PHILOSOPHICAL LESSONS FROM ANCIENT INDIAN SUTRAS FOR

ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT

Prof. Karthik Krishnan

Department of Mechanical Engineering, ABMSP’s APCOER,Pune, India

Email: karthik9590@gmail.com

Prof. G.E. Kondhalkar

Department of Mechanical Engineering, ABMSP’s APCOER, Pune, India

Email: ganeshkondhalkar@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
The paper attempts to establish the relevance of the teachings of Ancient Indian scriptures
like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, , Arthashastra, etc in the practice of modern
management. The western management practices are very ideal and can be derived from the ethical
and spiritual frameworks of ancient Indian ethos . Mythology is a collection of stories, rituals and
symbols that a culture indulges in. It is considered to be ancient wisdom contemplating mainly about
the life, its purpose and how it is meant to be lived through stories, rituals and symbols from which
lessons can be derived and interpreted. Using stories from Indian mythology, the study explores the
meaning, nature and purpose of organization, leader and society, through interpretations and
analysis. Furthermore, it emphasizes on the relationship between the three and gives lessons as to
how complexities in an organization can be managed. The applicability of this approach is not only
limited to business management but to any aspect of life.

Keywords : Relevance, Spiritual Frameworks, Mythology, Complexities.

1. INTRODUCTION
In the competitive business world today, management is an art (and a science) that needs to be
practiced by an individual and the organization. Perhaps at these times, it is best to go back to the
root cause - the mythology - to understand the current state and apply the lessons in management so
as to bridge the gap between execution and implementation. Though mythology may seem an odd
source to take management reference from, its importance and relevance cannot be ignored.
Mythology is a collection of myths - stories, symbols and rituals that is believed or accepted by a
culture (or a part of it), that one hears throughout his or her life. Thus mythology of a particular culture
is to a great extent, the framework in which the psyche of culture develops. It is the psyche of that
culture that affects the behavior. In India, aspects of mythology - predominantly Hindu mythology –
can be seen in daily life of most traditional or religious people. In this study is exploring the ways in
which it can used to understand and be applied in management practice, the ways in which it has
been already being used, where it is being used and how it helps.

2. ORGANIZATION
2.1 Reason for its Existence
In all the depiction of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, she is shown holding a pot in her hand. As
Pots are not natural it can stated that they are manmade. Presence of pots indicates presence of
humanity. At a philosophical level it can be stated that pots change humanity’s relationship with
nature. If the world and its resources are free for all, then whatever is collected in a pot belongs to the
owner of the pot. The pot enables humans to turn natural resources into personal property.
Organizations are pots which help in cultivating nature to suit and meet human needs for living. Living
here does not only mean survival but also to prosper. Prosperity can be achieved having three things
–Lakshmi (Wealth): It is very well understood and often explicitly stated that an organization exists
to generate revenue and make profits. In Indian mythology, this aspect of organization has been
alleged in many stories with cows which need grass and protection and music and love. Thus if the

