Bhagavad Gita

A bird’s eye view

Understanding Ancient Indian Wisdom

January 27, 2014

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Ancient Indian Wisdom
• While 700 years ago, Sayanacharya was able to perceive,
comment upon and declare hard core scientific ideas from
vedic literature, today these texts yield no meaning of any
kind to us…
• The success of Atom Bomb was demonstrated on 16 July
1945, when a plutonium bomb, the world's first nuclear
device, was exploded at Alamogordo, New Mexico.
Oppenheimer, watching from a distance, intoned a phrase
from Hindu scripture in the Bhagavad Gita…**
• Traditions are like Pickles. Made long ago, but currently in
use.

** http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/ai/aboutopp.htm; Last accessed on Sep. 10, 2013

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Ancient Indian Wisdom
Perspectives of T B Macaulay*
• … the dialects commonly spoken among the natives of this
part of India contain neither literary nor scientific
information, and are moreover so poor and rude that, until
they are enriched from some other quarter, it will not be easy
to translate any valuable work into them
• …a single shelf of a good European library was worth the
whole native literature of India and Arabia.
• … I believe, no exaggeration to say that all the historical
information which has been collected from all the books
written in the Sanscrit language is less valuable than what
may be found in the most paltry abridgments used at
preparatory schools in England
* http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00generallinks/macaulay/txt_minute_education_1835.html
Minute by T. B. Macaulay, dated the 2nd February 1835*. Last accessed on Sep. 10, 2013 B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Ancient Indian Wisdom
Some hard facts…
• What is it?
– Science – Mythology – Meta Science – Religious Prescriptions –
matters of blind faith …?
• Where is it?
– Extinct – Incomprehensible – Uninteresting – Too difficult to cull out
• Why do we need it?
– No material gains – Will it feed the masses? – Will the society be any
better?
• Ground Realities
– Our Education System does not even take cognisance of our ancient
wisdom
– Traditional Wisdom must pass through Western acceptance before it
becomes valued knowledge
– A person spending 12 years of his life learning Vedas is “seen” as
uneducated not only by the society but also by himself
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Linking Ancient Wisdom* to Today
Current attempts & challenges
• Domain Knowledge
– Ancient Texts
– Samskrit Language
– Modern day Management principles & practice
• Multi‐dimensional nature of ancient literature
• Need to appreciate the difference between SwUl tTv>
(sthoola tatva) and sUúm tTv> (sookshma tatva)
• Limitations of using translated works (Substance Vs
Spirit?)
• Using old knowledge to explain what is already practiced
today (glorifying the past)
• Too generic and sweeping conclusions (For eg: Gita &
String Theory)
* Only topic in which ignorant people can freely & fearlessly comment asBthough
Mahadevan, IIM experts
they are Bangalore
Understanding Ancient Indian wisdom
An example from Bhagavad Gita
• Three dimensional perspective
– Religious Angle
– Spiritual Angle
– Secular Angle
• Direct & Relevant thoughts for us

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Religious Angle or is it?
yda yda ih xmRSy Glain-Rvit -art,
A_yuTwanmxmRSy tdaTman< s&jaMyhm!. 4.7.
pirÇa[ay saxUna< ivnazay c Ê:k«tam!,
xmRs<SwapnawaRy s<-vaim yuge yuge. 4.8.
When there is a deterioration of the Dharma and rise
of the evil forces, I incarnate and protect good people,
destroy evil forces and restore Dharma

Stability and long term sustainability of the system happens because there are regenerative
points in the system. When the system attains disequilibrium and shows signs of being unstable
and going out of control corrective measures are taken to restore equilibrium in the system.

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Spiritual Angle or Is it?
vasa<is jI[aRin ywa ivhay
nvain g&Ÿait nrae=prai[,
twa zrIrai[ ivhay jI[aRin
ANyain s<yait nvain dehI. 2.22.
Just as one discards a torn old shirt and wears a new
one, the soul also discards a old (& tired) body and
shifts to a new one…
In order to be successful and sustainable organizations need to
continuously engage themselves in discarding old ideas (mind set!) &
embrace new ones. This is the essence of the notion of time & change
management
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Relevant questions, thoughts…
Aw ken àyuKtae=y< pap< crit pUé;>,
AinCDÚip va:[eRy blaidv inyaeijt>. 3.36.
What is happening behind all these bad things?
Although I am not interested it appears I am forcibly
involved into this.

