Table of Contents
Abstract
Introduction
Management guidelines from the Bhagavad Gita
Old truths in a new context
The source of the problem
Utilisation of available resources
Work commitment
Motivation � self and self-transcendence
Work culture
Work results
Manager's mental health
Management needs those who practice what they preach
In conclusion
A note on the word "yoga".
Abstract
One
of the greatest contributions of India to the
world is Holy Gita which is considered to be
one of the first revelations from God. The management
lessons in this holy book were brought in to
light of the world by divine Maharshi Mahesh
Yogi , Sri Sri RaviShankar and Swami Bodhanandji, and
the spiritual philosophy by the great Adi Sankaracharya
the greatest philosopher of India and proud
son of Kerala, and Sri. Srila Prabhupada
Swami and humanism by Mata Amritanandamayi Devi
and Satya Sai Baba. Maharishi calls the Bhagavad-Gita
the essence of Vedic Literature and a complete
guide to practical life. It provides "all
that is needed to raise the consciousness of
man to the highest possible level." Maharishi
reveals the deep, universal truths of life that
speak to the needs and aspirations of everyone.
Swami Chinmayanandaji preached and educated
the people and Swami Sandeep Chaitanyaji continuing
the mission by keeping this lantern burning
always knowing the wishes of the modern generations. Arjuna
got mentally depressed when he saw his relatives
with whom he has to fight.( Mental health has
become a major international public health concern
now). To motivate him the Bhagavad Gita is preached
in the battle field Kurukshetra by Lord Krishna
to Arjuna as a counseling to do his duty while
multitudes of men stood by waiting. It has got
all the management tactics to achieve the mental
equilibrium and to overcome any crisis situation.
The Bhagavad Gita can be experienced
as a powerful catalyst for transformation. Bhagavad
gita means song of the Spirit, song of the
Lord. The Holy Gita has become a secret
driving force behind the unfoldment of one's
life. In the days of doubt this divine book
will support all spiritual searches. This divine
book will contribute to self reflection, finer
feeling and deepen one's inner process. Then
life in the world can become a real education�dynamic,
full and joyful�no matter what the circumstance.
May the wisdom of loving consciousness ever
guide us on our journey? What makes the Holy
Gita a practical psychology of transformation
is that it offers us the tools to connect with
our deepest intangible essence and we must learn
to participate in the battle of life with right
knowledge?
The Holy Gita is the essence of the Vedas, Upanishads.
It is a universal scripture applicable to people
of all temperaments and for all times. It is
a book with sublime thoughts and practical instructions
on Yoga, Devotion, Vedanta and Action. It is
profound in thought and sublime in heights of
vision. It brings peace and solace to souls
that are afflicted by the three fires of mortal
existence, namely, afflictions caused by one's
own body (disease etc), those caused by beings
around one (e.g. wild animals, snakes etc.),
and those caused by the gods (natural disasters,
earth-quakes, floods etc).
Mind can be one's friend or enemy. Mind is the
cause for both bondage and liberation. The word
mind is derived from man to think and the word
man derived from manu (sanskrit word for man).
"The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's
heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings
of all living entities, who are seated as on
a machine, made of the material energy."
There is no theory to be internalized and applied
in this psychology. Ancient practices spontaneously
induce what each person needs as the individual
and the universal coincide. The work proceeds
through intellectual knowledge of the playing
field (jnana yoga), emotional devotion
to the ideal (bhakti yoga) and right
action that includes both feeling and knowledge(karma
yoga). With ongoing purification we approach
wisdom. The Bhagavad Gita is a message
addressed to each and every human individual
to help him or her to solve the vexing problem
of overcoming the present and progressing towards
a bright future. Within its eighteen chapters
is revealed a human drama. This is the experience
of everyone in this world, the drama of the
ascent of man from a state of utter dejection,
sorrow and total breakdown and hopelessness
to a state of perfect understanding, clarity,
renewed strength and triumph.
|
Mind
is very restless, forceful and strong, O Krishna,
it is more difficult to control the mind than to control
the wind ~ Arjuna to Sri Krishna
Introduction
In
this modern world the art of Management has become
a part and parcel of everyday life, be it at home,
in the office or factory and in Government. In all
organizations, where a group of human beings assemble
for a common purpose irrespective of caste, creed,
and religion, management principles come into play
through the management of resources, finance and planning,
priorities, policies and practice. Management is a
systematic way of carrying out activities in any field
of human effort.
