What fuels mighty achievements and the unique creations of artists like Vincent van Gogh or Michelangelo? Could they have produced their masterpieces if they were worried about market value or recognition? Newton, too, wasn’t distracted by past or future when the apple fell—otherwise, he might have missed discovering gravity. Similarly, a Silicon Valley innovator’s best ideas come from a focused, present-minded state conducive to creativity.
Beneath every inspired work lies the soul’s quest for bliss through doing something unique with effort and detachment. Living fully in the present moment helps one embrace an inspired life. Creativity flows like a form of meditation, where the creator, universe and surroundings align in harmony—a state of ‘Inspired Self-forgetfulness’ or ‘Detached Attachment’.
Achieving Excellence in Execution and Living a Free Life!
The Bhagavad Gita tells us that by practising the art of detachment, one learns to live in the present moment, neither fuming about what one did in the past nor anxious about what the morrow might bring. It is this skill which is alluded to as yoga.
The author paints a wide canvas of themes in this collection. The subjects are as different as chalk and cheese, with little repetition. Each story has a distinct and unique aroma which wafts through the consciousness of the reader.
What comes through clearly is the aurhor’s passion for expressing herself in words, an innate desire to bring into focus the social evils we suffer from, the keen eye that she has to capture the nuances of human behaviour, an in-depth understanding of relationships, and use of language that one can relate to. A lucid and enjoyable collection.
Whatever the trigger for each of the stories, all the narratives are based on detailed research done on the subject at hand, whether Covid-related medical investigations or the conditions inside a jail.
Let me share my reactions to different stories as follows.
Worthless
One pities the heroine for having lost her precious jewellery. The twist in the end is great, reminding one of stories by authors like Frederick Forsyth, O. Henry, and others. The story brings out a harsh truth of married life: that a communication gap between the two partners could lead to disasters.
Gone In A Wink
Oh, the social evil of the dowry custom! Reminded me of the recent OTT series ‘Dupahiya.’
The fact that both the kids were also in the sunken car besides their mother makes one feel even worse, though it serves as a good lesson for the hero.
The Switch
Frankly, I am amazed at the author’s virtuosity in whipping up this story. Hardened criminals, jail life, deadly brawls, switched identities, complicity of jail authorities – surely, these are not things one would normally experience in one’s life. Interesting.
Chained To A Virus
A reality check on the epidemic that all of us had to face a few years back. What stands out is the selfless support provided by the heroine to those in need. The end could break your heart.
Not Posthumously, Thank You!
A depressing story, this one. Suicidal thoughts arising out of loneliness. Draws our attention to the misuse of social media for personal gratification. But broadcasting live a murder, an illegal activity? The reader is left wondering if the hero did not worry about the imminent legal consequences. The present-day reality is eerily close to what the story depicts.
Twilight
The last two paragraphs beautifully capture the kind of loneliness that one feels within oneself occasionally. There are indeed times when one needs someone with whom one can share one’s innermost thoughts without any ego barriers.
This is what P. G. Wodehouse says:
“As we grow older and realise more clearly the limitations of human happiness, we come to see that the only real and abiding pleasure in life is to give pleasure to other people.” (Something Fresh)
What is missing here is a conclusion. You know that ‘The End’ feeling which you enjoy when you finish watching one of those ‘paisa vasool’ movies. Of course, there is a great deal of merit in leaving the end of the story open to a reader’s imagination.
All for Something
Here is the script of a thriller which could be gleefully lapped up by a director on any OTT platform. He/she could expand it to run for, say, 6/8 episodes, each of around 40 minutes in duration.
It conveys a message of great significance for society at large, pointing out the imminent danger of being tricked by persons whose real identities are hidden.
Bhairavi
Here is a story which describes graphically the process of an inner awakening. Bhairavi is the tantric Goddess that raises many deep spiritual questions to Bhairav or Shiva. I would say the theme falls on a boundary line of deep religiosity and spiritual faith bordering on hallucination and extraterrestrial experience. It depicts the decapitation of the head or ego by the author, who imagines she is Kali.
A Twisted Tale
This one is really twisted! The hero discovers that his abusive and argumentative wife has somehow done him something good!
I am not too sure about the percentage of people who happen to be bisexual in our society, but perhaps there are quite a few.