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Ancient Indian Wisdom
Some contrasting approaches
• Spirituality – Religion – Secular are all together
• Intuitive & Reflective Mind Vs Analytical Mind
AiGnmURxaR c]u;I cNÔsUyaER idz> ïaeÇe vag! ivv&taí veda> ,
vayu> àa[ae ùdy< ivñmSy pd!_ya< p&iwvI ýe;
svR-UtaNtraTma. (Mundaka Upanishad)
• Data Driven Evidence Vs Logical (and or) Intuitive
Reasoning
– Psychological Analysis of Human Personality (Four states of
Individuals: Waking – Dreaming – Deep Sleep ‐ Samadhi)
• Who Vs Why: Newton saw the apple falling ??
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
Introduction to
Bhagavad Gita

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Srimad Bhagavad Gita
• Shankaracharya brought it out of the Bhishma Parva
of Mahabharata in 8th Century AD
– Jnaneswari (Marathi) by Jnaneswara
– Gita Rahasya – Lokamanya Tilak
– The Song Celestial – Sir Edwin Arnold
– Jivana Mano Dharma (Kannada) – D V Gundappa
– Numerous commentaries by modern day Gurus, thinkers
• Inspired several people around the world
– The success of Atom Bomb was demonstrated on 16 July 1945, when a
plutonium bomb, the world's first nuclear device, was exploded at
Alamogordo, New Mexico. Oppenheimer, watching from a distance,
intoned a phrase from Hindu scripture in the Bhagavadgita…**
** http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/ai/aboutopp.htm B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Gita in the eyes of others
• Gita is a bouquet of the beautiful flowers of spiritual
truths collected from the Upanishads – Swami
Vivekananda
• When disappointment stares me in the face and all
alone I see not one ray of light, I go back to Gita. I
owe it all to the teaching of Gita – Mahatma Gandhi
• Gita’s influence is not merely philosophic or
academic but immediate and living, an influence
both for thought and action and its ideas are actually
at work… ‐ Sri Aurobindo

Source: The Holy Geeta, Swami Chinmayananda, July 2002 B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Gita in the eyes of others
• My last prayer to everyone is that one should not fail
to understand the ancient science of the life of a
householder or of worldly life… ‐ Lokamanya Tilak
• Gita is meant to lift the aspirant from the lower levels
of renunciation to loftier heights where desires are
dead and where the Yogi dwells in calm and
ceaseless contemplation while his body and mind are
actively employed in discharging duties that fall to
his lot in life – Annie Besant

Source: The Holy Geeta, Swami Chinmayananda, July 2002 B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 What is Gita?
• Gita is not only a religious book to read
– Will help develop character, strength, work
efficiency, spirit of service
– Intense practicality and practical vedanta
– Science of human development and fulfillment
– Adi Shankara’s Introductory remarks about Gita
• iÖivxae ih vedae−ae xmR> àv&iTtl][ae inv&iTtl][í
jgt> iSwit kar[m!. àai[na< sa]at! A_yudy
inïeys hetu>.

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Gita Message
Pravritti & Nivritti: A 2-in-1 proposition
• iÖivxae ih veda−ae xmR> àv&iTtl][ae inv&iTtl][í jgt>
iSwit kar[m!.
– Pravritti: Outward action (Work)
– Nivritti: Peace (Physical & Mental freshness), Inward
contemplation
– Can we have Nivritti even when in the thick of
Pravaritti?
– Can we have an enjoyable work culture?
– Can we combine social welfare and spiritual freedom?

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Relevance of Gita
Developing character thro’ spirituality…
• What does it mean to develop character?
– Strength & Gentleness must coexist
– Great Broadmindedness develops along with
intensity of faith and conviction
– Intense fearlessness and intense compassion
• A-y< vE àaPtaeis jnk> (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad)
• ySmat! n %iÖjet laeka> laekat! n %iÖjet c y> (Gita Ch. 12)

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

Have we developed strong character?
Some useful metrics…
• Are we able to develop clarity of thought/
purpose of existence?
• Has the list of things that we keep worrying
about coming down over time?
• Is the proportion of time (out of 24 hours)
that we feel happy going up?
• Are we able to improve our ability to draw
enormous energy from within ?