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organization is a cow, then milk is the wealth that flows out of it. Whole milk is the topline – revenue –
and butter, the bottomline – profit. In India, wealth is considered auspicious. The image of the
goddess Lakshmi, seated on a lotus, flanked by white elephants, holding a pot overflowing with gold,
is placed in many temples, houses and institutes. Lakshmi’s footprint, pointing inwards, is placed on
the doorway of Hindu and Jain households during festival time. This is what people want - The flow of
milk (wealth), preferably rich in butter (profit), flowing in their direction. Saraswati (Knowledge): In
the great epics of India, Ramayana and Mahabharata, war ends not with celebration of materialistic
victory but with transmission of knowledge –In the Ramayana, Ravana lies mortally wounded on the
battlefield and the monkeys are celebrating their victory, when Rama turns to his brother,
Lakshmana, and says, “While Ravana was a brute, he was also a great scholar. Go to him quickly
and request him to share whatever knowledge he can.”The obedient Lakshmana rushes to Ravana’s
side and whispers in his ears, “Demon king, all your life you have taken not given. Now the noble
Rama gives you an opportunity to mend your ways. Share your vast wisdom. Do not let it die with you.
For that you will be surely be blessed.” Ravana responds by simply turning away. An angry
Lakshmana goes back to Rama and says: “He is as arrogant as he always was, too proud to share
anything.” Rama looks at his brother and asks him softly, “Where did you stand while asking him for
knowledge?” “Next to his head so that I hear what he had to say clearly.” Rama smiles places his bow
on the ground and walks to where Ravana lies. Lakshmana watches in astonishment as his brother
kneels at Ravana’s feet. With palms joined, with extreme humility, Rama says, “Lord of Lanka, you
abducted my wife, a terrible crime for which I have been forced to punish you. Now, you are no more
my enemy. I see you now as you are known across the world, as the wise son of Rishi Vishrava. I
bow to you and request you to share your wisdom with me. Please do that for if you die without doing
so, all your wisdom will be lost forever to the world.” To Lakshmana surprise, Ravana opens his eyes
and raises his arms to salute Rama, “If only I had more time as your teacher than as your enemy.
Standing at my feet as a student should, unlike your rude younger brother, you are a worthy recipient
of my knowledge. I have very little time so I cannot share much but let me tell you one important
lesson I have learnt in my life. Things that are bad for you seduce you easily; you run towards them
impatiently. But things are actually good for you fail to attract you; you shun them creatively, finding
powerful excuses to justify your procrastination. That is why I was impatient to abduct Sita but avoided
meeting you. This is the wisdom of my life, Rama.” With these words, Ravana dies. There’s similar
knowledge transmission in the Mahabharata – The war is over and the Kauravas are all dead. As the
victorious Pandavas are about to assume control of Hastinapur, Krishna advises them to talk to
Bhisma, their grand uncle, who lies mortally, wounded on the battlefield. As a result of a blessing,
death would elude him for some time. “Make him talk until his last breath. Ask him questions. He has
a lot to tell,” says Krishna. Sure enough, when prompted, the dying Bhisma spends hours discussing
various topics: history, geography, politics, economics,management, war, ethics, morality, sex,
astronomy, metaphysics and spirituality. Bhisma’s discourse is captured in the Shanti Parva
(discussions of peace) and Anushasan Parva ( discussions on discipline) that makes up a quarter of
the Mahabharata. After listening to their grandsire, the Pandavas have a better understanding of the
world, and this makes them better kings. Both these stories draw attention to the value of knowledge.
Knowledge does not outlive death. Every day, an organization churns out vast amounts of knowledge.
Every day, people leave organizations, taking their knowledge with them, knowledge which they
probably acquired because they are part of the organization. They take with them knowledge of
clients, markets, business processes, tricks of the trade. These may not be confidential information or
patented information, but information that does give an organization that competitive edge. Durga
(Power) : The need for power is never explicitly stated perhaps because it is not tangible or
measurable. Yet empowerment and disempowerment can make or break an organization making it
perhaps more powerful than economic and intellectual resources. In Hindu mythology, all that which
can be transacted between two human beings takes in the form of three goddesses: Lakshmi,
Saraswati and Durga. Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, and
Durga is Shakti, the goddess of power. In many Indian scriptures and temples, Durga is shown killing
of demon Mahish-Asura. Typically, this is perceived as good as she is killing what can be seen as a
demon – a threat. So Durga then becomes a symbol of courage and bravery to protect ourselves from
threats. Most workplace, the craving for wealth and the control of information becomes manifestation
of the underlying power games. It is the fear that influences their behavior. Emotion, not wealth or
knowledge is what makes and breaks relationships. As an employee, one does not only seek money
or knowledge from his or her boss but also emotional comfort and a sense of security. Likewise,
bosses seek respect, obedience, creativity, involvement from employees. Both sides seek power. This

