INTRODUCTION:

The Bhagavad Gita is the most fascinating introduction to spirituality anditgives practical guidance to encounter various challengesfaced by human beings across the planet. It contains lucid explanations to complex psychological issues. In this sacred text, Arjuna, a mortal warrior, faced dilemma during execution of his duties and Krishna, the divine incarnation in human form, clarified his doubts and inspired Arjuna to get better of his psycho-social dilemma and thereby, perform righteous actions.

Humans across generations have faced such issues when they were confronted with doubts and dilemma arising from the challenges of life; and lessons from the Bhagavad Gita, as explained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, have guided them through the dark alleys¹. The lessonsare unique or different from any philosophical or religious scriptures as they were not disseminated in caves, mountains or through spiritual realizations; butwere imparted in the backdrop of commencement of the fiercest battle in human history.

The Gita is the insider’s guide for the mind and the questions put forward by Arjuna represents the mental state and inner conflict which any mortal being faces during execution of his duties. The battle of Kurukshetra is a depiction of the internal battles which all humans consciously or unconsciously undertakes². The indecisiveness of Arjuna at the commencement of the battle was due to the role conflict that he experienced when he was confronted with his obligatory duties of eliminating his loved ones to re-establish dharma. Arjuna, being an intelligent devotee of the lord, acknowledged his ignorance, set aside his self ego and questioned Krishna, the supreme personality of godhead, for clarifications. Thus began the philosophical discourse known as the Bhagavad Gita or the song celestial. The conversations between Arjuna and Krishna were narrated toemperor Dhrtarastra by his minister Sanjaya and the incidents that took place were documented verbatim by sage Veda Vyasa. A review of the Bhagavad Gita reveals that all areas of psychological dilemma of mankind were thoroughly analyzed and guidance on containment of the same was given by the Lord for re-establishment of righteousness. Arjuna’s queries and his mental state depict the inner conflicts and indecisiveness that all humans face. The guidance of the Lord is based on the universal laws of nature and they are relevant in every era for every area of life.

Management is the art of getting things done by others and the quality of organizational performance is directly proportional to the amount of insight into human psychology that the managers possess⁴. The success or failure or management, especially human resource management, depends on accurate diagnosis of the causes of deviation and suitable interventions thereof. There are many sources or scriptures from which inspiration is drawn by modern managers. The religious texts or spiritual discourses have also guided many managers through ages. The Bhagavad Gita is one such scripture which has inspired management thinkers to draw inspirations for effective management. The knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita helps management to understand human behavior, locate employees’ dilemma, identify the obstructing variables, realize the causes of conflict and finally remove the hindrances from the path of righteous action.The present study aims to analyze the first chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, namely Arjuna’sVishada Yoga, to gain insights into the management principles which are as relevant to the modern management as they were to the chief warrior of the Pandava army.

Management Lessons from the Question of Dhrtarastra (The Bhagavad Gita 1:1)

The first verse of the Bhagavad Gita starts with a question from the blind emperor Dhrtarastra. He was curious and enquired from his minister Sanjaya, who was blessed with divine vision by sage Vyasa, about the ongoing activities at the place of pilgrimage (Dharmaksetra) Kuruksetra. Emperor Dhrtarastra was born blind but the depiction of his blindness was not just physical but also metaphorical. Due to his lust for power both for himself and his sons, especially for his eldest son Duryodhana, his blindness extended to all areas of his life and living namely spiritual, moral, ethical, economical, political and social. His feelings of hatred for his own nephews, the legal claimants to the throne, led to the battle at Kurukshetra which eventually led to the destruction of the entire nation. The Pandavas respected and obeyed Dhrtarastra as their father figure but throughout his life Dhrtarastra failed to deliver love and justice to the Pandavas. His heinousfeelings of disunion within the family areclearly depicted through his words, where he enquires about his party and of the Pandavas (Mamakah Pandavascaiva) at Kurukshetra. Peace and serenity in kingdom are results of feelings of onenessof the emperor with all his subjects without any form of discrimination. Feelings of duality breeds hatred, jealousy, envy and unrest within the kingdom. Separateness from his own subjects or feelings of duality of the emperor is clearly observed from his words in the very first verse. This incubated feeling nourished hatred within him and were transmitted to his sons which led to numerous unjust incidents (against the Pandavasas described in the Mahabharata) and ultimately led to the disastrous battle.