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Relevance of Gita
Developing character thro’ spirituality…
• Capacity to withstand non‐sense in life
(withstand changes and chances in life)
• Ability to go beyond the pulls of physical/
nervous/ psychic systems
• Ability to see changelessness amidst
change

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Bhagavad Gita
Overall Structure
• 18 Chapters – 700 Slokas
– Chapter 1 is all about Arjuna’s predicament
– Chapter 2 and Chapter 18 are the longest in the
text, both are summary of the entire teachings
• Logically flowing into a triplet of 6 chapters
each

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Bhagavad Gita: Overall Structure
Stage 3: Chapters 13 - 18
Attributes/Values
one needs
The Notion New Aspirations
of Perfection Long term Perspectives
Means of
Reaching it
Relationship Common thread
Behavioural with others for everything
Practices

Who am I?
Mutual Joy of
Dependence Universe
work
Notion of
Supreme Being
Work – A unit of Calm & Settled Stage 2: Chapters 7 - 12
existence Mind

Peace of
Change Mind
Management
Stage 1: Chapters 1 - 6
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Basic Framework in Gita
• First 6 chapters: Develop a good
understanding of oneself (in terms of how to
approach the world outside and relate to it)
• Second 6 chapters: Once you have conquered
yourself, develop an understanding of the
relationship between jIv> ‐ jgt! ‐ $Zvr>
• Last 6 Chapters: Aspire to elevate yourself to a
much higher plane and become one like the
perfection itself
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Overall Structure of Gita
Mahavakyas of Vedas*
Tvm! - You
Placing “you”
• tat tvam asi ‐ "Thou art That"
in the context
of the world (Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 of the
Sama Veda)
• aham brahmāsmi ‐ "I am Brahman"
(Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10
tt! - That
Understanding
the Universe of the Yajur Veda)
(& God) • prajñānam brahma ‐
"Consciousness is Brahman"
(Aitareya Upanishad 3.3 of the Rig
Veda)
Ais - That
Discovering
relationships • ayam ātmā brahma ‐ "This Self
(between these) (Atman) is Brahman" (Mandukya
Upanishad 1.2 of the Atharva Veda)

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mah%C4%81v%C4%81kyas B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

Bhagavad Gita
A bird’s eye view

Chapter 01
January 27, 2014

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

, àwmae=Xyay>,

AjuRniv;adyaeg>

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 ïImd! -gvÌIta Chapter 1
In a nutshell …
• 1.01 – Dhritharashtra’s Question
• 1.02 – 1.13 – Description of Pandava &
Kaurava Armies
• 1.14 – 1.20 – Blowing of Conches by the
Warriors
• 1.21 – 1.32 – Arjuna Develops Fear!
• 1.33 – 1.44 – Arjuna’s arguments for no war
• 1.45 – 1.47 – Arjuna gives up!

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Chapter 1: Slokas 1 – 2
Dhritarashtra’s question, Sanjaya’s reply
x&traò+ %vac,
• xmR]eÇe k…é]eÇe smveta yuyuTsv>,
mamka> pa{fvaíEv ikmk…vRt s<jy . 1.1.
s<jy %vac,
• †:qœva tu pa{fvanIk< VyUF< ÊyaeRxnStda,
AacayRmups<gMy raja vcnmävIt!. 1.2.