Its
task is to make people capable of joint performance,
to make their weaknesses irrelevant, says the Management
Guru Peter Drucker. It creates harmony in working
together - equilibrium in thoughts and actions, goals
and achievements, plans and performance, products
and markets. It resolves situations of scarcity, be
they in the physical, technical or human fields, through
maximum utilization with the minimum available processes
to achieve the goal. Lack of management causes disorder,
confusion, wastage, delay, destruction and even depression.
Managing men, money and materials in the best possible
way, according to circumstances and environment, is
the most important and essential factor for a successful
management.
Management guidelines from the Bhagavad Gita
There
is an important distinction between effectiveness
and efficiency in managing.
-
Effectiveness
is doing the right things.
-
Efficiency
is doing things right.
The
general principles of effective management can be
applied in every field, the differences being more
in application than in principle. The Manager's functions
can be summed up as:
-
Forming
a vision
-
Planning
the strategy to realize the vision.
-
Cultivating
the art of leadership.
-
Establishing
institutional excellence.
-
Building
an innovative organization.
-
Developing
human resources.
-
Building
teams and teamwork.
-
Delegation,
motivation, and communication.
-
Reviewing
performance and taking corrective steps when called
for.
Thus,
management is a process of aligning people and getting
them committed to work for a common goal to the maximum
social benefit - in search of excellence.
The
critical question in all managers' minds is how to
be effective in their job. The answer to this fundamental
question is found in the Bhagavad Gita, which
repeatedly proclaims that "you must try to manage
yourself." The reason is that unless a manager
reaches a level of excellence and effectiveness, he
or she will be merely a face in the crowd.
Old truths in a new context
The
Bhagavad Gita, written thousands of years ago,
enlightens us on all managerial techniques leading
us towards a harmonious and blissful state of affairs
in place of the conflict, tensions, poor productivity,
absence of motivation and so on, common in most of
Indian enterprises today � and probably in
enterprises in many other countries.
The
modern (Western) management concepts of vision, leadership,
motivation, excellence in work, achieving goals, giving
work meaning, decision making and planning, are all
discussed in the Bhagavad Gita. There is one
major difference. While Western management thought
too often deals with problems at material, external
and peripheral levels, the Bhagavad Gita tackles
the issues from the grass roots level of human thinking.
Once the basic thinking of man is improved, it will
automatically enhance the quality of his actions and
their results.
The
management philosophy emanating from the West is based
on the lure of materialism and on a perennial thirst
for profit, irrespective of the quality of the means
adopted to achieve that goal. This phenomenon has
its source in the abundant wealth of the West and
so 'management by materialism' has caught the fancy
of all the countries the world over, India being no
exception to this trend. My country, India, has been
in the forefront in importing these ideas mainly because
of its centuries old indoctrination by colonial rulers,
which has inculcated in us a feeling that anything
Western is good and anything Indian, is inferior.
The
result is that, while huge funds have been invested
in building temples of modem management education,
no perceptible changes are visible in the improvement
of the general quality of life - although the standards
of living of a few has gone up. The same old struggles
in almost all sectors of the economy, criminalization
of institutions, social violence, exploitation and
other vices are seen deep in the body politic.
The source of the problem
The
reasons for this sorry state of affairs are not far
to seek. The Western idea of management centers on
making the worker (and the manager) more efficient
and more productive. Companies offer workers more
to work more, produce more, sell more and to stick
to the organization without looking for alternatives.
The sole aim of extracting better and more work from
the worker is to improve the bottom-line of the enterprise.
The worker has become a hirable commodity, which can
be used, replaced and discarded at will.
Thus,
workers have been reduced to the state of a mercantile
product. In such a state, it should come as no surprise
to us that workers start using strikes (gheraos)
sit-ins, (dharnas) go-slows, work-to-rule etc.
to get maximum benefit for themselves from the organisations.
Society-at-large is damaged. Thus we reach a situation
in which management and workers become separate and
contradictory entities with conflicting interests.