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is transaction of power and the changing dynamics that propels one to create and work for an
organization.
2.2 Structure of Organization
In the Bhagavat Purana, heaven is visualized as the Raas Lila. In the Raas Lila, Krishna plays the
flute and the milkmaids dance around him. The scene takes place at night (darkness), outside the
village, in the forest which generally evokes fear. The milkmaids are away from the security of the
village and family, and yet they feel safe and secure. They sing and dance around Krishna, who is
neither their brother nor son nor husband. Neither law nor custom binds them. No one is obliged to be
here. There is no duty or responsibility that binds them around Krishna. They do so of their own free
will. They do not feel threatened. They do not feel under pressure. There is perfect harmony.
Everyone forms a circle – equidistant from Krishna; there is no jealousy and envy. Each one feels that
Krishna is giving them complete attention as if being physically present in front of each of them. In
fact, the moment they feel possessive about Krishna or believe he should love them more than
others, Krishna disappears; the forest re-appears, brining with it the darkness and the fear. Raas-Lila
perhaps represents what ancient wisdom considered an ideal organization to be like. Every employee
feels safe and secure. Everyone feels they are fully appreciated. Everyone is giving their best. No one
is jealous or territorial. There is warmth and affection all around. No one feels exploited. There is
perfect harmony. For this to happen, the boss must be Krishna. Here, structure represents the
relations between each aspect of organization.

3. EMPLOYEES
3.1 Types of Employees
A story goes that there was a king, sometime identified as a Harishchandra and sometime identified
as Ambarisha, who had an attack of dropsy – his body swelled up with fluid. He prayed to Varuna,
god of water, and said, “If I am cured, I will sacrifice my son.” As soon as he said this, he was cured.
His limbs became normal. His fingers and face were no longer bloated. “My sacrifice?” asked Varuna.
Now that he was cured, the king found it hard to part with his son. So he called the wise men of his
kingdom, and told them to find a way out. “How can I make Varuna happy without losing my son?” he
asked. The wise men said a son is defined in many ways according to the scriptures: one is the son
you produce biologically, another is the son who is adopted and finally there is another son that you
can buy. Hearing this, the king said, “Go buy me a son.” The wise men went around the kingdom, but
no man was willing to sell their son. How can our king ask us to part with a son, they wondered. Who
would do such a thing? After a long search, the wise men found a poor priest willing to sell his son
100 cows His name was Ajigarta. He said, “I have three sons. I will not sell my eldest son because he
is very dear to me, and I cannot sell the youngest because he is dear to his mother. I will sell my
middle son, Sunahshepa, because I have no choice. I am very poor and I need to feed my
family.”Thus Sunahshepa became the son of the king and was brought to the palace on a golden
palanquin. He was quite excited until, after being fed and clothed and given gifts meant for princes, he
was taken and tied to a sacrificial post. You, Sunahshepa , are to be sacrificed to Varuna so that your
father, the king, is free of debt, said the wise men. Realizing his hopeless situation, Sunahshepa
began to cry. The executioner was called to sacrifice the boy. “I will not sacrifice the boy, he is no
criminal,” said the executioner. The butcher was called to sacrifice the boy. “I will not sacrifice the boy,
he is no animal,” said the butcher. The priests were told to sacrifice the boy. “We will not sacrifice the
boy. That is not part of our responsibilities,” said the priests. Suddenly a voice rang across the
sacrificial hall, “I will. I will. For 100 more cows.” It was Ajigarta, Sunahshepa’s father! Everybody was
aghast and looked at the father, and said, “When you sold your son, your reason was poverty. What is
your reason now?” “Why should I feel ashamed,” said Ajigarta, “When the king is not ashamed to
sacrifice one of his subjects to save his son.” Watching his father move towards the chopping block,
axe in hand, Sunahshepa realized he had no one he could turn to, neither father nor king. His fate
was doomed. Mythology shows how Sunahshepas are created when leaders refuse to make
sacrifices. It can be seen that there are many Sunahshepas in the corporate world. They are victims
of greed, favouritism, politics etc. who are many times stripped of livelihood. These are employees
who have faced exploitation at expense of someone else.
3.2 Qualities of Employee
Mythologies are abundant with stories in which certain qualities in a character help him or her to
progress or achieve certain objective intentionally or unintentionally, directly or indirectly .One day,
Narada asked Vishnu, with a bit of hesitation, “Why do you insist that the image of Garuda be placed
before you in your temples? Why not me? Am I not your greatest devotee?” Before Vishnu could reply
a crash was heard outside the main gate of Vaikuntha. “What was that?” asked Vishnu. Narada

