bhagvad gita be emotionally intelligent

8/14/2019 Bhagvad Gita Be Emotionally Intelligent

1/24

Be Emotionally Intelligent: Follow BhagvadGita

Mind is very restless, forceful and strong, O Krishna, it ismore difficult to control the mind than to control the wind

Arjuna to Sri Krishna

In this chapter, we will see how our ancient sacred teachingsmay enlighten a modern day manager to identify, interpret andapply emotions in personal and professional life. We will also seehow an emotionally intelligent manager can update his skills basedon the sacred teachings of ancient times. It is generally believedthat emotions have not received adequate attention in organizations

since the emergence of scientific management in the 19th century,which focused on designing organizational systems based onrationality to control/eliminate emotions. It was falsely believed thatemotions are disruptive and interfere with effective functioning ofindividuals in organizations. No doubt emotions could be disruptiveif these are exhibited at a wrong time or in other words, areinappropriate to a situation. However, emotions, if exhibitedintelligently are very constructive and play an important role inorganizational effectiveness.

The emotional make-up of Indian society can be gauged fromthe philosophies it has inherited from its ancestors. These are

accumulated life experiences gathered over thousands of yearsresulting from culmination of civilizations passed on fromgeneration to generation through Shuruti. Emotions play animportant role in any society and are reflective of its strengths andweaknesses. Hence, we may agree with the premise that emotionsare acquired largely by observing things happening around us inthe social environment and our reactions to the environment. Theway one conducts ones intrapersonal and interpersonalrelationships reflects ones emotional intelligence. The emotional

competency, emotional maturity and emotional sensitivity constitutea common thread, which concretizes the emotional intelligence of aperson. The objective of this chapter is to find out the ways to beemotionally intelligent as enshrined in our sacred sayings.

Looking into the ancient past, we find that the Indian society ispredominantly a Hindu society which has thrived on ancientliterature and religions which have taught us ways and means to

1


2/24

live, sustain and develop. The Hinduism advocates that A manshould first seek spiritual wisdom and thereafter pursue materialambitions. He/she will then never lose his/her peace of mind. Forexample, when the sea of one's mind is agitated by the waves ofemotions, it cannot reflect tranquility. One needs to have perfectemotional self-control or emotional self-mastery to attain selfrealization. Emotional self-control implies both control of the bodyand control of the mind. We need to keep all the senses emanatinga vast variety of emotions under our control. This means one mustlead an emotionally intelligent life. According to Indian scriptures oursenses are like wild horses, the body its chariot and the mind itsreins. Intellect is the driver. The Atman is the Lord of the chariot. Ifthe senses are not kept under proper control, they will throw thischariot into a deep abyss. He/she who keeps the reins firm anddrives this chariot intelligently by controlling the horses (senses) will

reach the destination (Moksha or the Abode of Eternal Bliss) safely.The author has found that most of the literature relating to humanbehaviour, emotional traits, and personality characteristicssignifying effective handling of ongoing environment, is found ingreat ancient holy epic called Bhagwat Gita. Bhagwat Gita is theholy book of authority for the Hindus meaning Song of Divine. Itwas written some 5000 years ago by Rishi Vyas and it is believedand practiced by Indians by heart. Although it appears in themythological epic the Mahabharata', it is given the status of'Shruti'

as it contains the essence of the Upanishadic teachings of theVedas. The central theme of the Bhagwat Gita is sanyas i.e.,renunciation. It means exploration of the purpose of human life. Itstates that renunciation is a desired goal. "Work away; but offer thefruits of your actions to God. Do not run after the objects of thesenses. Lead a detached life. Yet renunciation does not meanrunning away from one's duties. As long as we feel we are bound wehave to make an effort to be free. The way to achieve this is byrighteous living. Shrugging off your duties towards society is not theway forward, teaches the Bhagwat Gita. Further, that work which

gives elevation, joy and peace to us is right and that which bringsdepression, pain and restlessness to us is wrong. This is an easy wayto find out right and wrong. However, an individual with the acumenof emotional intelligence would be in a position to judge thedistinction between right and wrong. Let noble thoughts come fromall sides, Bhagvad Gita tells todays manager. This conveys thatthere should not be any restriction on receiving thoughts and one

2


3/24

should not be apprehensive about outside influences. A managermay learn to open up to novel ideas and accept or reject them afterdue considerations. An intelligent manager would do well to himselfand his community if he recognizes the importance of this. Greatmen and women have appreciated the wisdom of the Bhagvad Gitaacross cultures, religions, races and professions. The need for thespiritual illumination provided by the Bhagvad Gita is never asurgent as it is now, in the darkness of a world torn apart by culturalfragmentation, terror, rank materialism, technological isolation andglobal competition.

Why is it necessary to be emotionally intelligent? We areenlightened by Bhagvad Gita that being genuinely in touch withemotions tends to be tremendously difficult amid work and otheractivities. Emotions don't follow a routine, and if you have atendency to ignore your feelings, the mad rush of present day life

makes it convenient to suppress and avoid feelings as they arise. Yetnothing is more precious than experiencing your feelings andmoods. They are the most spontaneous part of your makeup, themost primary expression of your awareness as it relates to theworld. You are the totality of all the relationships you have, and themost accurate mirror of them is your emotions. It helps to make youremotions enjoyable. The life of feelings is meant to be rich andsatisfying, but if your emotions are strangers to you, you cannotenjoy them. Many people have convinced themselves that they have

few, if any, emotions. Yet, despite your efforts to repress them,there is a feeling attached to every single thought we have. Bringingall these feelings to light puts you back into the wholeness of themind-body connection, and wholeness is the most satisfying state inyou would love to live. We term this state as being emotionallycompetent.