There is no common goal or understanding. This, predictably,
leads to suspicion, friction, disillusion and mistrust,
with managers and workers at cross purposes. The absence
of human values and erosion of human touch in the
organizational structure has resulted in a crisis
of confidence.
Western
management philosophy may have created prosperity
� for some people some of the time at least
- but it has failed in the aim of ensuring betterment
of individual life and social welfare. It has remained
by and large a soulless edifice and an oasis of plenty
for a few in the midst of poor quality of life for
many.
Hence,
there is an urgent need to re-examine prevailing management
disciplines - their objectives, scope and content.
Management should be redefined to underline the development
of the worker as a person, as a human being, and not
as a mere wage-earner. With this changed perspective,
management can become an instrument in the process
of social, and indeed national, development.
Now
let us re-examine some of the modern management concepts
in the light of the Bhagavad Gita which is
a primer of management-by-values.
Utilization of available resources
The
first lesson of management science is to choose wisely
and utilize scarce resources optimally. During the
curtain raiser before the Mahabharata War, Duryodhana
chose Sri Krishna's large army for his help while
Arjuna selected Sri Krishna's wisdom for his support.
This episode gives us a clue as to the nature of the
effective manager - the former chose numbers, the
latter, wisdom.
Work commitment
A
popular verse of the Gita advises "detachment"
from the fruits or results of actions performed in
the course of one's duty. Being dedicated work has
to mean "working for the sake of work, generating
excellence for its own sake." If we are always
calculating the date of promotion or the rate of commission
before putting in our efforts, then such work is not
detached. It is not "generating excellence for
its own sake" but working only for the extrinsic
reward that may (or may not) result.
Working
only with an eye to the anticipated benefits, means
that the quality of performance of the current job
or duty suffers - through mental agitation of anxiety
for the future. In fact, the way the world works means
that events do not always respond positively to our
calculations and hence expected fruits may not always
be forthcoming. So, the Gita tells us not to
mortgage present commitment to an uncertain future.
Some
people might argue that not seeking the business result
of work and actions, makes one unaccountable. In fact,
the Bhagavad Gita is full of advice on the
theory of cause and effect, making the doer responsible
for the consequences of his deeds. While advising
detachment from the avarice of selfish gains in discharging
one's accepted duty, the Gita does not absolve anybody
of the consequences arising from discharge of his
or her responsibilities.
Thus
the best means of effective performance management
is the work itself. Attaining this state of mind (called
"nishkama karma") is the right attitude
to work because it prevents the ego, the mind, from
dissipation of attention through speculation on future
gains or losses.
Motivation � self and self-transcendence
It
has been presumed for many years that satisfying lower
order needs of workers - adequate food, clothing and
shelter, etc. are key factors in motivation. However,
it is a common experience that the dissatisfaction
of the clerk and of the Director is identical - only
their scales and composition vary. It should be true
that once the lower-order needs are more than satisfied,
the Director should have little problem in optimizing
his contribution to the organization and society.
But more often than not, it does not happen like that.
("The eagle soars high but keeps its eyes
firmly fixed on the dead animal below.")
On the contrary, a lowly paid schoolteacher, or a
self-employed artisan, may well demonstrate higher
levels of self-actualization despite poorer satisfaction
of their lower-order needs.
This
situation is explained by the theory of self-transcendence
propounded in the Gita. Self-transcendence
involves renouncing egoism, putting others before
oneself, emphasizing team work, dignity, co-operation,
harmony and trust � and, indeed potentially
sacrificing lower needs for higher goals, the opposite
of Maslow.
"Work
must be done with detachment." It is the
ego that spoils work and the ego is the centerpiece
of most theories of motivation. We need not merely
a theory of motivation but a theory of inspiration.
The
Great Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941,
known as "Gurudev") says working for love
is freedom in action. A concept which is described
as "disinterested work" in the Gita
where Sri Krishna says,
"He who shares
the wealth generated only after serving the people,
through work done as a sacrifice for them, is freed
from all sins. On the contrary those who earn wealth
only for themselves, eat sins that lead to frustration
and failure."
Disinterested
work finds expression in devotion, surrender and equipoise.
