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”.

Vaali Vadh and a Sadhu’s lynching

In the Ramayana, Vaali and Sugriva are twin brothers and Vaali is the King of Kishkindha (probably modern day Hampi). They both are powerful and great warriors. The brothers have a fallout and Vaali forcibly keeps Sugriva’s wife with himself, while banishing Sugriva from his kingdom. Rama and Lakshmana meet up with Sugriva and his … Read more

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