3


4/24

It may be seen that the teachings and knowledge of BhagvadGita are directly relevant to todays corporate world. We believe thata sincere adoption of Bhagvad Gita teachings may still have positiverelevance to our managers. What are these teachings? The variousepisodes as enshrined in Bhagvad Gita provide succinct illustrationsof beneficial results of righteous behaviors and harmful effects ofsinful behaviors. Learned religious leaders in the past often citedthese sacred sayings to rulers, the kings, the princes and others intheir hours of indecision and despondence. Over centuries andmillennia they provided guidance to successive generations inmaking morals and ethical judgments as to what is right and what iswrong. The philosophy of Bhagvad Gita has been summarized in thefollowing sections keeping in view the emotional aspects of onespersonality. The Bhagvad Gita needs an intelligent reinterpretation

in the changed context of modern times and its wisdom canmotivate and guide a manager on how to appropriately adoptancient philosophies in the present life. Only those issues which areconsidered important from management effectiveness viewpoint,have been highlighted here. The idea behind such an exercise is toidentify areas in which sacred sayings of Bhagvad Gita can beapplied for leading a harmonious life at workplace and elsewhere.

These broad areas of Bhagvad Gita identified in the background ofthe great war of Mahabharata are as under:

a) How To Succeed: Bhagvad Gita Tells The Wayb) How to Resolve Conflicts: Learn From Bhagvad Gitac) Jealousy-Its Origin and Falloutd) Stand For Dharma-the Righteousnesse) Believe In Karma: the Path of Actionf) Tackling Emotional Upsets Effectively: The Bhagvad

Gitas Way

We will now discuss the above sacred teachings of Bhagvad

Gita individually:

a) How To Succeed: Bhagvad Gita Tells The Way

4


5/24

The concept of emotional intelligent and its role in success hasbeen beautifully explained by Bhagvad Gita. The Bhagvad Gita saysthat there are two ways to succeed in life. These are the paths ofknowledge and the path of desire. These paths are controlled byour rational mind as well as emotional mind as shown in the tablebelow:

KNOWLEDGE(The Rational Mind)

DESIRE(The Emotional Mind)

Sri Krishna says that the path ofknowledge is difficult. Tools ofKnowledge are 'Vivek' whichdistinguish between what is real

and what is unreal in otherwords distinguishing fact fromfancy. Bhagvad Gita further tellsthat time is life; so 'killing time'is a form of gradual suicide.Learn to invest every momentof your life in thing whichcounts for knowledge. One mustrealize that the cause of

bondage is 'desire'. Let thediscriminating faculty direct themind and keep the desires forobjects of pleasure undercontrol. 'Thus using dispassionand discrimination go aboveyour primitive nature in searchof the divine', teaches SriKrishna. The rational mind is theouter mind facing the objectand is termed as objectivemind. In Sanskrit we call itManas. The modern daypsychologists refer it as rationalmind or IQ

The desire is an emotionalresponse to immediateenvironment and instinctivelydrives a person towards satisfying

that desire. From desire comesattachment; from attachmentcomes passion. Passions furtherarise desires and attachments.When passion is not satisfied, itgenerates anger; from angerarises delusion that causes loss ofmemory. With loss of memory,wisdom is lost and that brings

complete ruin. The mantra ofBhagvad Gita is therefore to leada detached life and not to runafter objects of senses of worldlypleasures. This directly meanssuppressing ones emotions,feelings and desires. The innermind is called the subjectivemind and in Sanskrit it is termedas Buddhi. The modern daypsychologists refer it as emotionalmind or EQ.

5


6/24

It may be seen that the teachings of Bhagvad Gita tend to befollowed by Indian society in letter and spirit. We have learned toconcentrate on knowledge and suppress desire or emotions. Suchbehaviour is evident today and Indians by habit tend to either ignoreor suppress emotions. In fact expressing emotions is largelyconsidered to be a sign of weakness or defeat. In other words,thinking mind is considered to be superior to the emotional mindin the development of personality. However, In the changedenvironment of business and elsewhere, emotions are playing amajor role today to improve life. This may not to be taken ascontradiction of what Bhagvad Gita teaches but be seen as being inharmony with the changed environment. We may reinterpret thepreaching of Bhagvad Gita by saying that emotions that lead us todepression, uncontrolled anger, jealousy, wrong path etc. need tobe controlled. In contrast, the emotions which lead us to harmony,

self esteem etc. need to be encouraged. Emotionally intelligentorganizations are now recognizing that emotional knowledge is anasset, perhaps the only one that grows with time, that harnessedproperly can provide them with the ability to continuously competeand innovate into the future.

What follows from the above is that, if the mind is disturbed,the individual is disturbed. If the mind is at peace, the individual isalso at peace. An individual is whole and healthy in whom theobjective and subjective aspects of mind work in unison with each

other, and in the moment of conflict or doubt, the objective mindreadily comes under the disciplining influence of the subjectivemind. But unfortunately, except for a rare few, the majority of ushave minds that are split. This split between subjective andobjective aspects of mind is created by the layer of egoistic desiresin the individual. The greater the distance between these twoaspects of the mind, the greater the inner confusion in theindividual, the greater the egoism and low desires which theindividual comes to exhibit in life. The psychological interpretationtells that there should be a harmonious relationship between IQ and

EQ. The recent research has proved that EQ plays a dominant role ascompared to IQ in attaining success in life.

The readers may note that while defining emotions theBhagvad Gita has also elaborated upon the concept of Gunas, themoods. The Bhagvad Gita tells us that there are three moods whichexpress themselves from expression to expressions. These threemoods called the Gunas are; Unactivity (Sattwa), Activity (Rajas),

6


7/24

and Inactivity (Tamas). The concept of Sattwa is that of perfectpurity, the Tamas of foul darkness and Rajas of dusky colour.When the mind is purified (Sattwa) from all its agitations (Rajas) andthe intellect is cleansed of criminal lust (Tamas), the personalityexperiences inward peace and happiness. The psychological being ineveryone of us continuously comes under the influence of thesemoods. These three moods reflect differently among different peoplein the same ways as the water poured into hundred different bottleslook different not because of water but because of shape and colourof each bottle. The moods in different proportions influence everyindividual and results in the distinct flavours every time in eachpersonality. The modern manager must therefore know preciselywhat are the nature and behaviour of these moods and also mustlearn the art of subjectively diagnosing them in oneself. Forexample, a manager under the influence of Tamas would lose

capacity to discriminate between the right and wrong and would actas if under the influence of hallucination or stupefaction. A managershould therefore be sensitive enough to recognize the variousinfluences under which one is forced to function from time to time.