Management Lesson:

The feelings of duality/ separateness create tension and anxiety within an individual which renders moral blindness and clouds judgmental abilities⁴. The entire living cosmos is united and thoughts of separateness creates disharmony in the cosmic equilibrium. At the institutional level, every member must realize that he is an essential partof the organization and respect all others as equally indispensible ones, irrespective of their stature or abilities. Induction of feelings of oneness within the organization would breed love, respect and tolerance, and help the team to grow beyond defined boundaries of success.

Management Lessons from Duryodhana (The Bhagavad Gita 1:2-11)

Duryodhana, the son of the blind emperor Dhrtarastra, inherited spiritual, moral and ethical blindness from his father. Inspite of being a powerful warrior and possessing all riches, he suffered from self inflicted complexes. His life was focused onthe sole objective of usurping the kingdom from the legal claimantsof the throne. This psychological bias did not allow him to display any of his exceptional talents that he otherwise possessed. Ten verses of the first chapter exclusively narrate the actions and conversations of Duryodhana and they give a crystal-clear picture of his character. These verses also havekey management lessons for any manager willing to excel in any avenue of human resource management.

1. Duryodhana is described as ‘the King’ by Sanjaya in the second verse when he approaches his preceptor (teacher) and speaks to him (The Bhagavad Gita 1:2)⁵. Incongruence in words is clearly noticed as was projected by Sanjaya to King Dhrtarastra. This was due to the attitude of Duryodhana as he approaches his Preceptor (Acharya) as a King (Raja) and not as a student (Sisya). It must be noted that a student approaches his preceptor whereas the King calls for his subjects. Adaptation to multiple roles as per the needs of the situation makes humans great but such role adaptation is found missing in individuals living in perpetual insecurity. The deep-rooted fear of losing the throne clouded Duryodhana’s character to such an extent that all his judgmental abilities were paralyzed. He acted only as a king before any individual, irrespective of his personal relationships or the need of the hour. This arrogance also blinded the ethical vision of Duryodhana who, in spite of having in his company the best of philosophers of his time, could not learn from their teachings and fell upon suggestions from evils who pampered his ego.

Management Lessons:

The same person has to perform multiple tasks and has to adapt to multiple roles as per needs. The skill of role switchover needs to be performed by managers to perfection to address the self-esteem of every member in the organization2. In the world full of egoists, even the slightest mistake in action or words by the management may ruin their effort, dedication and service of several years.

2. The feelings of duality/separateness from his near ones, even from his own kin, are deeply rooted in Duryodhana (like his father). He addresses his own cousins and his brother-in-law as sons of their respective fathers (Pandu-putram, Drupada-putram) (The Bhagavad Gita 1:3). This hatred and jealousy incubated in his heart for decades for members of his own family created insecurity within him and overshadowed numerous appreciable qualities that he possessed. All physical, mental and emotional activities of Duryodhana revolved round the hatred that resulted from his self-inflicted feelings of duality.

Management Lessons:

Hatred and jealousy breeds insecurity and clouds judgmental abilities. When a person’s hatred is directed towards his own people then his entire time, energy and focus are exhausted to demean or defame those men. Personal progress is possible only when the truly limited resources namely time, energy and focus are directed to create a better version of the self without any sort of comparison or complexes.

3. Duryodhanais arrogant by nature andshowers disrespect and sarcasm even towards his teacher Dronacarya (The Bhagavad Gita 1:3)5. He approaches his preceptor andpointsout that his opponent’s formidable military forces were marshaled by the very able disciple of the latter. Even before the gruesome battle, Duryodhanapinpointed at the mistake that Guru Dronacarya, had committed by imparting military secrets to Dhrstadyumna (son of Drupada), who was about to use that very knowledge against his own teacher.

Duryodhanaeven instructs his preceptor on strategies of warfare (The Bhagavad Gita 1:11). He orders all his generals, including Dronacarya, to stand at respective points of entrance into the phalanx of the army and give support to Bhisma. The Kaurava army had guru Dronacarya, the greatest military tactician of all times, but Duryodhana instead of relying on his knowledge and advice foolishly instructed him as an authoritarian leader (Autocratic Leadership).

Management Lessons:

Professional relations are created through order and hierarchies but personal relations are results of love and belongingness². A senior, mentor or elderly having personal relationships with the manager but serving in the lower end of hierarchy expects respect from their loved ones at the upper end. Absence of adequate and requisite respect might create rift in personal relationships and might cause disharmony in the long run. Order without commitment, discipline without dedication, incentive without motivation, and hierarchy without personal touch are prime causes of failure of many organizations.