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Chapter 1: Slokas 3 – 6
A description of Pandava Army
• pZyEta< pa{fupuÇa[a< AacayR mhtI— cmUm!,
VyUFa< Ô‚pdpuÇe[ tv iz:ye[ xImta. 1.3.
• AÇ zUra mhe:vasa -ImajuRnsma yuix,
yuyuxanae ivraqí Ô‚pdí mharw>. 1.4.
• x&òketuíeiktan> kaizrají vIyRvan!,
puéijTk…iNt-aejí zEByí nrpu<gv>. 1.5.
• yuxamNyuí iv³aNt> %ÄmaEjaí vIyRvan!,
saE-Ôae ÔaEpdeyaí svR @v mharwa>. 1.6.
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Chapter 1: Slokas 7 – 9
Description of Kaurava Army
• ASmak< tu ivizòa ye taiÚbaex iÖjaeÄm,
nayka mm sENySy s<}aw¡ taNävIim te. 1.7.
• -vaN-I:mí k[Rí k«pí simit<jy>,
AñTwama ivk[Rí saEmdiÄStwEv c. 1.8.
• ANye c bhv> zUra> mdweR TyKtjIivta>,
nanazôàhr[a> sveR yuÏivzarda>. 1.9.
• Maharathi: a warrior capable of fighting 60,000 warriors simultaneously;
circumspect in his mastery of all forms of weapons and combat skills.
• Atirathi: a warrior capable of contending with 10,000 warriors
simultaneously.
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Chapter 1: Slokas 10 – 13
Assessment of strength & support
• ApyaRPt< tdSmak< bl< -I:mai-ri]tm!,
pyaRPt< iTvdmete;a< bl< -Imai-ri]tm!. 1.10.
• Ayne;u c sveR;u ywa-agmviSwta>,
-I:mmevai-r]Ntu -vNt> svR @v ih. 1.11.
• tSy s<jnyNh;¡ k…év&Ï> iptamh>,
is<hnad< ivn*aeCcE> zŒ< dXmaE àtapvan!. 1.12.
• tt> zŒaí -eyRí p[vankgaemuoa>,
shsEva_yhNyNt s zBdStumulae=-vt!. 1.13.
Bheeshma blows the conch to signal beginning of the war
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Chapter 1: Slokas 14 – 17
Warriors Blow their Conches
• tt> ñetEhRyEyuRKte mhit SyNdne iSwtaE,
maxv> pa{fvíEv idVyaE zŒaE àd¸mtu>. 1.14.
• pa<cjNy< ù;Ikez> devdÄ< xn<jy>,
paE{f+< dXmaE mhazŒ< -ImkmaR v&kaedr>. 1.15.
• AnNtivjy< raja k…NtIpuÇae yuixiór>,
nk…l> shdeví su"ae;mi[pu:pkaE. 1.16.
• kaZyí prme:vas> izo{fI c mharw>,
x&ò*uMnae ivraqí saTyikíapraijt>. 1.17.
Description of the conches of Pandava warriors
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Chapter 1: Slokas 18 – 20
Warriors Blow their Conches…
• Ô‚pdae ÔaEpdeyaí svRz> p&iwvIpte,
saE-Ôí mhaba÷> zŒaNdXmu> p&wKp&wkœ. 1.18.
• s "ae;ae xatRraò+a[a< ùdyain Vydaryt!,
n-í p&iwvI— cEv tumulaeVynunadyn!. 1.19.
All warriors on the Pandava army blow their conches
• Aw VyviSwtaN†:qœva xatRraò+an! kipXvj>,
àv&Äe zôs<pate xnué*My pa{fv>. 1.20.
ù;Ikez< tda vaKy< #dmah mhIpte,
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore
 Chapter 1: Slokas 21 – 23
Arjuna wants to take a look at the army
AjuRn %vac,
• senyaeé-yaemRXye rw< Swapy me=Cyut. 1.21.
• yavdetaiÚir]e=h< yaeÏ‚kamanviSwtan!,
kEmRya sh yaeÏVy< AiSmNr[smu*me. 1.22.
• yaeTSymananve]e=h< y @te=Ç smagta>,
xatRraò+Sy ÊbuRÏe> yuÏe iàyickI;Rv>. 1.23.

B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore

 Chapter 1: Slokas 24 – 27
Arjuna develops a deep sense of fear!
s<jy %vac,
• @vmuKtae ù;Ikez> gufakezen -art,
senyaeé-yaemRXye SwapiyTva rwaeÄmm!. 1.24.
• -I:mÔae[àmuot> sveR;a< c mhIi]tam!,
%vac pawR pZyEtan! smvetaNk…êinit. 1.25.
• tÇapZyiTSwtaNpawR> ipt&nw iptamhan!,
AacayaRNmatulaNæat&n! puÇaNpaEÇaNsoI—Stwa. 1.26.
• ñzuraNsuùdíEv senyaeé-yaerip,
taNsmIúy s kaENtey> svaRNbNxUnviSwtan!. 1.27.
• k«pya pryaivò> iv;IdiÚdmävIt!,
B Mahadevan, IIM Bangalore