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turned to look in the direction of the sound. Garuda, Vishnu’s hawk and vehicle, who usually
investigated such events, was no where to be seen. “I have sent Garuda on an errand. Can you find
out what happened, Narada?” asked Vishnu. Eager to please Vishnu, Narada ran out to investigate.
“A milkmaid tripped and fell,” he when he returned. “What was her name?” asked Vishnu. Narada ran
out and after speaking to the maid, returned with the answer. “Sharada,” he said. “Where was she
going?” asked Vishnu. Narada ran out once again and after speaking to the maid, returned with the
answer. “She was on her way to the market.” “What caused her trip?” asked Vishnu. “Why did you not
ask this question the last time I went?” said Narada irritably. He then ran out, spoke to the maid once
again. “She was startled by a serpent that crossed her path,” he said on his return. “Is the pot carrying
broken?” asked Vishnu. “I don’t know,” snapped Narada. “Find out,” said Vishnu. “Why?” asked
Narad. “Find out, Narada. Maybe I would like to buy some milk,” said Vishnu. With great reluctance,
Narada stepped out of Vaikuntha and met the milkmaid. He returned looking rather pleased, “She
broke one pot. But there is another one intact. And she is willing to sell the milk but at double price.”
“So how much should I pay her?” asked Vishnu? “Oh, I forgot to ask. I am so sorry,” said Narada
running out once again. “Do not bother. Let me send someone else,” said Vishnu. Just then, Garuda
flew in. He had no idea of what had transpired between Vishnu and Narada. Vishnu told Garuda, “I
heard a crashing sound outside the main gate. Can you find out what happened?” As Garuda left,
Vishnu winked at Narada and whispered, “Let us see how he fares.” Garuda returned. “It is a milkmaid
called Sharada. She was on her way to the market. On the way, a snake crossed her path. Startled
she fell back and broke one of the two pots of milk she was carrying. Now she wonders how she will
make enough money to pay for the broken pot and the spilt milk. I suggested she sell the milk to you.
After all, you are married to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.And the price of the milk?” asked Vishnu.
Pat came Garud’s reply, four copper coins. One actually but I think she hopes to make a handsome
profit when dealing with God.” Vishnu started to laugh. His eye caught Narada’s and Narada
understood at that instant why Garuda’s statue and not his is always placed before the image of
Vishnu in Vishnu temples. By this story it can be seen Narada had behaved like a reactive
subordinate - very obedient, doing what the master told him to, leaving all thinking to the master.
However, Garuda behaved like a proactive subordinate - anticipating all his master’s moves and
preparing for it. The ‘ability to anticipate’ made Garuda more efficient and effective and hence more
valuable in the eyes of Vishnu. Ideal employees are like Garudas – they know what their bosses want
even before the boss asks for it. For instance, they know that when their boss says, “Book me a ticket
to Mumbai,” they are expected to make the hotel bookings, the car pickups, keep updating about all
the appointments and reminders. They know what bills need to be processed at the first of the month,
on the first Monday of every month, on the last day of every month. They know when the weekend
parties have to be organized, when the stress levels shoots up, when the bosses are more relaxed.
They are sensitive to the rhythms of the boss and the rituals that the boss follows. And all this comes
from the ‘ability to anticipate’ which makes the employee not only reliable but effective.

