Presented by Gunjan Bhattacharya Rohan Gupta Nalin Pathak Sanjana Patel Aanchal Kalia Snehil Chandra Heena Goel

Chaitali Varshney

Khatriya Dharma
According to the MAHABHARATA, Kshatriya dharma defines a leader's role responsibility and competencies The overarching mission of the Kshatriya is the institution of righteousness (dharma) and its protection

Put into action this means four things

1. Laws, policies and institution created by leader must be based on dharma 2. When there is dereliction of dharma leaders must take prompt and corrective action and if necessary punish the one who has erred. 3. Leader must expand the frontiers of righteousness (dharma) so that there is greater political, economic and social well being.

Sauryam tejo dhrtir dakshayam yuddhe capy apalayanam , Danam- isvara bhabva ksatram karma svbhavajam ||

4. Leader must live a life of grace and decorum which translates into qualities like self -motivation, courage, commitment, prompt action, not running away from a challenge and benevolence.

In Mahabharata the legendary Hindu epic, there are five protagonists who have exercised Kshatriya dharma in their own way. Their actions offer useful insight into leadership behaviour.These heroes are:

Bhishma the eldest patriarch and karta of the Kuru dynasty and Hastinapur. Dhritarashtra- the blind and uncrowned Kuru king of Hastinapur Duryodhana - son of Dhritarashtra consumed by ambition for kingship and jealousy towards his cousins The Pandavas. Yudhishthira -the eldest of the five Pandava brothers and the crown prince of Hastinapur. Vidura - half brother of Dhritarashtra who was member of the royal court of Hastinapur and closely involved with the affairs of Pandavas and Kaurava.

The Dharma of Bhishma

Vow of Celibacy and Abdication Always be committed to the interest of Kuru dynasty and Hastinapur Never assessed correctly the depth of sibling rivalry between Kauravas and Pandavas His loyalty to the kingdom of Hastinapur seemed like loyalty to Duryodhana only. Abetted ( adharma) stripping of Draupadi In battle of Kurukshetra Bhisma took Kauravas side.

The Dharma of Bhishma

Bhishma made dharma static , rigid and mechanical. Essence of truth and justice hence got vitiated many times in Mahabharata because of his interpretation of Dharma He did keep his vow of celibacy and abdication, but how well he fulfilled his commitment to the well being if Hastinapur is questionable

POSER: how will you evaluate Bhishma as a leader.

Dharma of Dhritarashtra
Dhritarashtra was the crown prince of Hastinapur, but he could not become the king because of his congenital blindness. His younger brother Pandu was crowned as the King of Hastinapur Death of Pandu and Dhritarashtra became the uncrowned king of Hastinapur Always supported and encouraged schemes that his son Duryodhana and his allies hatched to kill the Pandavas Sent the Pandavas to Varnavata ( Lac palace) Dhritarashtra knew about the how kauravas are cheating in dice game but didnt stop it.

 Only time when he showed his leadership - three boons to Draupadi At a personal level regarding Gandhari his queen decision to s blindfold herself Dhritarashtra had able advisors in Gandhari , Vidura and Sanjaya, but he did not listen to their

Poser : Would Dhritarashtra have been a great leader if he was not blind? Further Was Dhritarashtra a helpless victim of circumstances?

Duryodhana: Dharma or Adharma

There are some heroes who are labeled by posterity as villains. Duryodhana falls in this category But in many instances in Mahabharata ,Duryodhana displayed qualities of a good leader Benevolence and large heartedness towards Karna by offering Anga Kingdom to him Duryodhana skilled strategist Offered extreme hospitality to King Shalyas fleet of soldier knowing that the king came to support the Pandavas. Duryodhana: Prompt and quick actor

 A good Leader but negative vision Weak knowledge of Dharma though good in implementation Duryodhana was a victim of his destructive emotions Dharma - The natural intelligence that keeps the creation in order. It always prevails despite bad leaders and advisors.

POSER- Krishna was the most powerful character in Mahabharata and he failed to reform Duryodhana . Was there any other win win solution available and also implementable, by which dharma could be upheld, without the carnage of Kurukshetra.

Yudhishtira -Dharamraja
Yudhishtira was the true crown prince of Hastinapur. Being the eldest in the Kuru house Yudhishthira was extremely well versed in matters of dharma a fact acknowledged by all, and for this reason he was also called Dharma. Yudhishtira had everything lineage, legitimacy, recognition, wisdom and good demeanor What he lacked in skills of war, weaponry and valor Yudhishthira was crowned the first time as king of Khandavaprastha During his reign Khandavaprastha was developed into magnificant kingdom called Indraprastha

 But the Pandavas lost their kingdom in the dice game as Yudhistira couldnt resist the wager offered in dice game. Moreover he knew the Kauravas are cheating still he allowed one side rule to prevail Knowing they are unfair is something that a leader has to stand up to Moreover, dharma is clear that women will not be dishonored in any circumstance (offering your wife as a wager is a dishonor)

 According to the guna theory ,as elaborated in the The Bhagvada Gita, our behavior is determined by the collective working of three styles of actions ( guna) called Broadly Satwic enlightens, Raja leads to action and Tamasic is inertia . Leaders must have be both Satwic and Rajasic in their style , that is they must perform enlightened actions. Yudhishthira was definitely enlightened but he lacked rajas action orientation. He was strangely indifferent to the consequences of his actions and displayed an unwillingness to take up arms to redress adharma. This is Tamasic.

 Offer of dual with Bhima a foolhardy bait. Bhima whould have lost, It was Krishnas tactical intervention that saved the situation

POSER- What positive lessons on leadership can we learn from Yudhishthiras leadership style , that are relevant today .

Vidura Leader or Wise Sage

Vidura was a true protector of Pandavas even while he was the well wisher of the Kuru dynasty. On every challenging occasion Vidura thought wisely and acted wisely thought and action were never divorced from each other as far as he was concerned Vidura was extremely knowledgeable the wise one both in worldly affairs and spiritual matters. Because his lineage was lower than that of his brothers , Vidura was never part of royalty. He lived outside the palace and also married in his own caste ( suta) . However he was dearly loved by his elder brother Dhritarashtra; and Bhishma consulted him frequently on matters concerning state and governance.

 When the plan to burn the Pandavas in Varnavarata was hatched it was Vidura who forewarned Yudhishthira about the impending danger, by giving a speech, at their departure that had double meaning He then saved them by digging a secret tunnel to escape from Varnavarata. Viduara openly criticized Dhritarashtra for his attitude and never resorted to sycophancy and appeasement In the infamous dice game ,Vidura was the lone sane voice but no one listened to him, an- he did not have the position and power to stop at once what was going on

 Vidura was brilliant, courageous and spoke the truth, while he acted correctly. Vidura can be a role model to ordinary people who have not inherited power and position, nor are blessed with charisma. None of his actions can be faulted in Mahabharata

Poser - In the past leadership was clearly linked to lineage. What sort of leadership do you see today? Is lineage and dynasty more important or knowledge of dharma, talent and competence determines who will be leaders. Give examples of leaders to justify your stance.