This will help him to discard all wrong impulses, immoraltendencies, unethical urges and animal passions and keep himselfbalanced in righteous living. Even an intelligent manager will needrepeated consolation when being extremely agitated by any direemotion. The way out is to be emotionally sensitive towards ongoing

environment.

b) How to Resolve Conflicts: Learn From Bhagvad Gita

Let us see how Bhagwat Gita tells us about the genesisand strategies to resolve the conflict. What is dramaticallyinteresting is that in the background of the Bhagwat Gita there are alarge number of individual agendas that the many characterspursue, and the numerous personal conflicts, ethical puzzles,subplots, and plot twists that give the epic a strikingly powerful

development. For example, conflict is reflected when Arjun is tornbetween his duty to fight for justice and his love for his kinsmen -whom he has to fight. This situation is being termed by thepsychologists as the greatest conflict a human being can face in life.As we know that on the battlefield of Kurukshetra Arjuna becomesdejected and debates with Sri Krishna that no war threatening sucha mass scale destruction can be justified on any grounds. Sri

7


8/24

Krishna, through his dialogue convinces him that he has to fight;there is no other way. The discussion brings into focus variousinteresting aspects which can help modern day managers to solveemotional conflicts. For example, while facing psychological conflictsin circumstances such as taking decisions under pressingcircumstances, balancing judgments impartially etc, the managersmay find insight from Bhagvad. In the beginning Arjuna, the greatand brave warrior, finds himself suddenly overwhelmed with thefeeling of mental depression, grief, dejection and fear when herealizes that he has to fight with his close relatives - brothers,uncles, and teachers - present as his enemies. Arjuna is greatlydisturbed about the outcome of the war; destruction and death thatwas sure to follow. He feels like retiring to the forest rather than tokill his own relatives. The brave warrior Arjuna, with Sri Krishna ashis charioteer, is standing between the two arrayed armies at

Kurukshetra ready to start the battle, and then Arjuna lays down hisarms to retire at the back of his chariot! Trembling with nervousnessand anxiety, unable to lift his mighty bow he pleads to escape fromthe consequences of the war. His emotions of love for the near ones,his concepts of duty and Dharma, all appear to be confusing to him.He is unable to determine the correct approach in this piquantsituation of grave urgency and emergency. In such an emotionallycharged setting let us see how he was convinced to resolve theconflict to fight or not to fight the war.

Arjuna turns to Sri Krishna, his friend, his teacher, and his all:"How can I kill them? O Krishna, I am unable to decide my furtherplan of action. Sri Krishna says, "O Brave one, why this infatuationat this hour! Why have you given yourself to this unmanliness andcowardice? Do not think that by your high talk of 'renunciation andretiring to forest' future generations would adore you and call youmighty and intelligent. On the contrary, for centuries to come,blame would be put on you for running away from the battlefield.Generation after generation, people would laugh at you and make

fun of your unmanly flight." "In such a crisis, whence comes uponthee, O Arjuna, this dejection, un-Aryan-like, disgraceful, andcontrary to the attainment of heaven? "Yield not to unmanliness, Oson of Kunti !. Cast off this mean faint-heartedness and arise, Oscorcher of thine enemies." On listening to this masterly advice,Arjuna steadies himself and fights the war to win.

8


9/24

We find Krishna repeatedly motivating his friend Arjuna withthe words, get up and fight. It may be seen that in the hour ofconflict Arjun was provided with emotional support by Sri Krishna,which helped him understand his inner strengths, and competencesand he decided to walk on the righteous path. The only emotionallyintelligent way left to him was to fight the war irrespective of theemotional bonding he had with his opponents. He acted firmly, withconviction and showed emotional maturity. His behaviour has alsoproved that being emotional does not mean being a weak person.On the same lines Bhagvad Gita is beneficial to modern managers insolving the identical situations they may face in workplace. It maybe interpreted as a call to each one of us to get up and fight thebattle of our own life, and be successful. The success story of Arjunafighting and winning the battle after being motivated by Sri Krishnashould be emulated by one and all. How to re energize yourself in

the event of demotivation can help managers to a great extent. Inpractical life every man is a victim of Arjuna-Disease and theKrishna-Cure which is the theme of Bhagvad Gita. As the sayinggoes, the war Arjuna fought at Kurukshetra was not the last warbetween the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The war, according to SriKrishna, will continue in all Yugas. In these wars, the kauravas willagain and again confront the Pandavas. In all these years, lordKrishna will be Arjunas charioteer. The divine message of the lordwill be delivered again and again. This reflects the symbolic

philosophy that such war like situations will surface again and againin our day to day lives and we have to get up and fight them. Thewhole Bhagvad Gita has been unfolded in the battle field ofKurukshetra; it has the potential to motivate modern managers whohave also to fight out in the competitive business world.

The Bhagvad Gita epitomizes the mental conflicts anddilemmas of a man of action - the great warrior King Arjuna - andtheir resolutions with the aid of his Divine Teacher - Lord Krishna - inthe midst of the battlefield of Kurukshetra leading to affirmative

action. Every modern manager faces similar moral quandaries andspiritual quagmires in his or her battlefield of day-to-day living. TheBhagvad Gita offers an immortal and eternal message for practicalliving - one of philosophical sublimation and mental transcendence.

c) Jealousy-Its Origin and Fallout

9


10/24

The jealousy is an important emotional response widespread inhuman psyche. It denounces rational as well as emotional mind andusually ends up in the feelings of aggression, dejection, andinferiority complex. It also has its origin in egoism of an individual.

The canvas of Mahabharata is full of instances of jealousy among itscharacters. It appears that Bhagvad Gita has provided perfectbackground to teach us as to how to subliminate even theseapparently negative emotions to help the process of regeneration ofmind, character and the principles of a civilized society where theweakest member of the society.