4. LEADERS
4.1 Reason for His or Her Existence
It is seen in the Puranas, that many Indras came and went but his wife, Sachi, like his kingdom,
Svarga (Heaven), remained the same. The kingdom and queen are faithful to no one man. However,
in man’s world, the definition of dharma was to provide for the weakest of men as the weakest of men
cannot survive in the forest. So man 'tames' the forest. This cannot be done unless an ecosystem is
destroyed. This is brought out in the episode the burning of Khandavaprastha – In the Mahabharata,
however, Krishna advises the Pandavas to set a forest a flame. This forest, Khandavaprastha, is the
share of property given to the Pandavas by their uncle when they demand their inheritance. As the
trees burn, the animals and birds of the forest try to escape. Krishna instructs Arjuna to circle the
forest on his chariot and shoot down every escaping bird and beast down. Hundreds of animals are
thus massacred. The rest roasted alive. The serpents beg the rain-god, Indra, to come to their rescue.
But again, on Krishna’s advice, Arjuna uses his arrows to create a canopy over the forest preventing
the water from dousing the flames. None are spared except an Asura called Maya on condition that
he build for the Pandavas on the gutted land a magnificent city called Indraprastha, which goes on to
become the greatest city in the world. The same phenomena can be seen in management.
Organization cannot be created without the utilization of resources, which need to 'taken' from society
or nature. In both cases, the leader is person or the entity who needs to decide to what degree and
how. This role becomes more important and delicate when dealing with issue concerning humans.
4.2 Brutality v/s Humility

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In the Ramayana, after Rama completes his education under Rishi Vasishtha, Vishwamitra storms
into Dashratha’s court and demands that Rama accompanies him to the forest and protects his
hermitage from Rakshasas. Dashratha offers his army instead because Rama is just a boy. No, I want
Rama, snarls Vishwamitra. With great reluctance, Dashratha lets Rama go. In the forest, Vishwamitra
first directs Rama to shoot and kill the Rakshasa woman, Tadaka. But she is a woman, says Rama,
remembering his lessons that informed him that women should never be harmed. Vishwamitra does
not heed this argument. It does not matter that Tadaka is a woman; she threatens the well being of
the hermitage and does not heed warnings, hence must be killed. Rama thus learns how all rules
have to be contextualized. He therefore raises his bow and shoots Tadaka dead.
Later, Vishwamitra takes Rama to the hermitage of Rishi Gautama. There Rama is shown a rock
which was once Gautama’s wife, Ahalya. Her husband found her in the arms of another man, Indra,
king of the gods, and so he cursed her to turn into a rock, explains Vishwamitra. Rama is then asked
by the Rishi to place his foot on the rock. That touch turns the rock back into Ahalya and she rises to
the heavens, purified as she was of all her sins. Rama realizes there how there are times when one
has to strike and times when one has to forgive. The killing of Tadaka and the rescue of Ahalya are
two extreme events. One reeks of ruthlessness and demanded death and the other brims with
compassion, requesting for life. With these two events, Ram’s practical education which began with
theoretical education was complete. By experiencing two extreme roles of a leader, Vishwamitra
transformed the boy that was Ram into a man, one who is ready to take on the responsibility of
leadership, one who is ready for marriage and kingship. The education of Ram is the story of how
leaders can be made. It draws attention to the power of a leader and explains in what situation this
power can be used to take life and in what situation the same power can be used to give life. It
demonstrates how there are situations when a manager is called upon to take a tough call and
situations where the manager is expected to be compassionate. However, the story shows how this
cannot be taught in theory –one has to live it. That is why Vishwamitra stormed into Dashratha’s court
and took Ram into the forest by force.
4.3 Being the Lion or the Lion Tamer
By the very definition of leader, it is assumed that given the authority, a leader had power over others
and was meant to use this to govern them in a way so they follow his way. It be common to associate
this aspect of leader to that of being a lion. Leadership by fear is one of the most tried and tested
ways. The most popular non-violent fear-inducing tool seen in management is the threat of sacking
people. This is a common occurrence, when superior manager does not seem to get the employee to
confirm with set norms. This dictatorial attitude is a sign of a lion growling. But in ancient India, the
king was expected to sit on a lion, not be a lion. His patron goddess, Durga, rode a lion, meaning she
domesticated the king of the jungle. The message here is about human beings having the ability to
overpower and outgrow the animal urge to dominate and frighten others into submission. The king
was not expected to treat his people like animals who needed to be controlled by fear or force, or
tamed by ‘carrot and stick’. To be the lion is to be the leader who frightens. To sit on the singh-asan
(lion-throne) was to be a leader who inspires.
4.4 Applying Situational Tactics
Vishnu is the preserver of cosmic order. This often involves battling Asuras (conventionally
understood as ‘demons’). Every battle involves a different demon and so Vishnu takes different forms
for each battle. From Varaha to Narasimha to Vamana there is a shift from brute force, to brain rather
than brawn and finally an exercise in outgrowing rather than outwitting. The demons are becoming
increasingly complex – Hiranayaksha is violent, Hiranakashipu is clever and there is no real fault in
Bali; his goodness disturbs cosmic balance. Each one forces Vishnu to change, adapt, and evolve.
There is no standard approach; each approach is customized. What is significant is the shift from
animal to human, from strength to cunning, from external drive to internal drive. A good leader and a
manager also need to apply different tactics and strategies when dealing with problems in an
organization.
4.5 Becoming Vishnu
Vishnu’s shankh or conch-shell trumpet is blown to announce his presence on a battlefield. Warriors
also used this to demonstrate their stamina before their enemies for blowing a conch-shell trumpet
was a measure of lung-power and mind control. Every warrior in the Mahabharata from Krishna to
Arjuna had his very own conch-shell. One can view the conch-shell as an instrument of
communication. The first rule of leadership is to be an effective communicator. A manager's team
must know who he or she is - his or her capabilities, vision and what he or she expect them to do, why
and how this will help in achieving the final desired objective. The competition also needs to know that
leader is powerful and they must avoid confrontation. Unless one communicates, nobody is aware of