The former two are psychological while the third is
determination to keep the mind free of the dualistic
(usually taken to mean "materialistic")
pulls of daily experiences. Detached involvement in
work is the key to mental equanimity or the state
of "nirdwanda." This attitude leads
to a stage where the worker begins to feel the presence
of the Supreme Intelligence guiding the embodied individual
intelligence. Such de-personified intelligence is
best suited for those who sincerely believe in the
supremacy of organizational goals as compared to narrow
personal success and achievement.
Work culture
An
effective work culture is about vigorous and arduous
efforts in pursuit of given or chosen tasks. Sri Krishna
elaborates on two types of work culture � "daivi
sampat" or divine work culture and "asuri
sampat" or demonic work culture.
-
Daivi
work culture - involves fearlessness, purity, self-control,
sacrifice, straightforwardness, self-denial, calmness,
absence of fault-finding, absence of greed, gentleness,
modesty, absence of envy and pride.
-
Asuri
work culture - involves egoism, delusion, personal
desires, improper performance, work not oriented
towards service.
Mere work ethic is
not enough. The hardened criminal exhibits an excellent
work ethic. What is needed is a work ethic conditioned
by ethics in work.
It
is in this light that the counsel, "yogah
karmasu kausalam" should be understood. "Kausalam"
means skill or technique of work which is an indispensable
component of a work ethic. " Yogah"
is defined in the Gita itself as "samatvam
yogah uchyate" meaning an unchanging equipoise
of mind (detachment.) Tilak tells us that acting with
an equable mind is Yoga.
(Bal
Gangadhar Tilak, 1856-1920, the precursor of Gandhiji,
hailed by the people of India as "Lokmanya,"
probably the most learned among the country's political
leaders. For a description of the meanings of the
word "Yoga", see foot of this page.)
By
making the equable mind the bed-rock of all actions,
the Gita evolved the goal of unification of
work ethic with ethics in work, for without ethical
process no mind can attain an equipoise. The guru,
Adi Sankara (born circa 800 AD), says that the skill
necessary in the performance of one's duty is that
of maintaining an evenness of mind in face of success
and failure. The calm mind in the face of failure
will lead to deeper introspection and see clearly
where the process went wrong so that corrective steps
could be taken to avoid shortcomings in future.
The
principle of reducing our attachment to personal gains
from the work done is the Gita's prescription
for attaining equanimity. It has been held that this
principle leads to lack of incentive for effort, striking
at the very root of work ethic. To the contrary, concentration
on the task for its own sake leads to the achievement
of excellence � and indeed to the true mental
happiness of the worker. Thus, while commonplace theories
of motivation may be said to lead us to the bondage
or extrinsic rewards, the Gita's principle
leads us to the intrinsic rewards of mental, and indeed
moral, satisfaction.
Work results
The
Gita further explains the theory of "detachment"
from the extrinsic rewards of work in saying:
-
If
the result of sincere effort is a success, the entire
credit should not be appropriated by the doer alone.
-
If
the result of sincere effort is a failure, then
too the entire blame does not accrue to the doer.
The
former attitude mollifies arrogance and conceit while
the latter prevents excessive despondency, de-motivation
and self-pity. Thus both these dispositions safeguard
the doer against psychological vulnerability, the
cause of the modem managers' companions of diabetes,
high blood pressure and ulcers.
Assimilation
of the ideas of the Gita leads us to the wider
spectrum of "lokasamgraha" (general
welfare) but there is also another dimension to the
work ethic - if the "karmayoga" (service)
is blended with "bhaktiyoga" (devotion),
then the work itself becomes worship, a "sevayoga"
(service for its own sake.)
Along
with bhakti yoga as a means of liberation,
the Gita espouses the doctrine of nishkamya karma
or pure action untainted by hankering after the fruits
resulting from that action. Modern scientists have
now understood the intuitive wisdom of that action
in a new light.
Scientists
at the US National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda,
found that laboratory monkeys that started out as
procrastinators, became efficient workers after they
received brain injections that suppressed a gene linked
to their ability to anticipate a reward. The scientists
reported that the work ethic of rhesus macaques wasn't
all that different from that of many people: "If
the reward is not immediate, you procrastinate",
Dr Richmond told LA Times.
