Leadership Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita #43 – Progress

Bhagavad Gita - Progress

This blogpost is part of a series where I have tried to interpret the verses from the Gita for the corporate world. This post is on “progress”.

Leadership Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita #42 – De-clutter

Chapter 2, Verses 68, 69, 70. तस्माद्यस्य महाबाहो निगृहीतानि सर्वश: |इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता || 68|| tasmād yasya mahā-bāho nigṛihītāni sarvaśhaḥindriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣhṭhitā Translation : Therefore, one who has restrained the senses from their objects, O mighty armed Arjun, is firmly established in transcendental knowledge. या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जागर्ति संयमी |यस्यां जाग्रति भूतानि सा … Read more

Leadership Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita #41 – Mine or For me

Chapter 2, Verses 66 and 67 नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य न चायुक्तस्य भावना | न चाभावयत: शान्तिरशान्तस्य कुत: सुखम् || 66|| nāsti buddhir-ayuktasya na chāyuktasya bhāvanā na chābhāvayataḥ śhāntir aśhāntasya kutaḥ sukham na—not; asti—is; buddhiḥ—intellect; ayuktasya—not united; na—not; cha—and; ayuktasya—not united; bhāvanā—contemplation; na—nor; cha—and; abhāvayataḥ—for those not united; śhāntiḥ—peace; aśhāntasya—of the unpeaceful; kutaḥ—where; sukham—happiness Translation : But an … Read more

Leadership Lessons from The Bhagavad Gita #40 – Transforming

Chapter 2 Verses 64 and 65 रागद्वेषवियुक्तैस्तु विषयानिन्द्रियैश्चरन् | आत्मवश्यैर्विधेयात्मा प्रसादमधिगच्छति || 64|| rāga-dveṣha-viyuktais tu viṣhayān indriyaiśh charan ātma-vaśhyair-vidheyātmā prasādam adhigachchhati rāga—attachment; dveṣha—aversion; viyuktaiḥ—free; tu—but; viṣhayān—objects of the senses; indriyaiḥ—by the senses; charan—while using; ātma-vaśhyaiḥ—controlling one’s mind; vidheya-ātmā—one who controls the mind; prasādam—the Grace of God; adhigachchhati—attains Translation – But one who controls the mind, … Read more

Leadership Lessons from The Bhagavad Gita #39 – Anger

Chapter 2 Verse 63 क्रोधाद्भवति सम्मोह: सम्मोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रम: | स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति || 63|| krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ sammohāt smṛiti-vibhramaḥ smṛiti-bhranśhād buddhi-nāśho buddhi-nāśhāt praṇaśhyati krodhāt—from anger; bhavati—comes; sammohaḥ—clouding of judgement; sammohāt—from clouding of judgement; smṛiti—memory; vibhramaḥ—bewilderment; smṛiti-bhranśhāt—from bewilderment of memory; buddhi-nāśhaḥ—destruction of intellect; buddhi-nāśhāt—from destruction of intellect; praṇaśhyati—one is ruined Translation : Anger leads to clouding of … Read more

Leadership Lessons from Bhagavad Gita #38 – Attachment

Chapter 2 Verse 62 ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंस: सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते | सङ्गात्सञ्जायते काम: कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते || 62|| dhyāyato viṣhayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣhūpajāyate saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate dhyāyataḥ—contemplating; viṣhayān—sense objects; puṁsaḥ—of a person; saṅgaḥ—attachment; teṣhu—to them (sense objects); upajāyate—arises; saṅgāt—from attachment; sañjāyate—develops; kāmaḥ—desire; kāmāt—from desire; krodhaḥ—anger; abhijāyate—arises Translation – While contemplating on the objects of the senses, one … Read more

Leadership Lessons from Bhagavad Gita #37 – Higher Purpose

Chapter 2 Verse 61 तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्पर: | वशे हि यस्येन्द्रियाणि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता || 61|| tāni sarvāṇi sanyamya yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ vaśhe hi yasyendriyāṇi tasya prajñā pratiṣhṭhitā tāni—them; sarvāṇi—all; sanyamya—subduing; yuktaḥ—united; āsīta—seated; mat-paraḥ—toward me (Shree Krishna); vaśhe—control; hi—certainly; yasya—whose; indriyāṇi—senses; tasya—their; prajñā—perfect knowledge; pratiṣhṭhitā—is fixed; Translation – They are established in … Read more

Leadership Lessons from Bhagavad Gita #36 – Enough ?

Chapter 2 Verses 59 and 60 विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिन: | रसवर्जं रसोऽप्यस्य परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते || 59|| viṣhayā vinivartante nirāhārasya dehinaḥ rasa-varjaṁ raso ’pyasya paraṁ dṛiṣhṭvā nivartate viṣhayāḥ—objects for senses; vinivartante—restrain; nirāhārasya—practicing self restraint; dehinaḥ—for the embodied; rasa-varjam—cessation of taste; rasaḥ—taste; api—however; asya—person’s; param—the Supreme; dṛiṣhṭvā—on realization; nivartate—ceases to be Translation – Aspirants may … Read more

Leadership Lessons from Bhagavad Gita #35 – Mind as a Shield

Chapter 2 verse 58 – यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वश: | इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता || 58|| yadā sanharate chāyaṁ kūrmo ’ṅgānīva sarvaśhaḥ indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣhṭhitā yadā—when; sanharate—withdraw; cha—and; ayam—this; kūrmaḥ—tortoise; aṅgāni—limbs; iva—as; sarvaśhaḥ—fully; indriyāṇi—senses; indriya-arthebhyaḥ—from the sense objects; tasya—his; prajñā—divine wisdom; pratiṣhṭhitā—fixed in Translation : One who is able to withdraw the senses from their … Read more

Leadership Lessons from Bhagavad Gita #34 – VUCA

Chapter 2, Verse 57 य: सर्वत्रानभिस्नेहस्तत्तत्प्राप्य शुभाशुभम् | नाभिनन्दति न द्वेष्टि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता || 57|| yaḥ sarvatrānabhisnehas tat tat prāpya śhubhāśhubham nābhinandati na dveṣhṭi tasya prajñā pratiṣhṭhitā yaḥ—who; sarvatra—in all conditions; anabhisnehaḥ—unattached; tat—that; tat—that; prāpya—attaining; śhubha—good; aśhubham—evil; na—neither; abhinandati—delight in; na—nor; dveṣhṭi—dejected by; tasya—his; prajñā—knowledge; pratiṣhṭhitā—is fixed Translation – One who remains unattached under … Read more