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their presence. ‘Blowing one's own trumpet’ and getting the thoughts across is necessary if anything
needs to get done. Vishnu’s chakra or discus which whirs round his index finger is both a weapon as
well as a symbol of life that Vishnu sustains. As a weapon, it strikes a target, trims the unwanted and
undesirable elements like an electric saw. One can view the chakra as a symbol of review. Proof of
optimal tool usage comes when Vishnu, the leader, creates Vaikuntha, an organization which is stable
and harmonious, where every individual thrives, where the team works in alignment, and where
organizational goals are achieved to the satisfaction of all stakeholders. Mythology shows that while
everyone can see a situation from one’s own point of view, a good leader has the ability to see things
from other's point of view. A leader accepts that his view is not the only view - certainly not the whole
view - and there are many people whose point of view matter. Thus looking different point of views is
not only crucial but beneficial for manager. When he is about to take a decision he asks: How will this
be perceived by other departments? How will it be perceived by the shareholders? How will it be
perceived by customers? How will it be perceived by the media?

5. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEADER AND ORGANIZATION

In the Vishnu Purana, the earth takes the form of a cow and weeps before Vishnu, her guardian. “My
back is broken and my udders are sore,” she says, “I find the burden of kings unbearable. Their greed
and ambition knows no bounds.” In response, Vishnu descends on earth and sets about killing kings –
first as Parashuram, then as Ram and finally as Krishna. According to mythology, the earth-cow must
be protected at any cost. The killing of the cow or Go-hatya is the worst of sins. When the cow dies,
there is neither milk nor butter - thus no food and no livelihood. It is the end of the world.
One often forgets that an organization is a set of people, an organism - like a cow that gives milk. But
to give milk, the cow needs nutrition, and one has to be patient for the milk, allow it time to graze,
ruminate and gestate. The cow needs also to be loved. Beating a cow does not generate more milk.
Yet while some leaders get so obsessed with the milk that they milk the cow till ‘back is broken and
udders are sore’, others get so obsessed with the cow – in taking care of people – that they forget to
milk the cow. If the kingdom (organization) is a cow that gives milk, then the king (leader or manager)
is the cowherd. That is the traditional model explaining the relationship of a king and a kingdom (a
leader and an organization) in Hindu mythology. Different situations are associated with different
problems, each of which demands a different solution. In Mythology, it is shown through Vishnu’s
avatars –
1. When the project is about rescuing an organization that is on the brink of collapse, he becomes the
sensitive fish, Matsya, who navigates the boat full of life and wisdom to safety.
2. When the project needs brainstorming and cooperation between opposing even hostile factions is
crucial, he becomes the stabilizing turtle, Kurma, which holds aloft the spindle that can be used to
churn the ocean of life.
3. When there are many ideas floating around but no base on which they can be applied or
implemented, he becomes the boar, Varaha, plunging into the depths of the sea, getting his hands
dirty, and bringing up the foundation (land or venture capital or regulatory changes), which can
nurture all ideas.
4. When rules are established but there are many finding ways to slip between the rules, he becomes
the dreaded Narasimha, part man, part lion, outsmarting the smart troublemakers and preventing any
disruption within the organization.
5. When people refuse to respect their respective roles in society, and like Asura Bali choose to
occupy even the earth and the sky, i.e. more than the space allotted to them, he becomes Vamana,
the dwarf who transforms into a giant and shoves the king of Asuras back to the nether regions where
he belongs.
6. When people break the rules, he rises up in righteous outrage as Parashurama, who abandoned
the peaceful ways of a priest by raising the axe and hacking the law breakers to death.
7. When rules continue to be broken, he as Rama tries to become the model king, and by upholding
the law even at the cost of personal happiness, inspires people to do the same.
8.When rules are upheld only ceremonially and not in spirit, he becomes Krishna, bending and
breaking and redefining rules, choosing to be kingmaker rather than king.
9. When intervention is pointless and the best way is to provoke self-realization in the organization, he
becomes the ascetic Buddha.
10. Finally, when the situation is beyond repair, then he comes as Kalki, riding a white horse and
brandishing a sword, systematically breaking down the existing system and preparing for a new cycle
– a new organization.