(This
may sound a peculiarly religious idea but it has a
wider application. It could be taken to mean doing
something because it is worthwhile, to serve others,
to make the world a better place � ed.)
Manager's mental health
Sound
mental health is the very goal of any human activity
- more so management. Sound mental health is that
state of mind which can maintain a calm, positive
poise, or regain it when unsettled, in the midst of
all the external vagaries of work life and social
existence. Internal constancy and peace are the pre-requisites
for a healthy stress-free mind.
Some
of the impediments to sound mental health are:
-
Greed
- for power, position, prestige and money.
-
Envy
- regarding others' achievements, success, rewards.
-
Egotism
- about one's own accomplishments.
-
Suspicion,
anger and frustration.
-
Anguish
through comparisons.
The
driving forces in today's businesses are speed and
competition. There is a distinct danger that these
forces cause erosion of the moral fiber, that in seeking
the end, one permits oneself immoral means - tax evasion,
illegitimate financial holdings, being "economical
with the truth", deliberate oversight in the
audit, too-clever financial reporting and so on. This
phenomenon may be called as "yayati syndrome".
In
the book, the Mahabharata, we come across
a king by the name of Yayati who, in order to revel
in the endless enjoyment of flesh exchanged his old
age with the youth of his obliging youngest son for
a thousand years. However, he found the pursuit of
sensual enjoyments ultimately unsatisfying and came
back to his son pleading him to take back his youth.
This "yayati syndrome" shows the conflict
between externally directed acquisitions (extrinsic
motivation) and inner value and conscience (intrinsic
motivation.)
Management needs those who practice what they preach
"Whatever
the excellent and best ones do, the commoners follow,"
says Sri Krishna in the Gita. The visionary
leader must be a missionary, extremely practical,
intensively dynamic and capable of translating dreams
into reality. This dynamism and strength of a true
leader flows from an inspired and spontaneous motivation
to help others. "I am the strength of those who
are devoid of personal desire and attachment. O Arjuna,
I am the legitimate desire in those, who are not opposed
to righteousness," says Sri Krishna in the 10th
Chapter of the Gita.
In conclusion
The
despondency of Arjuna in the first chapter of the
Gita is typically human. Sri Krishna, by sheer
power of his inspiring words, changes Arjuna's mind
from a state of inertia to one of righteous action,
from the state of what the French philosophers call
"anomie" or even alienation, to a state
of self-confidence in the ultimate victory of "dharma"
(ethical action.)
When
Arjuna got over his despondency and stood ready to
fight, Sri Krishna reminded him of the purpose of
his new-found spirit of intense action - not for his
own benefit, not for satisfying his own greed and
desire, but for the good of many, with faith in the
ultimate victory of ethics over unethical actions
and of truth over untruth.
Sri
Krishna's advice with regard to temporary failures
is, "No doer of good ever ends in misery."
Every action should produce results. Good action produces
good results and evil begets nothing but evil. Therefore,
always act well and be rewarded.
My
purport is not to suggest discarding of the Western
model of efficiency, dynamism and striving for excellence
but to tune these ideals to India's holistic attitude
of " lokasangraha" - for the welfare
of many, for the good of many. There is indeed a moral
dimension to business life. What we do in business
is no different, in this regard, to what we do in
our personal lives. The means do not justify the ends.
Pursuit of results for their own sake, is ultimately
self-defeating. ("Profit," said Matsushita-san
in another tradition, "is the reward of correct
behavior." � ed.)
A note on the word "yoga".
Yoga
has two different meanings - a general meaning and
a technical meaning. The general meaning is the joining
together or union of any two or more things. The technical
meaning is "a state of stability and peace and
the means or practices which lead to that state."
The Bhagavad Gita uses the word with both meanings.
M.P.Bhattathiri.
Let us go through
what scholars say about Holy Gita.
"No
work in all Indian literature is more quoted, because
none is better loved, in the West, than the Bhagavad-gita.
Translation of such a work demands not only knowledge
of Sanskrit, but an inward sympathy with the theme
and a verbal artistry. For the poem is a symphony
in which God is seen in all things. . . . The Swami
does a real service for students by investing the
beloved Indian epic with fresh meaning. Whatever our
outlook may be, we should all be grateful for the
labor that has lead to this illuminating work."