The Divine Hand
A love story during COVID times! A college-time romance which got rekindled, thanks to the epidemic and the lockdown.
Missing
What a tragedy. A story of star-crossed lovers. But a reader could be left wondering how the police missed the basement when they searched the house. And what happened to the baby Saroj was pregnant with?
At Any Cost
Strange to come across someone who does not want a domestic help even when she suffers from a few ailments and lives all alone. And the extent to which she goes to get rid of Basant! Quite a pot-boiler, this one. It appears that the heroine happens to be a perfectionist and wants someone who could follow her instructions without fail and do things exactly the way she herself would. A tall order, indeed.
Players
Those who love LGBTQ vibes would love this story, just like they would A Twisted Tale. What I liked was the detailed characterisation of the four players, and the way the author brings out their passion for whatever career they were pursuing.
The Family Curse
I had a feeling that perhaps the heroine would prove the curse wrong, but no luck!
This story could leave the reader depressed. Moreover, it could make them believe in the power of curses, nudging them towards superstition.
Lost Love
A story which is in the typical O. Henry mould. Goes on to show how much our perspectives get affected by deep-seated prejudices based on our past experiences. A Facebook post could get misinterpreted- and how! In any case, even if they had started a new phase of their relationship, she would have been burdened with his medical issues. Also, the fact that he was insistent on having her back, knowing fully well about his condition, goes on to show that he was essentially a selfish guy. A good commentary on the ego-centric ways of some members of the tribe of the so-called sterner sex.
About the Author
Dr Renu Singh Parmar is a former officer of the Indian Economic Service, with an MPhil in Humanistic Psychology and a PhD in Economics. She has written extensively on economic matters for publications such as The Economic Times, Deccan Herald, and The Hindu Business Line, and has contributed op-eds to The Times of India.
She is the author of four poetry collections—Ovarian Sentiments, Off the Radar, Whispers to Yogananda, and Inside Out—and this collection of short stories. Her poems have appeared in the Journal of the Poetry Society and Poetry India: Voices in the Making, an anthology published by the Poetry Society of India. Her short stories have been published in Story Cabinet and Kitaab.
A painter and storyteller, she brings to her writing a deep interest in human experiences, emotions, and the many dimensions of life.
On a lighter note, one needs to be wary of managements which exhort one to follow the much-misunderstood principle of detachment expounded in the Bhagavad Gita. They would have one believe that one should continue to slog all year long but would do well not to expect that elusive overdue promotion. One can then either grin and bear it or take prompt action through proper channels to get oneself detached from the company and move on to greener pastures elsewhere!
When Azim Premji decides to pledge his personal wealth for social causes, or when Tata Trusts start work on distributing iron-fortified salt in a state where women happen to be anaemic, the purpose for which businesses exist gets widened. When the hero of the movie Swades (2004, Director: Ashutosh Gowarikar) decides to chuck a promising career with NASA and return to serve his country, he is looking at the bigger picture selflessly.
This is how the Bhagavad Gita explains this state of mind:
Consider the case of Jet Airways, which shut its operations in April 2019 after having been a key player in the Indian airspace for over 25 years. The unwillingness on the part of the promoter family to let go of its control over the business made the airline eventually crash-land. Professionals were hired in top key positions, but the art of delegation was apparently given short shrift.
In family-owned businesses, the younger generation is often raring to go. Many a scion keeps wondering when the elder owner would hang his corporate boots or sandals, so they could have a free hand to nudge the enterprise towards newer markets, adopting the latest technologies sprouting in the era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0. But for most of the elderly owners, it is a tough challenge to give up control. Like the proverbial man who keeps clinging to a tree but blames the tree for not allowing him to let go, they refuse to fade away gracefully into the sunset. During the period of transition, chaos and confusion reign. Hapless employees continue to suffer silently, caught as they are between the divergent thought processes of the two generations.
The war depicted in the epic Mahabharata, of which the Bhagavad Gita is an integral part, came about only because King Dhritarashtra could not overcome his attachment to either the throne or his son, Duryodhana. The outcome was the death of all his 100 sons, loss of prestige and kingdom, and of course, social and economic misery of the multitudes who had earlier thrived during his reign.
(The text is an edited excerpt from my latest book ‘Bhagavad Gita’s Guide to Corporate Dharma’.)