4. Duryodhana narratedthe identities of valiant warriors of either side to Guru Dronacarya (The Bhagavad Gita 1:4-9)⁵. It is noteworthy that the names of generals of the Pandavas are presented through 3 verses and 15 prominent warriors are briefedabout along with their prowess butthe names of generals of the Kaurava forces are presented through 1 verseonly and names of 7 prominent warriors are briefed. The Kaurava forces had 11 battalions with countless generals possessing mighty records whereas the Pandavas had only 7 battalions. Kaurava army outnumbered the Pandava army but Duryodhana overlooked the fact and his insecurity is clearly depicted from his skewed narrations. This insecurity is the result of selfishness and the consequent fear which every wrongdoer has.

Management Lessons:

Undermining of personal resources and devaluing oneself leads to failure. Lack of confidence of the leader in own abilities and resources leads to terrible results even with the best of resources at his disposal⁴. Strengths of the opposition must be acknowledged but if it is overemphasized then the whole team gets demoralized. A shift in focus towards personal strengths multiplies energy, vigor and enthusiasm, and gives confidence for peak performance even in the midst of unfavorable situations.

5. Duryodhana is extremely selfish and self centered. He aims to fulfill his ambitions at any cost without the slightest of concerns for social wellbeing. Any individual deemed by him to be against his quest for personal glory is severely insulted and devalued. He, in his arrogance, addresses the Kauravaarmy as his army (mama sainya) (The Bhagavad Gita 1:7) and foolishly assesses that the heroes on his side are prepared to give up their lives for his sake (mad arthetyakta jivitah) (The Bhagavad Gita 1:9)⁵. In reality, the heroes on his side were either loyal to the throne (which included legends like Bhisma, Drona, Kripa etc.) or were bound to be with him due to their personal commitmentsand obligations towards him (which included generals like Karna, Sakuni, Aswathama etc). His wrong assessments based on self-centered presumptions became one of the primary causes of defeat in the battle.

Management Lessons:

The single most important cause of failure in the history of mankind is ‘self centric approach’ of the leader. A leader must rise above his personal bias to assess every situation from a neutral perspective². He must also direct his actions for the benefit of all stakeholders.

6. Duryodhana is horrible in assessing his opponent’s strengths and power. He thinks that battle is won or lost through brute power and ignores the vital role of strategies in warfare. This is evident from many of his activities leading to the battle. He was satisfied when he successfully bargained for Krishna’s Narayani Sena over unarmed Krishna. He was also contended with the superior size of his forces and grossly ignored the low moraleamong the men in his camp. He saw Bhima’s physical strength as the main threat in the Pandava force (The Bhagavad Gita 1:3, 1:10); and failed to acknowledge the real strengths of the Pandavas which was their righteous approach and the truth for which they stood)5. He also failed to acknowledge the prowess of Krishna, the key strategist in the Pandava camp. His ignorance about opposition did cost his party dear and ultimately almost all valiant warrior son his side were sacrificed.

Duryodhana on one hand praises the Pandava generals and on the other underestimates their strengths during his assessment (The Bhagavad Gita 1:10). He declares that the strength of his army is immeasurable or unlimited but that of the Pandavas is limited. Numerical superiority, according to him, was more important than moral superiority. He also wrongly assesses that the Pandavas are protected by Bhima which again shows that physical strength and not strategic capabilities, according to Duryodhana, was needed to win battles. The ignorance of the commander in chief of the Kaurava army is clearly visible from the conversations he had with his preceptor.

Management Lessons:

The task force relies upon assessments and strategies made by the leader². Any deficiency in planning or assessment by the leader is ultimately borne by the team. The leader must impartially do a SWOT analysis in consultation with a team of specialists to accurately frame strategies.

Management Lessons from Blowing of Conches by the Armies (The Bhagavad Gita 1:12-19)

Traditionally battles in India were announced through blowing of conches. 8 verses of the first chapter narrate how the valiant leaders from both sides announced the commencement of battle through blowing their respective conches. 6 verses (The Bhagavad Gita 1:14-19) exclusively describe the actions of the Pandavasand their commanders whereas only 2 verses (The Bhagavad Gita 1:12-13)5 describe the actions of the Kauravas.