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It is crucial to note that there is no one way to be Vishnu. The situation decides what he needs to be
i.e. it all depends on the context. The manager has to adopt different roles depending on what the
organizational needs.

6. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEADER AND EMPLOYEES

Draupadi, the great heroine of the Mahabharata, never really chose her husbands. Her father, king of
Panchala, had organized an archery contest and she was the prize. She thought she was marrying a
Rishi with archery skills (the Pandavas were in disguise) and so it came as a pleasant surprise when
the man who she married turned out to be a prince called Arjuna. Just as Draupadi did not choose her
husband, one does not get to choose his or her bosses. One has to find a way to work with the boss,
not matter what for the sake of organizational progress. Failure to get along with bosses remains one
of the main reasons for attrition. In Mythology parables, boss is considered to be like the husband and
the subordinate or employee is like the wife. While it is sexist for it assumes a power play with the
husband in a dominant position, but political correctness aside, `husband’ and `wife’ are functional
role assignments that makes conceptual understanding easier. So while divorce is an option in the
corporate world, it reeks of poor management skills, on the part of both, of the `husband’ and the
`wife’. Draupadi in the meantime agreed to become the wife of all the pandavas .A talented individual
in the corporate world, whether he likes it or not, does become a shared resource between many
teams and many departments and it bodes him well to recognize he is a Draupadi with many
`husbands’ – all his superiors and colleagues. He has to manage all the `husbands’ as Draupadi
managed her five. A successful subordinate is like a Draupadi, who ensures that the boss does
exactly as he wishes – all the while making the boss feel it is his decision.
Each of Draupadi’s husbands had a different personality: Yudhishtira was self-righteous, Bhima was
volatile, Arjuna was insecure, Nakula was narcissistic and Sahadeva was intellectual. The fact that
each one was devoted to her indicates she was successful in being what each one of them wanted
her to be. She could not have done this if she behaved the same way with each one. She clearly
flexed her style repeatedly, behaving in five different ways for the five very different brothers. But
people will never prefer a subordinate like draupadi who is sharp and intelligent. People always prefer
a subordinate like Sita – the faithful and submissive wife of Ram, who endures all silently and never
speaks against her husband. By drawing up characteristics from both, an employee needs to be like
Draupadi, but always behave like Sita.

