Ganapati Atharvsheersh: Context of Leadership & Management!

– Self Dialog
Email : dg@dgonline.in | gdhananjay@yahoo.com | www.dgonline.in
Page 1 of 3

Ganapati Atharvsheersh: In the context of Leadership & Management!

By Dhananjay Gokhale Part 01 of 10

ओम ् नमते गणपतये (Om Namaste Ganapataye)

वमेव  यम ् त वमस (Tvamev Pratyaksham Tatvamasi)
वमेव केवलम ् कतास (Tvamev Kevalam Kartasi)
वमेव केवलम ् धतास (Tvamev Kevalam Dhartasi)
वमेव केवलम ् हतास (Tvamev Kevalam Hartasi)
वमेव सवम ् खलु इदम ् मास, (Tvamev Sarvam Khalu Idam Brahmasi)
वम ् साात आ मास !न यम ् (Tvam SAkshat Aatmasi Nityam) II १ II

Ganapati Atharvasheersh! Whose description is this all about? It has an obvious answer –
Ganapati or Ganesh. I feel, that it is the description of each one of us, everyone! It is the
description of a competent leader, and a competent manager. वम ् (Tvam) means ‘You’! It is
expressed in the second person form. Who is chanting for whom? Is there somebody else? I have
started believing that it is to be chanted by Self for Self. One self is manifested, while the other is
un-manifested! It is a dialog within, a dialog of self with self. It appears that it is chanted for the
idol of Lord Ganapati. In its deep sense, it is for self. It is a self-awakening chant!

Ganapati = Gana + Pati Or Ganesh = Gana + Ish. These words are the synonyms of the word
LEADER. Gana = Team and Pati or Ish = the one who owns, responsible, the one who protects
and takes forward towards growth. So it therefore means – the one who owns the responsibility
of the team, the one who protects & takes the members forward to growth! Ganapati Festival,
therefore let us celebrate it as Festival of Leadership!

Lord Ganapati is described as “कवीनाम ् कवी” Kaveenam Kavi! Kavi = Visionary! So, Lord
Ganapati is the best amongst the visionaries. Every leader must have an ability to visualize. The
Atharvsheersh begins with the verse Om Namaste Ganapataye (ओम ् नमते गणपतये). I salute
the visionary leader who is latent or hidden in me!

Atharvsheersh is a dialog with self and hence when I chant it, I say “DG, वमेव यम ् तवमस
Tvamev Pratyaksham Tatvamasi” ☺☺☺! This verse is the verse of Empathhy. Tat (तत ्) means
“That”, is a Common Noun. On a greater perspective, a common noun can be used to depict the
entire universe. All manifested & un-manifested aspects can be expressed by using the word

© Conceptualized, Designed & Developed by Dhananjay Gokhale www.dgonline.in

 Ganapati Atharvsheersh: Context of Leadership & Management! – Self Dialog
Email : dg@dgonline.in | gdhananjay@yahoo.com | www.dgonline.in
Page 2 of 3

“That”. Tatvamasi = तत ् tat (That) + वं tvam (You) + अस asi (Are). And therefore, Empathy
should emerge on its own! You are everyone.

The team that works with you is you! Or, You are the team that works with you! Empathy is yet
another important aspect for a leader. This reduces many ‘unwarranted’ conflicts. Many of them
are with self, even they shall be reduced.

वमेव केवलम ् कतास (Tvamev Kevalam Kartasi). – Tvam (you) Ev (definitely) Kevalam (for sure)
Karta (responsible) Asi (are / is/ am)! Here goes the dialog with self - “So, My dear DG, you, for
sure, definitely you are the one who is responsible. Don’t look for somewhere else and for
somebody else! You may not be responsible for the things happening in the universe, but at least
for the things around you! Karta, the one who has done it, is you! You therefore cannot make
somebody else liable for the outcome of the things that you have done! You are responsible if
you are happy and are equally responsible if you are unhappy!” I replace ‘you’ as ‘me’ when I
hear the chant ☺.

Project Leader & Manager are the passengers on the route from Vision to Reality! And hence
there is no option for being a Responsible karta (doing & getting things done), dharta
(supporting & protecting the things those are being done, and harta (closing and getting away
the things that are done).

वमेव केवलम ् धतास (Tvamev Kevalam Dhartasi). Dharta means the one who protects,
supports, and grows! So as a leader and /or manager I am the one who needs to support,
protect, feed and make the team strong. I need to increase the competency of myself and team.
“So Dear DG, who else, but you? Please don’t make somebody else liable for this competency
and action!”

“Relationship” is the best context to understand this verse. Who needs to maintain the
relationship if any. The answer is “you”. You here means I myself! ☺. “So Dear DG, you are
responsible for relationship.” Once a member or equipment finishes work on the project, then
the member or the equipment has to leave the project. The things, and the actions, the
endeavors must be closed at right time!

{Of course, I am aware that this is applicable to my article too. ☺ . only 3 more paragraphs to go!
Please…☺}

Thoughts pour …

© Conceptualized, Designed & Developed by Dhananjay Gokhale www.dgonline.in

 Ganapati Atharvsheersh: Context of Leadership & Management! – Self Dialog
Email : dg@dgonline.in | gdhananjay@yahoo.com | www.dgonline.in
Page 3 of 3

• “why (the hell) this team member is in my team…?”… and like

• “toooo much of a work nowadays…no less than 12 hrs in office…want to leave the
job…oh..no but who will pay the EMI? ☺” … and like
• “why these people are biting my ears, and splitting my hairs? ..why me? Didn’t they get
anybody else? …?” …
Answer is already there - वमेव केवलम ् कतास (Tvamev Kevalam Kartasi). “My dear DG, you are
the one who is responsible. ☺ This is how the fun lies in blatancy! Look at the aptness! A very
first verse in Atharvsheersh. If I chant it knowing its letter & intent and by understanding the
subtle meaning, then things become simple! Actually they were but since I didn’t realize the
simplicity and the fact in these verses; I made them difficult. It is like searching questions in
answer! So the things those are happening around; will happen! Let not be a pray to self-pity
and pity of others! A leader and a manager cannot afford it!

The word Tvamev is decomposed as Tvam (you) + Ev (yes, definite). This ‘Ev’ is a wonderful
suffix. It is a suffix of confirmation. Tvam Ev means – you and definitely you! Atharvasheersh is a
Vedic Rhyme to be chanted by self for self. It comprises self-awakening verses.

One is happy as one accepts, admires, appreciates, and digests the fact of ‘you’ being used as ‘I’
and considering the self responsible for the happenings around. Like I am saying this, everyone
else will say so and accepts so. And this can very well be extrapolated to next two lines of the
first verse.
वमेव सवम ् खलु इदम ् मास, (Tvamev Sarvam Khalu Idam Brahmasi)
वम ् साात आ मास !न यम ् (Tvam SAkshat Aatmasi Nityam) II १ II
There is a possibility of me understanding and be able to express the meaning these two lines in
the context of Leadership & Management! I believe that this is foundationally important lines for
any human being – for every leader or a manager

I will express it in my next expression! Tomorrow! Until then, stay tuned.

Please share the article with all your contacts and do express your comments. Let it be a
collaborative movement!

Regards,
DG
www.dgonline.in

© Conceptualized, Designed & Developed by Dhananjay Gokhale www.dgonline.in