Humare Ram, by Felicity Theatre, featuring Rahul Bhuchar, my younger brother, as Ram and Ashutosh Rana as Ravana, is far more than a superb theatrical performance or a retelling of the Ramayana. Recently, it had yet another full house with likes of Manoj Muntasir and an elite Delhi audience at the Kamani auditorium.
It is an eye-opener to the extraordinary wisdom of our past — wisdom that remains remarkably relevant to our lives today.
From the very beginning, one is reminded of the sacred importance of a vachan — a word given, a promise made, a commitment that must be honoured, even when the price is immense.
And then comes the profound lesson of ahankar — the ego.
Perhaps the most moving moment comes when Lakshman, at the behest of Lord Ram, approaches Ravana to seek his blessings and wisdom. Ravana, despite being at the threshold of his end, possesses immense knowledge. When asked about the difference between himself and Ram, he gives an unforgettable answer:
“मुझे ज्ञान का अहंकार है और प्रभु राम को अहंकार का ज्ञान।”
(I have the arrogance of knowledge; Lord Ram has the knowledge of the ego.)
In that one sentence lies an entire philosophy of life.
The performance also brings alive the importance of respect for one’s parents, the sacredness of true love, the power of bhakti (devotion), and the realisation that knowledge alone is not enough.
Knowledge without humility can become arrogance.
Knowledge without devotion can remain incomplete.
And victory in life is not merely about possessing knowledge or power — it is about surrendering oneself to the Divine and allowing dharma (righteousness) to guide one’s actions.
That is what makes Humare Ram so exceptional.
The brilliance of the production lies not merely in the acting, the staging or the storytelling, but in its ability to make ancient wisdom speak directly to a contemporary audience. Rahul Butcher brings Ram to life with dignity and sensitivity, while Ashutosh Rana’s Ravana becomes a powerful embodiment of knowledge, brilliance, pride and the tragic consequences of unchecked ego.
The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are not merely ancient epics. They are two great civilizational streams that have travelled through generations, serving as a sutradhaar — a thread connecting our past, our present and, perhaps most importantly, our future.
Watching Humare Ram, I was reminded of Sri Aurobindo’s beautiful words:
“We belong not to the past dawns, but to the noons of the future.”
And perhaps that is the greatest lesson of all.
If our past was blessed with such extraordinary sages, such profound values and such timeless wisdom, then we should not merely look backwards with nostalgia.
We should ask ourselves: what magnificent future can we create by carrying those values forward?
May this extraordinary production reach every section of our society — our youth, educators, leaders, politicians, artists, families and citizens. May many more people have the opportunity to experience it, reflect upon it and carry its message into their own lives.
Having already crossed 573-odd performances in India as also elsewhere, I am sure Humare Ram will soon reach 1,000 shows — and deservedly so.
Because this is not simply a play about Ram.
It is a reminder of what it means to be human.
And perhaps, in a world increasingly driven by knowledge, power and ego, that reminder is needed more than ever.
Note
This article was first published on Facebook. Author’s consent to publish it here is gratefully acknowledged.
About the author
Lalit verma is the President of Aurodhan Art Galleries, Pondicherry, India.
A well-written book which provides invaluable insights for business learners like me to scale up by following existing cultural values.
When Dharma itself is becoming a rare phenomenon, infusing Dharma into the operations of a corporate entity is a novel idea. It reinforces that we should never forget our roots.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna exhorts us to rise above the three gunas and remain rooted in the self alone. He cites three kinds of personality traits, or gunas.
The Vedas’ concern is with the three gunas. Be without the three gunas, O Arjuna, without the pairs of opposites, ever established in purity, without possessions, possessed of the Self.
All of us have these three gunas in varying proportions— sattvic (benign goodness), rajasic (action-oriented) and tamasic (inaction, lethargy, procrastination). In different settings, even the proportions comprising a personality might be somewhat different. A devil in the office could be a loving father at home. Someone who champions the cause of women’s empowerment in public could be terrorising his wife at home.
The bouquets and brickbats hurled at one by life invariably represent opposites that one faces in life—success and failure, joys and sorrows, heat and cold, health and disease, and the like. A manager would typically face many a tough choice to be made in her career—that of chugging along in an assignment which pays well but is not close to her heart, or calling it quits, finding her true calling and pursuing her passion in life; an important meeting at the office versus annual day celebrations at her only child’s school at the same time; whether or not to show the door to a long-serving cashier who has recently been found having his hand in the till; and the like.