Bhisma, the commander in chief of the Kaurava army, realized the mental state of Duryodhanaon hearing his conversations with Guru Dronacarya.The insecurities of Duryodhana were clearly reflected through his words and actions. Subconsciously, Duryodhana feared the Law of Karma and was projecting all possible alternatives to Guru Dronacarya to negate the inevitable application of the law (which was bound to bear fruits as consequences of his wrongdoings and selfishness). The dismal state of mind of Duryodhana, if transfused to others on the Kauravaside, would result in acceleration of the process of inevitable defeat and to prevent this,Bhisma acted swiftly by blowing his conch very loudly (The Bhagavad Gita 1:12).This act of declaration of commencement of battle was done by Bhisma as a response to the events that preceded (The Bhagavad Gita 1:2-11) and were directed to give joy and cheer to Duryodhana.Once Bhisma blew his conch, the whole Kaurava army followed by blowingtheir conch shells, drums, bugles, trumpets and horns together making tumultuous sound (The Bhagavad Gita 1:13). The battle declaration was initiated by the Kaurava army and thereafter the Pandavas responded.

On hearing this declaration of war, Krishna, sitting on the divine chariot drawn by white horses, took the lead to respond and blew his divine conch (The Bhagavad Gita 1:14-15)5. It must be noted here that Dhrstadyumna was the commander in chief of the Pandavas but the lead was taken up by the Krishna, who was personally present on the battlefieldto establish righteousness and annihilate all evils. The challenge thrown by the Kauravas was first accepted by Krishna on behest of the Pandavas. Thereafter, Arjuna, Bhima, King Yudhisthira, Nakula, Sahadeva, Kashiraja, Sikhandi, Dhrstadyumna, Virata, Dhrupada, sons of Draupadi and Subhadra all blew their respective conch shells (The Bhagavad Gita 1:15-18)5. The sound emitted from these different conches was uproarious. It vibrated both on the earth and in the sky shattering the hearts of the Kaurava army (The Bhagavad Gita 1:19)5. It must be noted here that precise order and discipline was present in the Pandava camp and the hierarchy of power and status was acknowledged by all great warriors.

Management Lessons:

When a team works for a higher ideal beyond petty self interests, their confidence is sky high and is reflected through actions that they perform². Perfect order and discipline is required to accomplish any noble objective and the manager who can establish order can often achieve the desired outcome.

The best man to perform the job must be allowed to do so under any circumstances. Krishna announced commencement of the war on behalf of Pandavas, instead of their formal leader Dhrstadyumna, as he was the best man to do so. He knew this act was necessary to boost the morale of the soldiers and hence, being a master strategist, he announced the commencement of the war and at the same time imparted a sense of purpose to his team.

Management Lessons from Arjuna’s wishes to observe the armies (The Bhagavad Gita 1:20-25)

After both sides had blown their conches and the battle was about to commence, Arjuna requested Krishna to draw his chariot between the two armies as he wished to see all the warriors who were present in the battlefield (The Bhagavad Gita 1:21-22)⁵. Although Arjuna was fully aware of all the generals present in the battlefield, still he intended to have a closer look at his opponentsbefore inflicting causalities on them. He wanted to personally observe all those generals who had come to fight at Kurukshetra to please Duryodhana, the evil-minded son of Dhrtarastra (The Bhagavad Gita 1:23)⁵. Being the greatest military general of his times, he wanted to review the situation before plunging into the game of bloodbath. As addressed by Arjuna, Krishna drew up the royal chariot in the midst of the armies (The Bhagavad Gita 1:24) and askedArjuna to just behold all the Kauravas assembled there (The Bhagavad Gita 1:25)⁵. The chariot was placed in front of Bhisma, Drona and other chieftains of the world who were fighting on the Kaurava side.

Management Lessons:

It is wise to have a closer look at the opponents before the commencement of any competition⁴. An efficient manager wants to collect and assess every available data about his opponents beforedevising his strategies. It must also be noted that the team must assist the curious manger to collect as much information as possible because carefully reviewed decisions are often the best ones.

Management Lessons from Arjuna’sVishada (The Bhagavad Gita 1:26-45):

When Arjuna’s chariot was placed between the two armies, he looked around and saw his fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, friends and well wishers in the midst of both armies. Observing different grades of friends and relatives desirous to give up their lives in the bloody battle, he became overwhelmed by compassion and the power of emotion got better of his logical intellect. The subsequent breakdown of Arjuna happened atall three levels namely, on the level of his body, on the level of his mind and on the level of his intellect. He lost focus on the purpose of the battle and started arguing about irrelevant things which had little meaning at the onset of the inevitable battle. His arguments for non participationin the war were inconsistent with his vasana (character); and he tried to convince Krishna to approve his decision.

