The Bhagavata Gitā and Modern Business Management

Abstract

The Bhagavata Gitā is one of the source books of philosophic inspiration and a foundational text in ethics. It outlives the speculative interest of the Brahmasutra and the Upanisads and suggests an outline of ideal living. The Bhagavata Gitā is a treatise of Yoga sādhanā pertaining to the discipline of mind. There is a scope of transformation of mind from the state of visāda or disappointment to the state of sanyāsa or detachment in the teachings of the Bhgavata Gitā. The first chapter of the Bhagavata Gitā is known as Visāda Yoga and the last chapter is known as Moksa Sanyāsa Yoga. Every man should be like a karma yogi and every action should be done in the sense of yajna. The Bhagavata Gitā has focused on Purusārthas, the four cardinal values of human life, such as, dhrama, artha, kāma and moksa. Artha and kāma are empirical pursuits which are to be guided by dharma in order to attain the ultimate end of life. Business management is basically the management of artha and kāma through the pursuit of dharma or the principle of righteousness. A true businessman should be like a karma yogi. Business is profit oriented but making profit at any cost is not the ethics of business. The Bhagavata gitā teaches the dexterity in action and steadiness in wisdom. Business is to be managed by proper skill with a mind of equanimity. A true businessman should be stable in mind and be able to take right decision in the right context. The Gitā teaches applied ethics which can be viable in the context of place, time and person. This teaching of the Gitā has direct impact on the modern business management. Artha leads to anartha if it is not managed rationally according to the business skills and responsibilities. Kāma or desire should be regulated so that a businessman should not behave like a greedy person and must have patience for the unexpected consequences. The highest value in the teachings of the Bhagavata Gitā is lokasangraha. Business management should be meant for the welfare of the people transcending the selfish motives for accumulating wealth by faul means. In this paper we would discuss the influence of the teachings of the Bhagavata Gitā on the modern business managaement from different perspectives.