Dr. Geddes MacGregor, Emeritus Distinguished Professor
of Philosophy University of Southern California
"The
Gita can be seen as the main literary support for
the great religious civilization of India, the oldest
surviving culture in the world. The present translation
and commentary is another manifestation of the permanent
living importance of the Gita."
Thomas Merton, Theologian
"I
am most impressed with A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's
scholarly and authoritative edition of Bhagavad-gita.
It is a most valuable work for the scholar as well
as the layman and is of great utility as a reference
book as well as a textbook. I promptly recommend this
edition to my students. It is a beautifully done book."
Dr. Samuel D. Atkins Professor of Sanskrit, Princeton
University
"As
a successor in direct line from Caitanya, the author
of Bhagavad-gita As It Is is entitled, according to
Indian custom, to the majestic title of His Divine
Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The great
interest that his reading of the Bhagavad-gita holds
for us is that it offers us an authorized interpretation
according to the principles of the Caitanya tradition."
Olivier Lacombe Professor of Sanskrit and Indology,
Sorbonne University, Paris
"I
have had the opportunity of examining several volumes
published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and have
found them to be of excellent quality and of great
value for use in college classes on Indian religions.
This is particularly true of the BBT edition and translation
of the Bhagavad-gita."
Dr. Frederick B. Underwood Professor of Religion,
Columbia University
"If
truth is what works, as Pierce and the pragmatists
insist, there must be a kind of truth in the Bhagavad-gita
As It Is, since those who follow its teachings display
a joyous serenity usually missing in the bleak and
strident lives of contemporary people."
Dr. Elwin H. Powell Professor of Sociology State University
of New York, Buffalo
"There
is little question that this edition is one of the
best books available on the Gita and devotion. Prabhupada's
translation is an ideal blend of literal accuracy
and religious insight."
Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins Professor of Religion, Franklin
and Marshall College
"The
Bhagavad-gita, one of the great spiritual texts, is
not as yet a common part of our cultural milieu. This
is probably less because it is alien per se than because
we have lacked just the kind of close interpretative
commentary upon it that Swami Bhaktivedanta has here
provided, a commentary written from not only a scholar's
but a practitioner's, a dedicated lifelong devotee's
point of view."
Denise Levertov, Poet
"The
increasing numbers of Western readers interested in
classical Vedic thought have been done a service by
Swami Bhaktivedanta. By bringing us a new and living
interpretation of a text already known to many, he
has increased our understanding manyfold."
Dr. Edward C Dimock, Jr. Department of South Asian
Languages and Civilization University of Chicago
"The
scholarly world is again indebted to A. C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada. Although Bhagavad-gita has been
translated many times, Prabhupada adds a translation
of singular importance with his commentary."
Dr. J. Stillson Judah, Professor of the History of
Religions and Director of Libraries Graduate Theological
Union, Berkeley, California
"Srila
Prabhupada's edition thus fills a sensitive gap in
France, where many hope to become familiar with traditional
Indian thought, beyond the commercial East-West hodgepodge
that has arisen since the time Europeans first penetrated
India. "Whether the reader be an adept of Indian
spiritualism or not, a reading of the Bhagavad-gita
As It Is will be extremely profitable. For many this
will be the first contact with the true India, the
ancient India, the eternal India."
Francois Chenique, Professor of Religious Sciences
Institute of Political Studies, Paris, France
"It
was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or
unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice
of an old intelligence which in another age and climate
had pondered and thus disposed of the same questions
which exercise us"
Emerson's reaction to the Gita
"As
a native of India now living in the West, it has given
me much grief to see so many of my fellow countrymen
coming to the West in the role of gurus and spiritual
leaders. For this reason, I am very excited to see
the publication of Bhagavad-gita As It Is by Sri A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It will help to stop
the terrible cheating of false and unauthorized 'gurus'
and 'yogis' and will give an opportunity to all people
to understand the actual meaning of Oriental culture."
