Karma Yoga: Excellence in Action
From a management point of view, perhaps the most relevant are the concepts espoused under the overall umbrella of Karma Yoga. Here, Lord Krishna emphasises the importance of selfless action, free of its rewards and gains. A state of inaction is held to be another form of action itself. In any case, inaction is neither desirable nor feasible.
कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् ।
इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचार: स उच्यते ॥ 3.6॥
यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन ।
कर्मेन्द्रियै: कर्मयोगमसक्त: स विशिष्यते ॥ 3.7॥
He who sits, restraining the organs of action, (but) dwelling in his mind on the objects of senses, self-deluded, is said to be a hypocrite. But he who, controlling the senses with the mind, without attachment, engages the organs of action in the yoga of action, he excels, O Arjuna.
Gyan Yoga: Keeping Your Saw Sharpened
The concepts enshrined under Gyan Yoga are also highly relevant for management professionals. This is because one of the major challenges in their careers is to keep unlearning, so the process of real learning can never cease.
For example, those who are fearful about their prospects of earning a decent living in the era of Industrial Revolution 4.0 urgently need to re-skill in order to remain relevant amid a structurally shifting job market. Smart professionals always keep an open mind. They strive to keep abreast of the latest technological developments.
To use a phrase deployed by Stephen R. Covey, ‘they keep their saws sharpened.’ They keep learning from their failures as well as from their successes.
(1. An excerpt from my latest book ‘Bhagavad Gita and Corporate Dharma’ 2. Image courtesy Sri Ram Chandra Mission)
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