Let us now see the instances of the genesis of powerfulemotion called jealousy. As the story goes, out of all Pandavas andKauravas, Arjuna had immense liking for the sport of archery. Hepracticed this art with great concentration and perseverance. Soon

he became an expert in this art. Acharya Dronacharya was verymuch pleased with Arjuna and showed preferential love and favourtowards him. This caused a natural adolescence jealousy in theheart of Duryodhana and silently ill feelings like hatred towardsPandavas took birth in his heart. One day the Kauravas openlycriticized their Guru for favour shown towards Arjuna, telling himthey also were not less skillful in archery. As a reply to their criticism,Acharya Dronacharya arranged an acid test to decide the bestarcher amongst all. Accordingly, a wooden bird was put on a branch

of a distant tree. It was partly hidden by the foliage. A prominentartificial eye was painted on the wooden bird. TheAcharya called allhis disciples and said, "Look my children, a bird is sitting on that faroff tree. You have to hit the arrow exactly in its eye. Are you ready?"Everyone nodded. First the eldest Yudhisthira was invited to try hisskill. He stretched his bowstring and was about to release the arrowwhen Dronacharya asked him a question, "May I know what is visibleto you at this point of time?" Yudhisthira replied innocently, " I amseeing you, the tree, people around me, and the bird! Similarquestions were put to Duryodhana, Bhima, Nakul, Sahadeva and

others, and Acharya Drona got the similar answers as those given byYudhisthira. Acharya told them to step aside as it was obvious thatwith such poor concentration they were sure to miss the target!Lastly, it was the turn of Arjuna. He readied himself, his bow andarrow in perfect graceful harmony! When the Guru asked him, "OArjuna, will you tell me what is being observed by you? And Arjunareplied, "Sir, at this point of time only the eye of the bird is visible to

10


11/24

me." When asked by the Acharya whether he was able to see thebird, the tree, and people around, Arjuna replied in negativemaintaining that he saw the eye of the bird only. Dronacharya waspleased with Arjuna's immense concentration and correct approachtowards the art of archery. He then explained to Duryodhana howdue to such peculiar qualities and powers he preferred Arjuna as hisbest disciple. Everyone saw the point, including Duryodhana; but theseed of jealousy was sown in his heart. In his attempt to equalArjuna, Duryodhana fell victim to anger and similar base emotions;the effect of it was visible later in the evil designs of Duryodhana,which led to the war of Mahabharata.

The above story is reflective of multiplicity of emotionsculminating in jealousy. The other emotions reflected are hatred,fear, apprehension, anger, disappointment, depression, shock on the

one hand and concentration, conviction, dedication and motivationon the other. The story tells us the genesis of negative emotionnamely jealousy and its ramifications. The defeat in the archerycompetition sowed the seeds of inferiority complex in the hearts ofkauravas, which culminated with the feelings of jealousy, hatred andrevenge towards Pandavas resulting in the great war ofMahabharata.

The modern day managers may note that the feeling of jealousy has its origin in the feelings of inferiority complex oregoism. If not tackled in time this can mould itself in the feelings ofrevenge, aggression and hatred. Hence, the managers need tomaster the appropriate emotional competency to negate the impactof these feelings at all costs. Bhagvad Gita says that bitterness issecret hatred. It often comes because we believe someone criticizedus unfairly. All criticism hurts, but with emotional maturity, we cankeep from letting it makes us turn sour. This requires emotionalsensitivity, which means understanding the threshold of emotionalarousal and responding to it appropriately. However, there is a

caution. The feelings of jealousy, egoism and inferiority are notalways negative in nature and may sometimes help managers infacing healthy competition and in personal growth, if viewed andpracticed with sensitivity and maturity. The managers further needto understand that emotions arouse desires which are like scatteredmustard seeds. They break up our personality likewise in infinite tinyfragments. Jealousy and hatred are the natural consequences of

11


12/24

fragmented mind. Spiritual discipline is like engaging in the act ofcollecting the scattered seeds into one heap. Though difficult, such apractice creates positive impulse to become one with others. This isalso the process to become ethical. Peaceful, and selfless actionslead to building of mature and tranquil personality.

d) Stand For Dharma- the Righteousness

The term Dharma is one of the most intractable terms inBhagvad Gita meaning righteousness. The term has been defined asreligious code, as a system of morality, as duty, as charity etc. Itmeans the law of being that makes a thing or being what it is. Forexample, it is Dharma of fire to burn, of the sun to shine, the earthto sustain life, etc. Similarly, all human beings are also expected tofollow their Dharma till the last breath. The family Dharma is thus

nothing but the rules of living, feeling, thinking, and acting as bettercitizens of country. The todays managers would do a lot of good tothemselves and the society if they understand the tenets ofDharmaand stand for it.

But how many of us stand for the righteousness i.e., rightcause, these days. Do we earnestly take cognizance of evils andcorruption around us as responsible citizens of country? Do we raiseour voice against the exploitation and humiliation of poor, needyand underprivileged sections of our society? Are we not witness to

open violation of human rights in the society? Do we follow the pathof righteousness?

It is shocking to observe that many powerful characters ofMahabharata miserably failed to protect their dharma and theinterests of their country and family in the event of adversity. All thisis told to us in yet another story of infuriated Duryodhana and uncleShakuni. They were not happy with the glorious progress andprosperity of their cousins Pandavas and their kingdom

Indraprastha. Unmanaged jealousy and hatred, as is well known,create conditions for revenge and meanness. Somehow or the otherthey wanted to see an end to the well being of Pandavas.Duryodhana and Shakuni started to analyze the strength andweaknesses of their counterparts. At last, uncle Shakuni, the greatschemer and manipulator, found the weak point he was looking for.He knew that Yudhisthistra as a king was bound by the Dharma of

12


13/24

the time, unlikely to refuse to play game of dice if royal invitationwas sent to him. He specially prepared a dice that followed hiscommand. On receiving the invitation, the five Pandava brothers andtheir wife Draupadi reached Hastinapur. A warm welcome awaitedthem. Yudhisthira was bound to lose as the game was alreadycorrupted by Shakuni. Shakuni came up with requisite number withhis magical dice. But as a losing gambler, Yudhisthira lost reasonand discrimination. He put his estate Indraprastha at stake and asexpected lost that turn too. Hope never dies for a gambler!