1. Arjuna, on observing his friends and relatives at the battleground felt immense pain. His physical body immediately responded by sending adverse sensations. His limbs started quivering, his mouth parched up, his whole body started trembling, his hairs stood up on end, he felt extreme burning sensations in his skin, his bow started slipping out of his hand and he was unable to stand any longer (The Bhagavad Gita 1:28-30)⁵. He realized that the battle would annihilate many of his near ones and the tumultuous emotions that burst within him caused his mind, body and intellect being taken over by a sense of grief. Arjuna, thevaliant warrior, had killed thousands of opponents in the battlefield but the thoughts of killing his own dear ones paralyzed him physically.

Management Lessons:

When a person is overwhelmed by emotions or faces personal indecisiveness, he is physically incapacitated to perform any responsible task. Such moments must be acknowledged and sympathetically addressed by other members in the best interests of the team. If such emotional moments are handled with responsibility and care by the management, it might create an everlasting bond of trust and loyalty.

2. The body and the mind are deeply interrelated and a change in one is bound to manifest in the other. The physical paralysis of Arjuna due to grief allowed his mind to take over his intellect. The intellect being incapacitated by the mind resulted in him giving illogical reasons to avoid the battle. Arjuna declared that he can derive no good by killing his own kinsmen in the battle (The Bhagavad Gita 1:31)³. He also said that the kingdom, the happiness derived from it or his life itself is of no use when they are achieved at the cost of the lives of his loved ones. He declared that he was not ready to fight the battle even in exchange of the three worlds, let alone their kingdom (The Bhagavad Gita 1:31-35)⁵. He argued that he can derive no pleasure from the throne if those peopleare absent for whose satisfaction such pleasure is sought. Arjunathus forgot all his duties as a ksatriya (warrior class) and was bewildered by calculations of material life and personal issues.

Management Lessons:

It must be noted that when themind is agitated, a person’s intellect is clouded and wrong decisions are arrived at⁴. An agitated mind shifts focus from righteousness of actions topetty personal issues. Proper guidance and counseling must be arranged for individuals facing such issues.

3.Arjunaalso tried to justify his decision from the spiritual and moral perspectives. He emphasized on the grave sin that he would accumulate by killing his friends and relatives. He argued that one must not indulge in such sins with full knowledge of it (The Bhagavad Gita 1:36-38). Arjuna further pointed at the spiritual degradation that comes with the destruction of dynasty which leads to irreligion, degradation of womanhood, unwanted progeny and stoppage of all family rituals (The Bhagavad Gita 1:39-42)⁵. He stated that driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness he was about to commit a sin which would cease all family welfare and deprive even his ancestors from life in heaven (The Bhagavad Gita 1:42-44)³.

Arjuna’s language was inconsistent with his character and was not worthy of the commander in chief of an army. He was lamenting for relationships when higher ideals were at stake. He completely lost focus of the fact that ‘Dharma’ was already lost in the events that led to the battleand the battle was to ensure reestablishment of dharma and not to settle petty personal issues.

Management Lessons:

When personal desire weighs over righteousness, people reason illogically to establish their point of view. Under such circumstances, one must be guided to cultivate objectivity. The management must convince him to use his intellect to guide his mind and senses.

Management Lessons from the total collapse of Arjuna (The Bhagavad Gita 1:45-46)

In the last verses of the first chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna, being overwhelmed with sorrow, declared that it would be better for him if he was killed in the battlefield unarmed and unresisting by the sons of Dhrtarastra (The Bhagavad Gita 1:45)⁵. Declaring this, he abandoned his bow and arrows and slumped down on the seat of his chariot in anguished indecision (The Bhagavad Gita 1:46)³.

It must be noted that Arjuna gave numerous reasons to avoid the inevitable battle in the previous verses (The Bhagavad Gita 1:28-44). With every logic that he presented to Krishna, he convinced himself that his participation in the battlewas irreligious. Being emotionally exhausted and dejected, he finally collapsed.

Management Lessons:

Whenever any individual logically argues against any act, it must be understood by the management that his logic needs a patient hearing first. If one abstains from any activity due to emotional turmoil it must be understood that breakdown or withdrawal symptoms are inevitable. Maturity on the part of management on such instances might arrest skill degradation and reduce attrition.

