smell, and to transmute their inclinations into devotion. ARJUNA or Dhananjay (the victor of wealth) is the affectionate devotion that attains to the state of divine exaltation. This devotion is a feeling of tenderness for the desired object, which includes within itself all the experiences of devotees, even pangs of separation and occasional disenchantment and tears. There should be nothing for a devotee except the longed-for God. If the devotion to him is perfect, it embraces the virtues (DEVDATTA) that provide access to the Supreme Spirit. BHEEM of awesome deeds blows his great conch PAUNDR, which denotes sentiment. The heart is the spring as well as the habitat of feeling. This is why Bheem is called Vrikodar, the large-hearted. Sentiment is fathomless and mighty, and this sentiment is Bheems great conch that is now blown. The affection that he
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represents is embodied in sentiment. That is why Bheem blows the conch named Paundr. Anantavijayamraja,kunti-putroyudhisthirah nakulahsahadevasca,sughosa-manipuspakau .. B.G.CHAP 1 VERSE 16 King Yudhisthir blows the conch Anantvijay (endless conquest). Kunti is the very image of dutifulness; and Yudhisthir, the embodiment of dharm (natural piety). If ones adherence to dharm is steady, Anantvijay will bring about the absorption of the Self in the boundless God. Nakul, who is a symbol of restraint, blows the conch named Sughosh. As restraint grows firmer, evil is subdued and the dominance of righteousness is proclaimed. Sahdev, the adherer to truth, blows on the conch which bears the name of Manipushpak. Sages have described each breath as a precious ruby. What a pity that we squander the jewels of our breath on idle gossip! One kind of satsang is the moral discourse we hear from noble men, but the real spiritual discourse is internal. According to Krishn, the Self alone is true and eternal. True satsang comes about when the mind reins itself in from all externals and dwells with the Self. This adherence to truth is cultivated by incessant reflection, meditation, and samadhi. The more joy one feels in dwelling with the one reality, the more restraint one gains over each breath, the mind, and the instruments by which objects of sense affect the Self. The day they are totally restrained is the day when we are absorbed in the ultimate essence. Providing, like a good instrument, harmonious accompaniment to the song of the Self is true satsang. The physical ruby is hard, but the jewel of breath is even more tender than a flower. Flowers fall and wither soon after they bloom, and we can never say that we shall live until the next breath. But if there is true adherence to the Self, it leads us to realize the highest goal through providing control over each breath. There is nothing to proclaim beyond this, although each device is helpful in traversing a certain stretch of the path of spiritual perfection.OM TATSAT

What is reality?
For most of us reality is what we experience through our senses daily and at every moment of our life and is most comforting.But is it truly what reality is?...think againFor example I feel that I am sitting pretty comfortably in my chair while writing this article but actually speaking I am zooming through the space at around 64000miles per hour around the sun. When we touch our body or anything around for example table we fill that it is solid but actually most of it is empty space. Physicists are trying everyday to decode reality but defining reality is turning out to be pretty illusive. When it comes to understand what makes up the objects that we think to be real around us what physicist do is to smash them with each other. Through these experiments it was discovered that all elements are made up of atoms which are further made up of a tiny nucleus of positively charged protons and neutral neutrons. Most of the space inside the atoms is actually empty space and then there are electrons which revolve around the positively charged nucleus. To further understand what protons are made of they smashed two protons. But instead of getting one or two particles which they could name as elementary what they got was hundreds of particles comprising of baryons and mesons (together they were called as particle zoo).

Now the question was which one of them was elementary? Before we go for that answer let us first understand a bit about the forces of nature.

FORCES OF NATURE The four fundamental forces of nature are the strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force, electromagnetic force and gravitation. Strong nuclear forces are responsible for holding the nucleons together in the nucleus and quarks together in the nucleons. The gravitational force as we all know binds us to our planet, earth to the solar system, stars to the galaxies and so on. Electromagnetic forces bind nuclei and electrons to form atoms and molecules and bind atoms or molecules to form solid matter. Weak nuclear forces on the other hand cause the beta decay of nuclei and also are responsible for the fusion reactions that power the sun and stars. INTERACTION RELATIVE STRENGTH 1 10-2 10-5 10-39 RANGE OF FORCE Short(~1fm) Short(~10-3fm) MEDIATING FIELD PARTICLE Gluon photons W,Z0 bosons Graviton

Nuclear Electromagnetic weak Gravitational

However with developments in physics in the 20th century the textbook classification of the four fundamental forces of nature has broken down. We now know that the weak force and electromagnetism are two facets of one entity called the electroweak force. Can one go further and unify the strong force with the electroweak force? It is possible. It is called the grand unification but that is a speculative step which could be confirmed only in the future. The grander unification will be with the unification of the gravitation which we may call total unification which is what Einstein dreamed of. THE STANDARD MODEL Now we return to the question asked by experimental physicists. They turned towards theoretical physicists for help, who came up with standard model of elementary particles. The constituents of the universe according to the standard model come in two categories, the field sector and the particle sector. In the field sector we have got 12 gauge fields the four electroweak fields that includes the photon (, W+,W-,Z) and the eight gluon fields(G1,G2,G8) their quanta are all particles with one unit of quantum attribute called spin exactly like the first and most familiar among them, the photon. All such particle having integral spin belong to the family of particles called bosons (this obeys what is called Bose Einstein statistics).

The particle sector consists of spin 1/2 particles belonging to other great family of fermions(Particles that obey Fermi-Dirac statistics). Most matter on earth are however made up of the quark doublet (up and down quark) and the two leptons

(v, e). However nature has chosen to repeat this quartets two more times so that there actually exist three generations of particle quartets each consisting of a quark doublet and a lepton doublet.

Now the question that arises is why three generations? Related to this question is another more profound question- How is everything including the forces of nature that we know today come into being?? For this we have to study a cosmological phenomenon- The Big Bang!