Yudhisthira asked Shakuni to put at stake his brothers Bhima, Arjuna,Nakul, and Sahadeva and lost.At last, the desperate gambler in Yudhisthira put Draupadi, their wifeat stake! The destiny of this great Bharatavarsha the India as wascalled in those days - could not be changed, as if it had the tacitsanction of Almighty! Male chauvinism put a helpless lady at the

mercy of crooks. As was destined, Yudhisthira lost the dice, and withit started the dark period of Indias downfall. Draupadi became theserving maid of Duryodhana and Kauravas. Victorious and lustfulDuryodhana asked his brother Dushasana to bring Draupadi to thecourt. He obeyed his elder brother and brought helpless Draupadidragging by her hair. Her protest that Yudhisthira had no right to puther at stake remained unheard. All heads in the court drooped withshame. Bhishma, Dronacharya, and Vidura could do nothing. KingDhritarashtra remained silent. Duryodhana ordered Dushasana to

disrobe the lady. Bhishma objected, Dhritarashtra trembled, but thelust, pride, and blind power of victory was not prepared to listen orsee sense. Helpless Draupadi had but one hope Sri Krishna to saveher grace. Here, Dushasana pulled one yard of her robe -sari - andtwo yards were added by the grace of Sri Krishna! The evilDushasana went on and on, his hands aching and paralyzed withfatigue, but there was no end to the covering of Draupadi's body. Atlast Dushasana collapsed, completely exhausted. Victory to LordKrishna", exclaimed Draupadi and fell down unconscious tears rollingdown her eyes. But still, Shakuni and Duryodhana were not to be put

off. Duryodhana baring his thigh invited Draupadi to sit on it. Thiswas the last straw on camel's back. The infuriated Bhima rose to killDuryodhana but was prevented by Yudhisthira to act. "O brothers,we have no right to protest or fight against our master. We are allslaves of Duryodhana", said he.

13


14/24

After they had lost, the drama of Draupadi humiliation enacted,everything lost in the game was returned to Pandavas on theintervention of elders and when they were returning to there homes,they were again under the pressure of Duryodhana invited for afresh game. This time Shakuni himself put the new condition thatwhosoever loses second time will relinquish his kingdom and go toforest exile for twelve years with additional one year of livingincognito. If detected in the last year, again exile of twelve years willensue. Yudhisthira agreed and the game started. As destined thePandavas lost the game again. After facing insult and humiliation allthe five Pandavas and Draupadi put on simple dress and left for theforest.

The agony of Bhishma, Dronacharya, and Vidura can only beimagined at the outrageous treatment meted out to Pandavas in

general and Draupadi in particular. The disgrace of their owndaughter-in-law left them speechless and hurt to the core. But theirprotests and appeals for sanity fell on the deaf ears of Duryodhanaand Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra was too weak a king and a fatherwhose heart went out for the 'love' for Duryodhana. He alwayslooked in the narrow confines of comforts and material pleasures forhis son, Duryodhana. He could not think beyond. That Duryodhanawas treading the path of self-destruction by setting such an exampleof ignoble behaviour towards women that was sure to lead to the

downfall of India in coming centuries. Based on this episode thequestion being asked by the present generation is: "Why didBhishma, Dronacharya, and Vidura not desert the evil company ofking Dhritarashtra?" Why did they not stand by Pandavas who werefollowing the path of Dharma. The answer to this query is beingsearched for all these centuries, in India and elsewhere! In part,Bhishma himself gives the answer. He had vowed to remain loyal tothe throne of Hastinapur irrespective of who occupied it. He nevercared to make a distinction between the throne and the king. Thispledge was more than anything to him. His life, non-righteous

behavior of Kauravas, and sufferings of Pandavas had no value inthe face of his pledge. As to Dronacharya and Vidura, they were thepaid servants of king Dhritarashtra. They choose not to honestlydischarge their duties as a teacher and a minister. It was essentialfor them to serve their master who gave them name, fame, andposition. To save their own jobs they preferred to remain silent anddid not oppose the king or found faults with him (or his sons).

14


15/24

Probably, they had no say in such matters; and to revolt was to showdisloyalty to the throne whose salt they had eaten. It may be noticedthat even after the expiry of approximately 5000 years, we haveinnumerable individuals who behave and exhibit personalityidentical to that of Bhishma, Vidura and Dhritarashtra.

The role of the then society which cries for the protection ofmental, physical and social health of women in India also needs tobe scrutinize here. The social norms prevalent at that time did notallow a woman to have independent thinking and feeling. One onlywonders if the situation has changed even after a lapse of fivethousand years. It may be seen that Draupadi invited wrath andinsult from Kauravas because she choose to reject Duryodhana as asuitor. This infuriated Duryodhana to insult her as it had hurt his ego.It is pitiable that even today millions of women are publicly

humiliated, assaulted, raped and murdered as a punishment forchallenging the male domain. The women have by now learned notto retaliate or call back if they want to feel safe in the family or inthe society.

Draupadis burning passion for revenge against kauravas, whodisrobed her in the full assembly in the presence of her fivehusbands, terminated in the epic war between Kauravas andPandava in Kurukshetra. Draupadis oath that she would tie her longtresses only with bloodstained hands is symbolic of her emotionalpersonality characteristics reflecting self-esteem and capacity tofight back. Her anguish while being disrobed and humiliated in theKauravas court led her to curse that a country where women arereduced to such ignominy would never prosper. Even today many ofus believe that womens anguish and cries against monumentalinjustice has left India with centuries of sufferings, slavery andbloody conflicts. This has led to the development of two distinctemotional characteristics among Indian womanhood i.e., vengefulanger and gentleness. The outrageous treatment meted out to

Draupadi is symbolic of the insecurity of the women in particular andthe common and the weak in general in the society. Unfortunatelythe position has not changed even today. it also makes the positionof the Bhishma, Dronacharya and Vidura untenable. The argumentof Bhishma that he was bound to the throne is weak andunconvincing. He was committed to the throne and not to theperson who occupied it. Therefore, it was imperative upon him to

15


16/24

oversee that the occupier of the throne does not defy it by hisactions and jeopardizing its sanctity. For inexplicable reasons hefailed to protect the interest of the state by subjecting himself to thewhimsical commands of the occupier. Dronacharya, as teacher wasbound to assert his moral authority over the King, yet he too underthe garb of being the servant of the state allowed himself to be aparty to an unjust rule. His love for Arjuna does not mitigate hisculpability. Vidura, the minister was duty bound to offer the correctadvice. It might be said that he always approved themechanizations of Duryodhana and company. But one might well askif the role of a minister is to go on offering advice which is neverheard? Is it morally correct for him to continue in the post when heis repeatedly failing in protecting the long term interests of thestate?

