Bhagavad Gita

A bird’s eye view

Chapter 03
February 24, 2014

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

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kmRyaeg>

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 ïImd! -gvÌIta Chapter 3
In a nutshell …
• 3.1 – 3.3 – Arjuna’s Question & Krishna’s Reply
• 3.4 – 3.25 – Our approach to Work
– 3.04 – 3.08 – Some axioms of work
– 3.09 – 3.20 – Sacrifice (Yajna) principle &
relevance
– 3.21 – 3.25 – Leading by example
• 3.26 – 3.35 – One’s own nature and its
relationship to work
• 3.36 – 3.43 – Arjuna’s Question & Krishna’s
reply

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Attaining Perfection in Work

A pre‐requisite for Ultimate

Liberation

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 Paradigms of work
Gita: Axioms pertaining to Work
• Axiom 1: There is no state of no work
– Therefore it makes sense to think about “how to do?”
• Axiom 2: Work is a means for evolution of oneself
– Promotions, Salary increase are of course there!
• Axiom 3: There is absolutely no connection between work –
fruits of work – source of fruits
– Wisdom must dawn on focusing on work rather than on dreaming for
results, tweaking results (reports) etc.
• Axiom 4: Work without attachment (what is in it for me) is
bound to be always superior & fulfilling
– People who are actively engaged in work are never tired; those
who are actively engaged in the results are very tired

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Axiom 1
There is no state as “no work”
n ih kiíT][mip jatu itóTykmRk«t!,
kayRte ývz> kmR svR> àk«itjEguR[E>. 3.5.
na hi kaś cit kṣaṇam api jātu tiṣṭhaty akarmakṛt
kāryate hy avaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛtijair guṇaiḥ
No one can be without action even for a moment; By our
nature and guna we are made to act
inyt< k…é kmR Tv< kmR Jyayae ýkmR[>,
zrIryaÇaip c te n àisÏ(edkmR[>. 3.8.
niyataṃ kuru karma tvaṃ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ
śarīrayātrāpi ca te na prasidhyed akarmaṇaḥ
Action is superior to inaction; perform obligatory action
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Axiom 2
Work leads to self-evolution
n kmR[amnarM-at! nEE:kMy¡ pué;ae=îute,
n c s<Nysnadev isiÏ< smixgCDit. 3.4.
na karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣkarmyaṃ puruṣo 'śnute
na ca saṃnyasanād eva siddhiṃ samadhigacchati
By non‐performance of action, none reaches inaction; By
merely giving up action no one attains perfection

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Work & Evolution of One Self
Work
Reset the
What is in it Goals
for me?
No Result
Orientation Result
Orientation

Karma Bad Good Not yet

Results
Purifies Satisfied
Mind
No more Learn
activities from this

Drivers of Yes No
Contentment Wisdom
Fulfillment

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 Axiom 3
Work & Outcomes: Relationships
kmR{yevaixkarSte ma )le;u kdacn,
ma kmR)lhetu-UR> ma te s¼ae=STvkmRi[. 2.47.
karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadā cana
mā karmaphalahetur bhūr mā te saṅgo 'stv akarmaṇi
You have the right only to work

Work You have no control on fruits of an action

You have no control on the root causes of fruits

You have no right to revel in inaction

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
Who is responsible for the results?
• Did you create the circumstances?
• Did you single handedly orchestrate everything to its
perfect finish?
– Where are your associates, sub‐ordinates, partners, etc…?
• Do you know the source of success of a work?
– If yes do you have the control of this?
• How much and what of the outside world you can
control?
– You cannot even control yourself in the most demanding
times of the work?