7. MANAGING OF ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEE

7.1 Importance and Consequences of Doorkeepers
It can be said that if Vishnu is the CEO, then his office is Vaikuntha, the ultimate paradise, a place
where his every word is law and every wish a command. Anything that cannot be resolved elsewhere
can only be resolved in Vaikuntha, making it a place where everybody would want to go toVishnu’s.
Vaikuntha has two doorkeepers: Jaya and Vijaya. In art, they are visualized as looking exactly like
Vishnu, perhaps as a reminder that one's impression of the CEO, leader or manager often emerges
from one's impression of his doorkeepers. It is best that an aspiring leader or manager keep in mind
that he or she has many Jayas and Vijayas of his own in the organization – be it the gatekeeper who
lets in the cars or the receptionist in the lobby who shows in the guests or the secretary in the outer
office who checks the appointments or the executive assistant who churns out all the key documents
just before the meeting or the admin-boy who serves tea to guests. A good manager needs to
sensitive to this and must communicate he importance of 'Organizational image' to other - all the
Jayas and Vijayas of the organization.
7.2 Differentiating between Sudama and Arjuna
A good leader needs to be sensitive to the people he or she is leading. Often, he needs to
understand the 'unstated needs' of others and help them in fulfilling it.
There are two stories in Mythology which show this -Krishna had a childhood friend called Sudama.
While Krishna grew up to be a great warrior and lord of the city of Dwaraka, Sudama remained a poor
priest. Desperate for some wealth, Sudama paid Krishna a visit in Dwaraka. But on reaching there he
felt too embarrassed to ask for anything. He simply gave his friend a packet of puffed rice, which was
all he could afford, and claimed he just wanted to see his old friend. Krishna sensed his friend’s need
and very silently ensured that when Sudama returned home he found his house overflowing with
wealth, much to his delight and surprise. In the Mahabharata, Krishna had another friend called
Arjuna, who had to fight a great war against his cousins. Just before the fight, Arjuna lost his nerves.
The thought of killing his own relatives, however justified, horrified him. He did not know what to do.

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He creatively started stating the ethical and moral dilemmas in killing and in war. It was here that
Krishna sang the song now known as the Bhagavad Gita. The words of the song addressed Arjuna’s
core issues, cleared his mind, clarified his doubts, enabled him to raise his bow and fight the enemy
with conviction. Neither Sudama nor Arjuna was explicit about what they wanted. But Krishna sensed
what they needed. More importantly, Krishna knew what to give to whom – wealth to Sudama and
wisdom to Arjuna. When employees approach a leader, they come expecting to receive something –
sometimes it is something that cannot be explicitly stated. It needs to understand that it is often
embarrassing for people to openly admit that they are having issues. A leader has to be sensitive
enough to figure out what exactly they are seeking and respond accordingly.

8. CONCLUSION
From the above discussions we conclude that firstly, much of modern management principles existing
today can be derived from the body of knowledge of the ancient Indian scriptures. However, in
practice, the sustainability of the existing management frameworks is still dubious. Secondly, through
the wisdom of Ancient Indian scriptures we can make the existing modern management paradigms
more sustainable in practice. Through spirituality wisdoms of the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita
etc. We can not only promote a more ethical and responsible leadership on an individual or
institutional level but also move towards the direction of restoring world peace and a better world
economic order through coupling globalization with spiritual congruence. It is time that modern
management thinkers should embrace the importance of ancient Indian ethos in filling the gaps that
exist in the existing paradigms of leadership and management.

9. REFERENCES
1. Pattanaik, Devdutt. Jaya - An Illustrated Retelling of The Mahabharata,(2010) ,Penguin
Books.
2. Pattanaik, Devdutt. Myth Mithya : a Handbook of Hindu Mythology, (2006),Penguin
Books.
3. L.Rangarajan Kautilya’s The Arthashastra, (1987), Penguin Books.
4. Radhakrishnan S.: Eastern Religions and Western Thought, (1989) ,Oxford University
Press
5. Bhawuk Dharam P.S. Spirituality and Indian Psychology: Lessons from the Bhagavad-
Gita ,( 2011 ),Springer.
6. Murthy Narayana:(2003,Oct-Nov.) The Essence of Leadership, The Smart Manager.

About the Author(s)

Prof. Karthik Krishnan ,is currently working as an Assistant Professor at

ABMSP’s APCOER , Pune in the Department of Mechanical Engineering .

Prof. Kondhalkar Ganesh Eknath ,is currently working as an Assistant

Professor and Head - Department of Mechanical Engineering at
ABMSP’s APCOER , Pune .