The tragedy of the Mahabharata is partly due to the inability ofthe individuals to manage their emotions and therefore reach out forthe right path. The above unfortunate happenings are relevant evenat present. Today also we see many bureaucrats, public servantsand managers and executives loyal to corrupt rulers andmanipulative business houses. It is not uncommon to see many'righteous persons' keeping mum over irregularities and misconductof their bosses. We encounter instances of rape, physicalexploitation and murders of hapless women everyday in the present

society and prefer not to raise our voice. The social scientistsconclude that it is becoming an international phenomenon. Thestance of Bhishma, Dronacharya, Vidura, and etc. remaining silent atthe great injustice meted out to Draupadi, a woman and Pandavaswill always remain unanswered. Such incidences are not uncommonin any era or epoch. Some are dramatized; others are forgotten inthe flow of time. However, they expose weakness of human natureand character. These incidents reflect a weak personality, whichwould not stand and revolt in the event of crisis. This tale ofMahabharata urges its followers to fight for righteousness and not to

be cowed down by the evil elements of society. If we can do so wewill be following the path of righteousness and in turn show ouremotional sensitivity towards social evils and emotional maturity toraise our voice against them. Such response would be known as anemotionally intelligent response.

16


17/24

e) Believe In Karma: The Path Of Action

The theory of karma is the central theme of Bhagvad Gitawhich when translated into modern day management may providefresh approach into doing the right things at the right time.Needless to say that the deeds or actions of a manager not only

reflect his past experiences but also the future likely actions he/sheis likely to initiate. Everybody looks for peace and happiness andnobody likes to face adversity. That is why the soul is bounded withKarma (deeds or actions). Bhagwat Gita tells us that future is alwaysbased in our present deeds whether they are good or bad. We canchange our future happening by virtue of our present pious deedsand worship and by adopting true path. The aim of human being is,spread brotherhood, love humanity, spread cooperation, dischargeduties, do pious deeds and finally get salvation. Hindus believe in

reincarnation. The basic belief is that a person's fate is determinedaccording to his deeds. These deeds in Hinduism are called 'Karma'.A person who does good Karma in this life will be awarded with abetter life in the next incarnation. A person who does bad Karma willbe punished for their sins, if not in this incarnation then in the nextincarnation. Karma Yoga (duties towards nation/organization/familyetc.) preached in Bhagwat Gita are the duties related to the religiousMahabharata war for which Arjuna is fundamentally liable todischarge being a warrior and he discharged the same accordingly.

Therefore, Sri Krishna says to Arjuna, 'Your only duty is to act (rightto work) and not to hanker after the fruits (or the results) thereof.'Neither the purpose of your actions nor the work should bind andblind you. To work is to worship with total non-attachment andselfless attitude. An emotionally intelligent manager would interprethis/her emotions and follow the path of actions. He/she would alsodecide which path of action will lead him/her towards success atthe workplace and personal life.

The managers may note that Bhagvad Gita tells about validactions, inaction, and improper or prohibited actions. Sri Krishna

teaches, the path of action, as Action is better than inaction.Without action no one can survive." He teaches, "respond in such away that it does not bind but frees one from ignorance." The methodprescribed by Sri Krishna is: "Do all work as worship to God. Doeverything to the best of your ability; suited to your ongoingenvironment." In order not to be bound by our actions we have tooffer the fruits of our action to God. We have to bear in mind that we

17


18/24

are not the real doers - the real doer is God (Sri Krishna) who is justthe witness to all these activities. 'Actionlessness' in midst of allaction is the secret prescribed by this path. It may be seen thatBhagvad Gita provides for continuous responding to ongoingenvironment with emotional sensitivity. Whatever the scripturesadvocate should be accepted as correct action. Similarly, the greatsages and seers, prophets and avatars also are sources fordetermining beneficial karma. One should follow their advice.Actions like hoarding, engaging in corrupt practices, bribery, doingharm to others are considered bad. Similarly, excessive,inappropriate and unmindful expression of emotions such as lust,greed, hatred, anger, and jealousy must be shunned. Therefore,these are not proper karma. A manager who learns to appropriateemotions to the desired levels will always get appreciation. In otherwords he/she would be termed as emotionally intelligent.

Every action produces some effect in the form of impression onthe subtle mind. As we sow, so do we reap! Repeated karma ofsimilar nature becomes a habit. The sum total ofkarma is tendencywhich is a learned emotional response to a particular situation. Thecharacter of a manager is determined by such tendencies;predominantly good tendencies make a person noble, and badtendencies him/her wicked. We begin encountering karma as soonas we are born, and continue to act till death in ceaseless chain ofkarma. It is a continuous process of cause and effect. Emotion is the

main motivating factor behind the karma. It may be noticed thatcomplete fulfillment of any emotion is impossible; on the contrary,as habits, these emotions lead us to do repeated karma evenagainst our wish. Our karma may harm us or may prove injurious toothers; still we act according to our predominant emotionaltendencies. Similarly, binding with good karma make a managerwork for the good of others (empathy). The theory of karma alsooutlines the keys to maximizing productivity at workplace andsatisfaction in personal life. As you, too, complete your own personalKarma, you will naturally have a less stressful attitude toward

previously distressing situations, and a strengthened ability to bepresent in the moment, regardless of the circumstances. If you wishto be emotionally competent and desire to achieve all you havebeen longing for follow the karma, which is emotionally, spirituallyand practically beneficial for the entire humanity. It may beobserved that successfully and appropriately responding to a vastvariety of emotional stimuli being elicited from inner self and

18


19/24

external environment is the key to understand theory ofkarma. If amanager is looking to enrich your experience of well-being and wishto lead an exciting and extraordinary life, Bhagwat Gita can showthe way through the path of action.

f) Tackling Emotional Upsets Effectively: The Bhagvad GitasWay

The managers may learn certain emotional competencies totackle emotional upsets by emulating the sermons of Bhagvad Gita.