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Axiom 4
Work & Joy: Connection
y}awaRTkmR[ae=NyÇ laekae=y< kmRbNxn>,
tdw¡ kmR kaENtey muKts¼> smacr. 3.9.
yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṃ karmabandhanaḥ
tadarthaṃ karma kaunteya muktasaṅgaḥ samācara
All actions done with a sense of Yajna liberates from the
bondage (of work & results)

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Work: Basic Framework in Gita
There is no such
state as no work
or no action
Certain Governing Laws of work
Principles • Work or Action
Enjoy Complete
• Sense of equanimity • Fruits of action
Degree of Freedom
• Notion of time • Source of the fruits
and total joy while
• Need to appreciate of action
engaging in work
and ensure mutual • Relationships among
dependence for these
sustainability Excellence in all
your pursuits is
automatic &
guaranteed

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

Concept & Relevance of Yajna

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 Slokas 10 – 11
Yajna and its relevance…
shy}a> àja> s&:qœva puraevac àjapit>,
Anen àsiv:yXv< @; vae=iSTvòkamxukœ. 3.10.
Prajapati created people & the concept of Yajna;
enabled them to milch the cow of desires using
Yajna
devaN-avytanen te deva -avyNtu v>,
prSpr< -avyNt> ïey> prmvaPSyw. 3.11.
Using Yajna attain prosperity by respecting the
principle of mutual dependence
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Slokas 12 – 13
Yajna and its relevance…
#òaN-aegaiNh vae deva> daSyNte y}-aivta>,
tEdRÄanàdayE_y> yae -u'œKte Sten @v s>. 3.12.
Devas cherished by Yajna give desired objects;
Consuming them without offering back is behaving
like a thief
y}izòaizn> sNt> muCyNte svRikiLb;E>,
-uÁjte te Tv"< papa> ye pcNTyaTmkar[at!. 3.13.
Those who consume after offering Yajna are free
from sins; Others who cook for themselves eat sin
only
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Giving is one of our core values
• Taittriya Upanishad…
– ïÏya deym! – Give with reverence
– AïÏya=deym! – Do not give with irreverence
– iïya deym! – Give liberally
– ih+ya deym! – Give with modesty
– i-ya deym! – Give with fear
– s<ivda deym! – Give in friendliness

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Yajna is everything in Life
Chamaka Prasna…
• Aayu?yR}en? kLpta< ‐ Life using the principle of Yajna
• àa[ae y}en? kLpta< ‐ Prana using the principle of Yajna
• Apanae y}en? kLpta< ‐ Apana using the principle of Yajna
• Vyanae y}en? kLpta< ‐ Vyana using the principle of Yajna
• c]u?yR}en? kLpta< ‐ Vision using the principle of Yajna
• ïaeÇ?< y}en? kLpta< ‐ Hearing using the principle of Yajna
• mnae? y}en? kLpta< ‐ Mind using the principle of Yajna
• vaGy}en? kLpta< ‐ Speech using the principle of Yajna
• AaTma y}en? kLpta< ‐ Soul using the principle of Yajna
• y}ae y}en? kLptam!. ‐ Sacrifice using the principle of Yajna

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 5 types of Yajna
• p y}a>
– æü y}> ‐ Study of Vedas (SvaXyay)
– dev y}> ‐ Worship of God, making offerings
– ipt& y}> ‐ Offerings to parents and ancestors
– mnu:y y}> ‐ Offering to fellow human beings
– -Ut y}> ‐ Offering to other living creatures
Taittriya Upanishad:
SvaXyayaNma àmd>, sTyaNn àmidtVym!, xmaRNn àmidtVym!, kuzlaNn àmidtVym!,
-UTyE n àmidtVym!, SvaXyayàvcna_ya< n àmidtVym!, devipt&kayaR_ya< n àmidtVym!.
There is a larger principle of thanks giving, showing gratefulness
to the larger system of beings in existence
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Slokas 19 – 20
Yajna and Karma…
tSmadsKt> stt< kay¡ kmR smacr,
AsKtae ýacrNkmR prmaPnaeit pUé;>. 3.19.
Therefore do action without attachment, for such
actions take you to the highest
kmR[Ev ih s<isiÏ< AaiSwta jnkady>,
laeks<¢hmevaip s<pZyNktuRmhRis. 3.20.
Indeed Janaka & others attained perfection by
doing action (in this manner). Perform action with a
perspective of stability of society.
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
Leading By Example