What Lord Krishna is suggesting here is for one to be trans gunas. This way, one attains a balanced and harmonious state in all of one’s activities, whether materialistic or spiritual, thereby leading to true happiness within, irrespective of whether one fails or succeeds in one’s efforts.
(The text is an edited excerpt from my latest book ‘Bhagavad Gita’s Guide to Corporate Dharma’.)
Most of our accomplishments in life happen due to team work, or, when we follow a ‘We and Us’ approach to problem solving.
How did Intel happen? Here is a brief account of how it came about.
Eight upcoming scientists, including Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore and Andy Grove, walked out of Shockley Transistor Laboratories, owned by William Shockley, who had previously won the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on transistors. The provocation for ‘the traitorous eight’—as referred to by Shockley—to part company with him was the fact that the latter was as brilliant a scientist as he was a poor leader. He is reported to have been pig-headed in many matters, treating his team members with scant regard. He often behaved as if the eight were trying to undermine him. Surely, doping non-electrical conducting materials with germanium and silicon, thus paving the way for the transistor revolution and the chip revolution, was easier for him than keeping his team members charged up by being a collaborative and humble leader.
When Shockley was ousted from his own company, he joined Stanford as a faculty member. In 1989, he died of prostate cancer, estranged from all his relatives and friends. His children were reported to have learnt of his death through newspapers.
On the other hand, the group of eight who had left him went on to set up Fairchild Conductors and, subsequently, Intel Corporation. Perhaps they made a fortunate transition from an ‘I and Me’ approach to a ‘We and Us’ one.
(The text is an edited excerpt from my latest book ‘Bhagavad Gita and Corporate Dharma’.)
Yet another technique advised by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita is that of reverse delegation; in other words, the art of passing the buck to someone higher up!
Dedicating all actions to Me with a mind fixed in faith on Me, free from expectation and sense of mine (ownership), fight, delivered from fever.
The technique suggested here is very practical and suited to CEOs and managers of all kinds, irrespective of their state of evolution. One’s desires may still be strong in the mind, attachment to worldly objects may still be strong, the intellect may also not yet be free from confusion and delusion, and the ego may still be governing one’s actions.
However, surrendering all actions to a superior power with faith and sincerity has several advantages. It calms the mind, intellect and ego, and propels an individual on a natural path of evolution.
A manager can start practising this technique by simply forming a habit of meeting her boss halfway through. In other words, by keeping him updated on the status of a project even before he starts worrying about it!
(The text is an edited excerpt from my latest book ‘Bhagavad Gita and Corporate Dharma’. Illustration courtesy Sri Ram Chandra Mission and the artist.)
A CEO can use a composite lens to analyse challenges from multiple perspectives. The physical lens highlights organisational customs, the intellectual lens weighs outcomes and costs and benefits, the emotional lens considers ethics and humanity, and the spiritual lens focuses on the greater good for society and the environment. When these lenses align, they guide the CEO towards the best possible response to a business challenge.
A powerful example is the 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, where employees’ quick, empathetic, and well-trained responses reflected harmony across all four lenses—physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual. This inner balance, or Spiritual Quotient, rooted in resilience, is essential for managers to navigate complex situations effectively and with grace.
Sheryl Sandberg, the ex-chief operating officer of Facebook, has this to say about resilience:
‘The main thing I learned when I lost my husband was that resilience is not something you’re born with; you build it. We build it ourselves by knowing we can get through things, and by helping each other get through things, we build it in each other. We build it in our companies by having a basic loop where we talk openly about what went wrong. That’s one of the things I’m most proud of at Facebook, because for all the challenges we still face, what you don’t see is people pointing fingers saying it is someone’s fault, and ducking. Instead, we say: ‘Ok, how are we going to get better? Why didn’t we see [it] coming, and what are we not seeing coming now?’
The good news is that it is in our hands to build our resilience. Meditative practices help. The ability and openness to appreciate a deemed adversary’s viewpoint also helps. Transcending desires and ego facilitates. Forgiveness assists.
(The text is an edited excerpt from my latest book ‘Bhagavad Gita and Corporate Dharma’.)