The emotional upheavals in personal and professional life affect theproductivity, effectiveness and self image. The life of Pandavas inexile is a perfect example of tackling emotional upsets in life. As thestory goes, losers in the deceitful act of gambling, and humiliated

by Kauravas, the Pandavas started for their exile in forest. SriKrishna reached Kamyak forest where Pandavas and Draupadi werestaying and advised Pandavas to be patient and not lose heart. Heexplained that the ordeal they had to face was for their good, as"experience is the only source of effective learning". Good and badexperiences are essential to get correct perspective and fulfillmentof life. Suffering and sorrows bring requisite feeling of renunciationessential to seek higher goals in life.

However, not satisfied with the arguments of Sri Krishna,Draupadi questioned him about the recent insult inflicted on her atthe hands of Duryodhana which was fresh in the mind of Draupadi.She had also not forgotten scornful laughter of Dhritarashtra andShakuni. All these memories made Draupadi emotional and angry.Opening her heart to Sri Krishna, she said in anguish: "O Krishna,how is it that this Draupadi, sister of the Lord of Universe and wife offive brave, powerful and invincible Pandavas has to go through suchhorrible time? Was that not their duty to protect me and punish themiscreants? Was that fair on the part of Dhritarashtra to allow

Dushasana to drag me by hair and attempt to remove my clothing?Does Yudhisthira have right to put me at stake when he himself hadbecome slave of Duryodhana? And even if the husband becomesslave does he lose right to come to the rescue of his wife; does helose the right to protect the honour of his wife?" Draupadi wasemotionally upset due to assault on her honour. She askedempathetically why Sri Krishna the God incarnate allowed the game

19


20/24

of dice in the first instance as it leads to total corruption anddegeneration of the race. He would have forcefully prohibitedDuryodhana from engaging in such vice. Gambling, smoking,drinking, hunting, and prostitution are the curse on humanity, whichevery righteous person should labour to avoid. The persons whoengage in these acts are doomed to destruction and moral death.She rightfully demanded an answer from Sri Krishna. The barrage ofquestions affected Sri Krishna intensely. With due seriousness heproclaimed, "O dear sister, do not grieve. I promise you that everyKaurava would shed more tears than what you have shed; for thenon-righteous Kauravas and their supporters in this shameful act aresure to perish at the hands of Pandavas very soon." He sermonsDraupadi to face the challenges of life with optimism as one day it isPandavas who will conquer and rule the mother India. The episodetells us to be patient, optimistic and keep aim at your target to enjoy

the fruits of future. The managers may learn to delay thegratification of reacting to the uncomfortable situationsinstantaneously and strike back as and when environment becomesfavorably inclined. Such a tendency is a sign of emotionalcompetency.

Another emotional competency we learn from Bhagvad Gita isto face stress in life. The cause of stress is basically because of builtup of emotions and the perceived inability to meet the existing

challenges or problems satisfactorily. This happens when theemotions could not get released or resolved. Even though it is thesame world for everyone, yet as perceptions differ so do theresponses. The important causes of stress as enumerated inBhagvad Gita are, keeping goals without taking into consideration ofones capacity and inclinations, imagining that without the fruit lifewould not be worth living, imagining ourselves to be the only oneresponsible to attain our goals, entertaining values and life-styleswhich do not help us relax, having self-centered, calculative andloveless relationships and faulty perceptions about ourselves, life

and also the world at large.

How to counter the causes of stress. The Bhagvad Gita saysthat you are never alone. Look at the cosmos, the world, theseasons, your body, everything is working so beautifully. There is agreat intelligence operating in and through everything. One shouldlearn the art of performing actions while holding the hands of this

20


21/24

power called God. Everyone in the world seeks pleasure, but it isstrange to see that majority has never cared to go into this secret oflife. Happiness is never in any object, achievement or person in life.It is the subjective essence of all. It is extremely important to openthe inner gates of joy, thereafter there will be a subjective revolutionin life. Further we learn from Bhagvad Gita is that the essence ofone is the essence of all.Atma is Paramatma. Know that and be freefrom all sense of limitations. The experience of knowing ones self isthe experience beyond description. It is verily total contentment.

The cancer of selfishness and egocentric existence is rooted outcompletely thereafter. Any person who sees the above facts of life,and also assimilates this knowledge, shall certainly root out the verycause of stress. Any other methodology is a compromise; it is only atemporary cure, or a first aid. The thrust of most the stressworkshops is only in facilitating release of 'pent-up-emotions' and do

not provide any plan of action to guarantee that the emotions willnot be repressed in the first place. Bhagvad Gita provides a holisticapproach in this regard. Before facing the situation charge yourmind with positive thoughts and emotions, know your stresssymptoms and stressors Learn the ways to emotional release andintense living, learn to 'let go' and relax, cultivate positive qualitiessuch as not getting swept away by surge of an emotion , not losingyour cool for the fault of others, see all ego-centric actions to be thecause of all negativities etc.

Yet another emotional competency to learn is self-realization. Itfurther means emotional maturity, which constitutes evaluatingemotions of oneself, identify and express feelings and balancingstate of heart and mind. This is a state where an individualrecognizes his inner self and responds accordingly. As stated inBhagwat Gita, meditation is the tool to achieve self-realization. In asecluded place establish a posture with a straight back. Concentratebetween the eyebrows or on the tip of the nose. Fix the mind on theSelf (Atman). Develop one pointed concentration called 'Dhyana'

and achieve Self-realization (or Union with God) in the state called'Samadhi'. Observing moderation in everything; with strict celibacy;one overcomes the lower self in order to gain the higher Self. Thusthe Yogi no longer relishes the pleasures of the senses. He cannot bedeluded any more. He abides in the Self. Needless to say that manymodern organizations and individuals are practicing meditation to

21


22/24

tackle emotional upsets such as frustrations, conflicts, inferioritycomplexes, stress and burnout etc.

Another emotional competency which the Bhagwat Gitateaches you how to express yourselves. It may be understood that

there are many moments in our lives when we knowingly suppressmany of our emotions. This becomes cause of many emotionalupsets. The psychologists explain that repressed emotionsaccumulate a tremendous amount of dynamic energy which mustnecessarily seek a field of expression. If the expression of repressedemotions is not permitted it can boomerang back to destroy the veryindividual. As we may see in Mahabharata, the great hero Arjunacame under the influence of his repressed conditions on the battlefield and behaved as a victim of perfect neurosis. The causes of his

emotional repressions are not far to seek. A great hero, confident ofhis own strengths, was made to live amidst the unjust tyranny of hisMachiavellian cousins. At the same time the great archer could notgive vent to his nature because of the righteous policy of peace ofhis elder brother, Yudhishthira. Moreover, during the last year oftheir lives incognito, the Pandavas family had to serve as a menialsin the palace of king Virata. The carping injustice and the cruelindignities caused a lot of repression in Arjunas mind. Forexpression of these repressed emotions he found a healthy way inthe severe tapas which he performed during his life in the jungles. Itnow transpires that an individual needs to channel to expresshimself or herself for healthy and stress less life. But how to do it isthe question.

If the managers decide to follow these philosophies it mayprovide them eternal peace and happiness. There are innumerablestrategies illuminated in Bhagvad Gita to cope with unpleasantsituations. For example, Bhagvad Gita tells you that your behaviourshould never be such that you don't expect others to behave like

you do. Revenge is not always better, but neither is forgiveness;learn to know them both, so that there is harmony. Be aware thatafter joy follows sorrow and sorrow is followed by joy like a cycle ofday and night. They ceaselessly rotate on the wheel of life;

This is relevant from point of view of modern concept ofmanagement such as adaptability and flexibility an important signof emotional maturity. These tell you to behave differently in

22


23/24

different situations. If you have to get angry, do it; only thing tokeep in mind is that the anger should be appropriate to thesituation-neither more nor less. In addition, Bhagwat Gita tells youthat friendship is an important emotional relationship, which has tobe followed in letter and spirit; similarly enmity is also an emotionalrelationship, which needs to be followed up to its logical conclusion.We are told to be emotionally competent and fight your way out.

There are numerous other teachings Bhagwat Gita has givenwhich ranges from being emotionally mature to being emotionallysensitive. The teachings go a long way in helping us to understandhow to tackle emotional upsets in life. The modern world can benefitby putting them in practice. For example, according to BhagwatGita, lying is to deception what adultery is to lust. Being honestabout our dishonesty is a lot harder than just not telling lies; but it

will bring freedom and wholeness when we learn how to do it. Angerand lies may make people mad; but genuine love and truth can befar more convincing, and could lead to fiercer persecution. If only wewould confess our sins, our fears, our disagreements, our delusions,our weaknesses, etc., we could be "cleansed from allunrighteousness." Such a situation may be described as beingemotionally intelligent in modern times. The social conscience forcesus to hide the truth about the many games we play with opponentsin an effort to score points against them. It may be wise to keep

some things (like suspicions) secret for a while, but it is important tobe clear with yourself and with God about what is really happening.Clinging to a unique self-image can blind people to the benefits ofidentifying with others who preach the truth. Fear and pride hold usback from spiritual growth. Make the impossible possible, makeroom for us where there is no room, bringing back life to us for weare as good as dead. Mind is very restless, forceful and strong, it ismore difficult to control the mind than to control the wind. But if wecan master the art of doing the same we will have all the joys in lifeand handle emotional upsets. This is the real mantra of Bhagvad

Gita for modern day managers.

Conclusion:

While summarizing the lessons learned we may say that amanager would know to inculcate the emotional competency ofrighteousness actions from Bhagvad Gita. It may be seen that the

23


24/24

popularity of the Bhagwat Gita is, to some extent due to the factthat it managed to show that different pathways to God are allequally valid. God can be reached through different ways. Herereaching the God has to be interpreted in a wider perspective bythe managers. It may include craving for a satisfying personal life orhaving effective outcome at workplace or perhaps both. Any pathwhich provides inner strength or satisfaction to a manager toachieve his/his goals is the path of action. It may be seen thatBhagwat Gita stresses the paths of knowledge, action, devotion andmeditation while discouraging the path of emotions. This may not beinterpreted as emotions being given low priority or being ignored inBhagwat Gita. The correct interpretation would be that emotions,many a times are so forceful and blind that they take over humancognition and non-cognition. The effect in such a circumstance isdisastrous. Hence, Bhagwat Gita tells a manager to regulate

emotions in an appropriate way and measure. This may be referredto as emotional sensitivity which helps a person to maintainharmony, rapport, and comfort with others. Finally, a manager canchoose the pathway or any combination of pathways to suit his/herown abilities.

Mahatma Gandhi wrote that I find solace in the Bhagvad Gitawhen disappointment stares me in the face and all alone I see notone ray of light, I go back to Bhagvad Gita and begin to smile in the

midst of overwhelming tragedies. A deep insight into the tenets ofholy Bhagvad Gita can help you inculcate in your personality thetraits of a great manager and chief executive like Arjuna or greatestteacher and patron like Krishna or an effective leader like Yudhistra.

There are other characters, as we have seen, who in their own right,exhibit traits reflecting diverse emotions, thought to be appropriateeven in modern times. This is why this great epic is consideredrelevant and appropriate even today worldwide.We have to learn tospread the bright light of Bhagvad Gita to the world to achievedefinite excellence and move towards a stress free and a dynamic

managerial environment, which could be applied both in our day-to-day activities and in the competitive corporate environment.

24

bhagvad gita be emotionally intelligent

Documents