Krishna and Management Lessons from him

Throughout the introductory chapterof the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna is silent. He listens to Arjuna as his best friend, philosopher and mentor. He alsoobeys the orders ofArjuna as his charioteer. He does not intervene in the process of explosion of Arjuna’sinner grief. He displayed extraordinary character and objectivity by remaining silent. He also allowed Arjuna to openly speak up and express his point of view on the battle and its consequences. He practically demonstrated his powers of detachment by remaining silent when the person (Arjuna) extremely dear to him was about to perform the most horrible sin of his life. For the remaining 17 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna speaks and clarifies all the doubts that emerged from the indecisiveness of Arjuna described in Chapter 1 (Arjuna’sVishada Yoga).

Management Lessons:

The art of listening with total involvement and compassion opens up avenues for the leader. It also creates a personal rapport with the team and creates dedicated followers. Every leader must consciously practice the art of involved listening and harness the power of silence which would enhance their acceptability among followers.

CONCLUSION:

The Western management principles areproduction and profit centered. Theyproduce the desired results through strategies of exploitation of factors of production. These principles are alien to the ethos and culture of the Indian subcontinent where the people have their indigenous set ofmorals, values, and social conditioning from their perennial civilization. But in today’s organizations, the management and staff follow the imported Western management principles which are contradictory to theirprevailing culture or belief systems.

In India, the man management techniques were researched into by enlightened sages since ancient times and the principles were internalized in the society through fables, rituals, songs, traditions and other practices. The principles were more nuanced and they addressed every human doubt or dilemma for the overall wellbeing of the society. The basic principles of Indian management system focused on character building of every individual through knowledge of the self. The management preferred an inclusive approach as all institutions aimed to serve the society.

The Bhagavad Gita is a time-tested manual for human welfare and a re-reading of the Gita is essential for the modern managers to develop comprehensive insights on contemporary issues. Intrinsic motivation is possible when the psyche of the individual is understood and each fear, doubt or dilemma is humanely addressed. The battlefield, the characters present there and their actions described in the Bhagavad Gita are allegories of the struggles that man have faced through ages.

An analysis of all the characters and incidents provide premier acumen to enrich today’s management. Emperor Dhrtarastra, blinded by self-doubt and dejections, failed to deliver justice to his kingdom. He was poised before a self created problem and his shadow-fight eventually led to Kurukshetra. His folly teaches the managers to pivot developmental plans on inclusive growth and universal welfare. Duryodhana, immersed in self-ego, refused to accept logic even from his well wishers. His mind harbored hatred, jealousy and treachery. Being anauthoritarian andleading by malice or power, his actions teaches managers to be humane, just and logical to avoid the consequences that he faced. The great characters like Bhisma, Dronacharya and Kripacharya were loyal to the throne but failed to stand up for righteousness in times of need due to their personal commitments. They valued their personal obligations over social wellbeing of their empire. Their actions teach managers to value interests of humanity over self commitment.

Arjuna, erstwhile a stranger to doubts and despair and panting for an encounter with the Kauravas, freezed on the stage when he realized that he had to eliminate his own kinsmen. He was stressed, indecisive and completely lost in emotions. His wavering mind acted against itself. He gave hollow justifications to defend his crippled spirit. Hewas perplexed because he refused to accept discontinuity; and gave valuable lessons to mankind on change management. The manager has to think beyond the duality of conflicting interests with controlled emotions to achieve sustainable success. Throughout the introductory portion of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna listened silently but compassionately with absolute involvement to the emotional outbursts of Arjuna. He displayed extraordinary detachments in the midst of intense action and unparallel composure of mind in the midst of emotional turmoil. His actions demonstrate that equanimity of the mind and emotions in times of ravaging storms often brings out the best decisions and leads to divine success.

Thus, the introductory lesson of the Bhagavad Gita teaches the modern managers to focus on conquest of their binary minds to become invincible in their chosen fields of action.

REFERENCES:

1. Chidbhavananda, S. (1971). The Bhagavad Gita, Tirupparaitturai: Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam.

2. Chatterjee, D. (2019). Timeless Leadership: 18 Leadership Sutras from The Bhagavad Gita, New Delhi: Wiley.

3. Ranganathananda, S. (2014). Universal Message of the Bhagavad Gita, Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama.

4. Roka, P. (2018). Bhagavad Gita on Effective Leadership: Timeless Wisdom for Leaders, Mumbai: Jaico Publishing House.

5. Swami Prabhupada, A. C. B. (1986). Bhagavad Gita as it is, Mumbai: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Received on 15.05.2025 Revised on 05.07.2025

Accepted on 20.08.2025 Published on 07.11.2025

Available online from November 17, 2025

Asian Journal of Management. 2025;16(4):322-328.

DOI: 10.52711/2321-5763.2025.00049

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Creative Commons License.