Dr. Kailash Vajpeye, Director of Indian Studies Center
for Oriental Studies, The University of Mexico
"The
Gita is one of the clearest and most comprehensive
one, of the summaries and systematic spiritual statements
of the perennial philosophy ever to have been done"
__________________________________________Aldous Huxley
"It
is a deeply felt, powerfully conceived and beautifully
explained work. I don't know whether to praise more
this translation of the Bhagavad-gita, its daring
method of explanation, or the endless fertility of
its ideas. I have never seen any other work on the
Gita with such an important voice and style. . . .
It will occupy a significant place in the intellectual
and ethical life of modern man for a long time to
come."
Dr. Shaligram Shukla Professor of Linguistics, Georgetown
University
"I
can say that in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is I have
found explanations and answers to questions I had
always posed regarding the interpretations of this
sacred work, whose spiritual discipline I greatly
admire. If the aesceticism and ideal of the apostles
which form the message of the Bhagavad-gita As It
Is were more widespread and more respected, the world
in which we live would be transformed into a better,
more fraternal place."
Dr. Paul Lesourd, Author Professeur Honoraire, Catholic
University of Paris
"When
I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God
created this universe everything else seems so superfluous."
Albert Einstein
"When
doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in
the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon,
I turn to Bhagavad-gita and find a verse to comfort
me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst
of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the
Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it
every day."
Mahatma Gandhi
"In
the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous
and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita, in
comparison with which our modern world and its literature
seem puny and trivial."
Henry David Thoreau
"The
Bhagavad-Gita has a profound influence on the spirit
of mankind by its devotion to God which is manifested
by actions."
Dr. Albert Schweitzer
"The
Bhagavad-Gita is a true scripture of the human race
a living creation rather than a book, with a new message
for every age and a new meaning for every civilization."
Sri Aurobindo
"The
idea that man is like unto an inverted tree seems
to have been current in by gone ages. The link with
Vedic conceptions is provided by Plato in his Timaeus
in which it states 'behold we are not an earthly but
a heavenly plant.' This correlation can be discerned
by what Krishna expresses in chapter 15 of Bhagavad-Gita."
Carl Jung
"The
Bhagavad-Gita deals essentially with the spiritual
foundation of human existence. It is a call of action
to meet the obligations and duties of life; yet keeping
in view the spiritual nature and grander purpose of
the universe."
Prime Minister Nehru
"The
marvel of the Bhagavad-Gita is its truly beautiful
revelation of life's wisdom which enables philosophy
to blossom into religion."
Herman Hesse
"I
owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad-gita. It was
the first of books; it was as if an empire spoke to
us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene,
consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which
in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed
of the same questions which exercise us."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
"In
order to approach a creation as sublime as the Bhagavad-Gita
with full understanding it is necessary to attune
our soul to it."
Rudolph Steiner
"From
a clear knowledge of the Bhagavad-Gita all the goals
of human existence become fulfilled. Bhagavad-Gita
is the manifest quintessence of all the teachings
of the Vedic scriptures."
Adi Shankara
"The
Bhagavad-Gita is the most systematic statement of
spiritual evolution of endowing value to mankind.
It is one of the most clear and comprehensive summaries
of perennial philosophy ever revealed; hence its enduring
value is subject not only to India but to all of humanity."
Aldous Huxley
"The
Bhagavad-Gita was spoken by Lord Krishna to reveal
the science of devotion to God which is the essence
of all spiritual knowledge. The Supreme Lord Krishna's
primary purpose for descending and incarnating is
relieve the world of any demoniac and negative, undesirable
influences that are opposed to spiritual development,
yet simultaneously it is His incomparable intention
to be perpetually within reach of all humanity."
Ramanuja
The
Bhagavad-Gita is not seperate from the Vaishnava philosophy
and the Srimad Bhagavatam fully reveals the true import
of this doctrine which is transmigation of the soul.
On perusal of the first chapter of Bhagavad-Gita one
may think that they are advised to engage in warfare.
When the second chapter has been read it can be clearly
understood that knowledge and the soul is the ultimate
goal to be attained. On studying the third chapter
it is apparent that acts of righteousness are also
of high priority. If we continue and patiently take
the time to complete the Bhagavad-Gita and try to
ascertain the truth of its closing chapter we can
see that the ultimate conclusion is to relinquish
all the conceptualized ideas of religion which we
possess and fully surrender directly unto the Supreme
Lord.
Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati
"The
Mahabharata has all the essential ingredients necessary
to evolve and protect humanity and that within it
the Bhagavad-Gita is the epitome of the Mahabharata
just as ghee is the essence of milk and pollen is
the essence of flowers."
Madhvacarya
Yoga
has two different meanings - a general meaning and
a technical meaning. The general meaning is the joining
together or union of any two or more things. The technical
meaning is "a state of stability and peace and
the means or practices which lead to that state."
The Bhagavad Gita uses the word with both meanings.
Lord Krishna is real Yogi who can maintain a peaceful
mind in the midst of any crisis."
Mata Amritanandamayi Devi.
Karma,
Bhakti, and Jnana are but three paths to this end.
And common to all the three is renunciation. Renounce
the desires, even of going to heaven, for every desire
related with body and mind creates bondage. Our focus
of action is neither to save the humanity nor to engage
in social reforms, not to seek personal gains, but
to realize the indwelling Self itself.
Swami Vivekananda (England, London; 1895-96)
"Science
describes the structures and processess; philosophy
attempts at their explaination.----- When such a perfect
combination of both science and philosophy is sung
to perfection that Krishna was, we have in this piece
of work an appeal both to the head annd heart.
" ____________Swamy Chinmayanand on Gita
I
seek that Divine Knowledge by knowing which nothing
remains to be known!' For such a person knowledge
and ignorance has only one meaning: Have you knowledge
of God? If yes, you a Jnani! If not, you are ignorant.As
said in the Gita, chapter XIII/11, knowledge of Self,
observing everywhere the object of true Knowledge
i.e. God, all this is declared to be true Knowledge
(wisdom); what is contrary to this is ignorance."
Sri Ramakrishna
Maharishi
calls the Bhagavad-Gita the essence of Vedic Literature
and a complete guide to practical life. It provides
"all that is needed to raise the consciousness
of man to the highest possible level." Maharishi
reveals the deep, universal truths of life that speak
to the needs and aspirations of everyone.
Maharshi Mahesh Yogi
The
Gita was preached as a preparatory lesson for living
worldly life with an eye to Release, Nirvana. My last
prayer to everyone, therefore, is that one should
not fail to thoroughly understand this ancient science
of worldly life as early as possible in one's life.
--- Lokmanya Tilak
I
believe that in all the living languages of the world,
there is no book so full of true knowledge, and yet
so handy. It teaches self-control, austerity, non-violence,
compassion, obedience to the call of duty for the
sake of duty, and putting up a fight against unrighteousness
(Adharma). To my knowledge, there is no book in the
whole range of the world's literature so high above
as the Bhagavad-Gita, which is the treasure-house
of Dharma nor only for the Hindus but foe all mankind.
--- M. M. Malaviya
Let
us go through what scholars say about ancient
India
"India
was the mother of our race and Sanskrit the mother
of Europe's languages. She was the mother of our philosophy,
mother through the Arabs, of much of our mathematics,
mother through Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity,
mother through village communities of self-government
and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother
of us all."
-
Will Durant
"If
there is one place on the face of this Earth "where
all the dreams of living men have found a home "from
the very earliest days when Man began the dream of"existence,
it is India."
-
Romain Rolland - French Philosopher 1886-1944
It
is opposed to their (Hindus) foreign origin, that
neither in the Code (of Manu) nor, I believe, in the
Vedas, nor in any book that is certainly older than
the code, is there any allusion to a prior residence
or to a knowledge of more than the name of any country
out of India. Even mythology goes no further than
the Himalayan chain, in which is fixed the habitation
of the gods... .To say that it spread from a central
point is an unwarranted assumption, and even to analogy;
for, emigration and civilization have not spread in
a circle, but from east to west. Where, also, could
the central point be, from which a language could
spread over India, Greece, and Italy and yet leave
Chaldea, Syria and Arabia untouched? There is no reason
whatever for thinking that the Hindus ever inhabited
any country but their present one, and as little for
denying that they may have done so before the earliest
trace of their records or tradition.
-
1841 M.S. Elphinstone, the first governor of the Bombay
Presidency
[Article
by M.P. Bhattathiri, Retired Chief Technical Examiner
, to The Govt. of Kerala.]