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 Slokas 21 – 22
Leading by example
y*dacrit ïeó> tÄdevetrae jn>,
s yTàma[< k…éte laekStdnuvtRte. 3.21.
Leading by example is the critical element of
leadership
n me pawaRiSt ktRVy< iÇ;u laeke;u ik<cn, With this frame
of mind one
nanvaPtmvaPtVy< vtR @v c kmRi[. 3.22. can get into
holy laziness
I have nothing to achieve in the three worlds,
nothing left to be gained
The only as well as a powerful antidote is y} -av>
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Slokas 23 – 24
Beware of leadership crisis
yid ýh< n vteRy< jatu kmR{ytiNÔt>, Walking
the talk is
mm vTmaRnuvtRNte mnu:ya> pawR svRz>. 3.23. the issue

If I do not work with full energy, everyone will

follow my example
%TsIdeyuirme laeka> n k…ya¡ kmR cedhm!,
s»rSy c ktaR Sya< %phNyaimma> àja>. 3.24.
If I do not work, the world will perish and I will be
responsible for social disruption
We see this kind of leadership crisis in the society today
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Relevance of Gita
Leadership lessons
• Be aware of the challenges of being a leader
as others look upon the leaders
• Working without a reference frame of
benefits, need for it etc.
• laeks<¢hm! as the overarching objective
• An intense effort towards
– Walking the talk
– Thereby demonstrating and motivating others to
imbibe right approaches & perspectives to work
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
One’s Own Nature & Relevance
to Work

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 Slokas 27 – 28
Guna and Karma
àk«te> i³yma[ain gu[E> kmaRi[ svRz>,
Ah»arivmUFaTma ktaRhimit mNyte. 3.27.
All actions are performed in all cases merely by
Gunas. He whose mind is deluded by egoism thinks
I am the doer.
tÅvivÄu mhabahae gu[kmRiv-agyae>,
gu[a gu[e;u vtRNte #it mTva n sJjte. 3.28.
One who has true insights into Guna and Karma
does not get attached. Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi’s call
to enquire Who am I helps to achieve
Guna – Forces of Nature this
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Mahanarayana Upanishad
I am not the doer…
• kamae=ka;IRÚmae nm>, kamae=kazIRt!,
– kam> kraeit nah< kraeim
– kam> ktaR nah< ktaR
– kam> kariyta nah< kariyta
– @; te kam kamay Svaha.
• mNyurka;IRÚmae nm>, mNyurka;IRt!,
– mNyu> kraeit nah< kraeim
mNyu> ktaR nah< ktaR
Nature impels us to do many
– things. When we are spiritually
– mNyu> kariyta nah< kariyta awakened we are able to regulate
these nature’s functions
– @; te mNyae mNyve Svaha.

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Loka Samastat Sukhino Bhavantu
Stafford Beer (1994, Interfaces (24:4:83 – 93)
• Output is a self‐regulating black box function of input
variety
• Managers often claim credit for the details of
outcomes that are actually products of the system,
credit from which they are disqualified by Ashby’s
Law of requisite variety
• Self‐determination of the system from its own
nature, of the implicit control which cybernetics
purports to discover in nature 5000 years too late to
count as original
Resource Based View (RBV) theory in Strategy talks about Path Dependence…
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Slokas 33 – 34
Everyone has their own nature
s†z< ceòte SvSya> àk«te}aRnvanip,
àk«it< yaiNt -Utain in¢h> ik< kir:yit. 3.33.
Even a wise person acts in accordance with his/her
own nature; Beings follow nature; what can
suppression do?
#iNÔySyeiNÔySyaweR ragÖe;aE VyviSwtaE,
tyaenR vzmagCDet! taE ýSy pirpiNwnaE. 3.34.
Attachment & Aversion of the sense organs for the
sense objects are natural. They are robbers. Let
none come under their sway
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore