Motivation

Learning from

BHAGWAT GITA

Subject: Human Resource Management

By: Rijul Shetty

Roll no.: 153

MMS “C”

PREFACE

The objective of this project was to understand the management concept from Bhagwat gita a

mythological book of India. The nature of the study involved relating the shloks from Bhagwat

gita to the management concepts.

Mainly, we have understand the concept and also find out what is the opinion of the management

gurus about the learning’s from Bhagwat Gita.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to thank our Prof. Dr Farida Virani for providing us the opportunity and the

means to carry out this project effectively. Her teachings in class and the projects given by her

have acted as a supporting pillar for imbibing knowledge.

We have gained a lot of knowledge while making this project. We were able to relate the

management concepts taught in class with the shlokas of Bhagwat Gita.

Introduction

Bhagavad Gita is one of the most popular of the ancient texts not only among the Indians but

also among the westerners. In fact Robert Oppenheimer who successfully exploded the first atom

bomb on July 16, 1945, at Alamogordo, New Mexico was greatly attracted by Gita. Watching

this event from a distance, he was supposedly uttering a phrase from Bhagavad

Gita[2]. Bhagavad Gita has inspired many of our national leaders and provided them strength,

moral courage and clarity of thought with which they have led the country in its struggle.

Arguably, these are important elements of making a good manager or a leader today. Herein lies

the motivation for this article. But what is really interesting is that these ideas are available not

only in the Bhagavad Gita but also in the ten Upanishads and for that matter in several ancient

Indian texts.

Before we look at one or two interesting aspects of management from Gita, it is important for us

to appreciate the multi-faceted nature of ancient Indian texts. We need to get this aspect

abundantly clear so that the real value of the ancient Indian texts is fully understood. Further it

also informs us that only if we approach the ancient Indian texts with such a perspective we will

be able to gainfully understand its usefulness to solve today’s problems.

Ancient Indian texts – Multi-faceted perspectives

First of all we must understand that the Ancient Indian texts could be read with different

purposes. For example, a true bhakta of Lord Krishna may want to read Gita as it is a matter of

religion to him. He may do a daily paraayana of some of the verses.  Many of us can identify

with this role. On the other hand, a student of philosophy or a person with a deep desire to search

the inner truth or meaning of “self” or a spiritual seeker may view Gita as a spiritual text. Again

some of us may fit into this role. But there is a third aspect to Gita and other such texts, which

many of us are not aware of. Many of us perhaps did not also think of such a possibility. This is

what I call as “secular” or a “material” perspective. By that we mean a set of ideas that help us

conduct our life sensibly more from a day to day, working perspective. This is referred to as

secular because in this perspective there is no need to bring in the notion of religion or

spirituality.

Therefore all these ancient texts provide three distinctive perspectives.  It all depends on how we

want to read it.  Let me look at one or two examples from Gita to understand this point clearly.

Is Gita a Religious text or a Secular text?

Let us look at a pair of famous shlokas – famous because it was a title song for the Mahabharata

serial.

यदा� यदा� हि� धर्म�स्य ग्ला�हि�र्भ�वहि� र्भ�र�  । अभ्य�त्था��र्मधर्म�स्य �दा�त्र्म��� सृ�जा�म्य�र्म�‌॥ 4.7 ॥

परिरत्रा�णा�य सृ�ध#��� हिव��शा�य च दुष्कृ� ��र्म�‌। धर्म�सृ�स्था�प��र्था��य सृ�र्भव�मिर्म य�गे- य�गे- ॥ 4.8. ॥

For the first time in Bhagavad Gita Krishna manifests himself as God through these two shlokas.

In the first three chapters he has been engaging in conversation with Arjuna more from a level of

a “cousin”. That is what we implicitly infer from a reading of the Gita. Quintessentially this is

the “Avathaara Purusha” dimension brought through this shloka.  At a first reading one can

easily detect the religious angle.

Whenever there is a deterioration of dharma the God takes one more incarnation (Avathaara) to

uphold the dharma. The incarnation of God, as the next shloka suggests, is to protect the good

people, destroy the evil ones and restore Dharma in the society once again. That is how the

cardinal principle of incarnation manifests here in terms of the context, motivation and purpose.

This is one way of looking at it.  However, the same set of shlokas could be understood as a

profound management concept because that is what you will find in the instructions of many

engineering and management schools. Let us understand this perspective with respect to these

shlokas.

Stability and long term sustainability of the system happens because there are regenerative

points.  When the system attains disequilibrium and shows signs of being unstable and going out

of control measures have to be taken to restore the equilibrium in the system.  This is a classical

systems engineering idea according to which there are regenerative points in the system.  If the

regenerative points are not there, the system will go unstable.

One can easily relate this to well-known concepts in Economics & Management. The demand –

supply equilibrium, pricing decisions in alternative market structures, the way in which

organizations continue to root out bad CEOs or Managers over time, the mechanisms to prevent

opportunistic behaviours in the long run (and variations of this such as Prisoner’s Dilemma)

could all be explained by this basic axiom laid out in this shloka.

Is Gita a Spiritual text or a Secular text?

Let us look at one more example.  In chapter 2 of Gita, when Lord Krishna begins his set of

arguments to convince Arjuna the need to fight against the Kaurava army, the first idea he brings

into focus is the notion of time. What strikes you is that this idea is in stark contrast to modern

day pre-occupations with quarter-to-quarter guidance ritual that investment bankers are going

after. However that is not the point of our discussion now. Let us look at one of the shlokas from

this argument of time and its impact.

व�सृ��सिसृ जा/णा��हि� यर्था� हिव��य �व�हि� गे�ह्णा�हि� �र1ऽपर�णिणा ।

�र्था� शार/र�णिणा हिव��य जा/णा�� अन्य�हि� सृ�य�हि� �व�हि� दा-�/ ॥  2.22. ॥

The easy and direct meaning to this shloka runs as follows:

Just as a person discards an old and a torn shirt and wears a new one, the soul (Atma) also

discards an old body and acquires a new one. What a simple way to explain a complex idea of a

chain of birth and death events! There is a spiritual angle to it. It is a profound spiritual thought

here and true seekers of knowledge will revel on this idea and deeply contemplate.

Now we shall look at an alternative perspective of this shloka.

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 fundamental building block

of innovationand creating competitive advantage.

This shloka echoes and reinforces the recent work by Joseph Schumpeter[3] on creative

destruction and innovation followed by a number of other researchers. The most important issue

in management of change is one of mind set.  The biggest challenge in organizations is mind set

inertia.  You can discard many things but mindset is very difficult to discard. This puts realistic

limits to creating better organizations over time.

Another example can be found in a paper titled “May the Whole Earth be Happy: Lokaa Samstaa

Sukhino Bhavnatu” written by a Canadian, Stafford Beer in 1994[4] in an Operations Research

Journal. In this paper, Beer shows how ashloka in Chapter 3 of Gita (3.27: अ�ङ्� कृ�र-हिवर्म#ढा�त्र्म�

कृ����मिर्महि� र्मन्य�-) indeed relates to some of the issues that arise in cybernetics and control theory.

He also mentioned several other concepts from the Ancient Indian wisdom in the same paper

relating them to certain management principles.

Relevant thoughts for Management

If we develop the skill, orientation and attitude to draw upon the repository of knowledge for our

day to day living issues (such as Business Management), then we will realize that the world of

ancient Indian wisdom opens up. One may locate a number of direct and relevant thoughts in

these texts. Let us look at one or two examples from Gita on the issue of relevant thoughts for

today. The following shloka from Gita, chapter 3 is a case in point:

अर्था कृ- � प्रय�क्तो1ऽय� प�प� चरहि� प#रुषः; ।

अहि�च्छन्नहिप व�ष्णा>य बला�दिदाव हि�य1जिजा�; ॥ 3.36.

In this shloka, Arjuna raises a question which is very pertinent to most of us. We have had

several occasions in our personal and professional life during which we would have internally

asked the same question.

Who is behind all these bad or wrong things that people do? Although I am not interested it

appears I am forcibly involved into this.

In fact you ask managers who have erred in their decisions or committed some blunder, you ask

fathers who have made blunders of scolding their children or taken wrong decisions about their

daughter or son. They will always say something similar to this shloka.  There is this feeling – I

have become a victim of a  situation as though somebody is pushing me to do wrong things.  We

have gone through this frame of mind in our daily life.  We are going through this frame of mind

every now and then in Management. Krishna offers some explanation as to why this is happening

in the shlokas that follow.

Gita also offers perspectives on how to manage certain things in life, understand complex things

that we go through in simple terms (just as the example of birth and death). It also offers direct

ideas and sets us in a state of contemplation. One example will help drive this point.

र्म�त्रा�स्पशा�स्�� कृCन्�-य शा/�1ष्णासृ�खदु;खदा�; ।

आगेर्म�प�मिय�1ऽहि�त्य�; ���स्तिस्��/क्षस्व र्भ�र� ॥ 2.14.

The meaning of the shloka is as follows:

As long as the five senses are active in gathering the signals that come into contact with them,

we will experience the world of dualities – hot and cold, peace and sorrow etc. You cannot run

away from the world of dualities as they happen continuously and are also impermanent.

Learning to handle them is important.

Stress management is a big issue today. Most of the knowledge and help we get from the modern

day thinking is to suppress or divert our attention from the issue of stress. They implicitly

operate with an assumption that stress will be inevitably generated and the solution lies in doing

something about it once we are stressed. “Let us kill it or run away from it by some means after

it happens” is the basis for stress management. We do not seem to address why one should get

stressed in the first place.

On the other hand, this shloka addresses this issue and truly provides us an idea for “managing” stress. It is all about signal processing.  We have to differentiate between signals and noise.  That is the idea here. We don’t do so because we don’t have the capability of signal processing. That does not mean we can turn off the apparatus and stop receiving the signals. That happens only when we are in a state of coma.  That is not what Lord Krishna is saying.  Gita never recommends running away from problems.  On the other hand it seems to suggest that understanding problems in the right perspective is key to managing them.  That is the greatest management lesson that one can learn. The idea of managing the world of duality (सृर्मत्व� य1गे उच्य�-) has been one of the key messages in the Gita and it has been repeatedly emphasized not only in chapter 2, but also in several other chapters.  This could very well be the cornerstone of developing superior self- and people management skills and leadership traits.

Motivation – self and self-transcendence

It has been presumed for many years that satisfying lower order needs of workers – adequate

food, clothing and shelter, etc. are key factors in motivation. However, it is a common

experience that the dissatisfaction of the clerk and of the Director is identical – only their scales

and composition vary. It should be true that once the lower-order needs are more than satisfied,

the Director should have little problem in optimizing his contribution to the organization and

society. But more often than not, it does not happen like that. (” The eagle soars high but keeps

its eyes firmly fixed on the dead animal below.”) On the contrary, a lowly paid schoolteacher, or

a self-employed artisan, may well demonstrate higher levels of self-actualization despite poorer

satisfaction of their lower-order needs. The Chief should motivate all the employees by tapping

into their pride. Get them involved in planning on what needs to be done.Employees support

what they help build. Just doing tasks will mean very little to them. But if they are connected to

the big picture and understand its importance, their work now has purpose. Including them in

appropriate decision-making provides a high level of ownership.Seeing how their work impacts

the overall success of the company fuels their internal motivation to do their best. Treat them as

customer for your business. Just as you want your customers to buy your products, you want

your employees to buy into your instructions and performance expectations. Just like your

customers, your employees are motivated by need satisfaction and will respond to your

demonstration of respect, appreciation, compliments and interest in them. It’s not just money that

motivates. We all work smarter and harder when we are appreciated.

Motivational Factors

Over the years, there have been many studies examining staff motivation and here are just a few

examples of what employees feel are their motivational needs or factors:

▪ The working environment – poor or inadequate equipment or work facilities

▪ Working Conditions – too hot, too cold, no breaks, long hours

▪ Social Interaction – isolation, socialization discouraged etc

▪ Job Security – redundancies, feeling not part of company etc

▪ Skill or intellectual use -inability or discouragement to use intellect or skills

▪ Promotional prospects and job title – lack of promotion, others promoted but not them

▪ Responsibility – not allowed to work off own initiative

▪ Recognition and appreciation – lack of praise or recognition for achievement

▪ Trust and respect – treated as a machine

▪ Participation in decision making – not allowed to get involved with company

▪ A sense of belonging

▪ Salary – pay poor for job they are doing

▪ Management issues – conflicts with management, etc

This situation is explained by the theory of self-transcendence propounded in the Gita. Self-

transcendence involves renouncing egoism, putting others before oneself, emphasizing team

work, dignity, co-operation, harmony and trust – and, indeed potentially sacrificing lower needs

for higher goals, the opposite of Maslow. “Work must be done with detachment.” It is the ego

that spoils work and the ego is the centrepiece of most theories of motivation. We need not

merely a theory of motivation but a theory of inspiration.The Great Indian poet, Rabindranath

Tagore (1861-1941, known as “Gurudev”) says working for love is freedom in action.

A concept which is described as “disinterested work” in the Gita where Sri Krishna says,

“He who shares the wealth generated only after serving the people, through work done as a

sacrifice for them, is freed from all sins. On the contrary those who earn wealth only for

themselves, eat sins that lead to frustration and failure.”Disinterested work finds expression in

devotion, surrender and equipoise. The former two are psychological while the third is

determination to keep the mind free of the dualistic (usually taken to mean “materialistic”) pulls

of daily experiences. Detached involvement in work is the key to mental equanimity or the state

of ” nirdwanda.”This attitude leads to a stage where the worker begins to feel the presence of the

Supreme Intelligence guiding the embodied individual intelligence. Such de-personified

intelligence is best suited for those who sincerely believe in the supremacy of organizational

goals as compared to narrow personal success and achievement.Indian theorists, of course, have

a wide range of backgrounds and philosophies. But many of the most influential acknowledge

that common themes pervade their work. One is the conviction that executives should be

motivated by a broader purpose than money. Another is the belief that companies should take a

more holistic approach to business.   The seemingly ethereal world view that’s reflected in Indian

philosophy is surprisingly well attuned to the down-to-earth needs of companies trying to survive

in an increasingly global, interconnected business ecosystem.While corporations used to do most

of their manufacturing, product development, and administrative work in-house, the emphasis is

now on using outsiders. Terms such as “extended enterprises” (companies that outsource many

functions), “innovation networks” (collaborative research and development programs), and “co-

creation” (designing goods and services with input from consumers) are the rage.In our day to

day life, whether you are working for an organization or are doing your own business or are

responsible for your household work, the most common thing many times is that you get

depressed while doing your work. Depressed employees in any organization are a common sight.

Dejected employees, depressed employees, unmotivated employees, desolate employees, morose

looking employees are very harmful to any organization as they not only decrease the

productivity but they also create an atmosphere in which other colleagues may also feel de-

motivated & dejected. Similarly if you run your own business & remain depressed while doing

your work, certainly you shall not achieve that much in your business if you would have been

highly motivated & energetic.

Now, De-motivation, Depression, Dejection, Desolation all these D-words relates to your mind

or relate to your mental position. It’s only your MIND that gets depressed, dejected. You may be

physically fit with blood oozing in your nerves, but if you are not well with your MIND then you

are certainly not going to perform to your full potential. Mental health is where the key to

success lies. If you are mentally supercharged then you can achieve any milestone in spite of

having any physical inadequacy.

Now, how to get out of this depression, de-motivation & how to increase the productivity at

work is where the great teachings of “Bhagwat Gita” come into play, now for those who do not

know about “Bhagwat Gita”.

“Bhagwat Gita” is an ancient religious book of the “Hindus” & in this book are great

philosophies of Hinduism. These philosophies teach you all about, how you should do your duty,

how you should lead your life etc. This “Bhagwat Gita” teachings were given by “Lord Sri

Krishna”, God Himself, to his disciple “Arjuna” on the battle field of Kurukshetra in Haryana

state of India in ancient times. “Arjuna” was involved in a war against his enemies (some of

them his own relatives too) but he refused to do his duty of fighting a righteous battle as he got

infatuated & started thinking of his enemies as his own near & dear ones. He told his master

“Lord Sri Krishna” that he is going away from the war & do not want to fight on the battle field.

Arjuna’s mental health became weak & he got deeply depressed. To overcome his disciple

Arjuna’s depression & to motivate him to fight a righteous war, “Lord Sri Krishna” gave the

great teachings of “Bhagwat Gita” to his disciple “Arjuna”. After listening to all these great

teachings, Arjuna’s mental health became well & he became motivated & energetic to fight the

war.

Now many of us & many of our employees in our organization find themselves in the same state

of mind, as that of “Arjuna”. Their de-motivated, depressed state of mind can be changed to

motivated & energetic one by these teachings of “Bhagwat Gita”. Through these teachings,

mental equilibrium of any depressed person can be overcome & he can come out of any crisis

situation. The teachings of “Bhagwat Gita” can simply transform a person.

Now Bhagwat Gita teaches about “Mind Control”. Mind is that makes the personality of a

person. De-motivated mind makes a person depressed one & a motivated one makes a person

cheerful. If one’s mind is in one’s control & he/she can concentrate deeply on one’s work, then

that person can do wonders at work. Mind is very powerful one & to control it, to keep it in one’s

control is very difficult. It just wanders like wind here & there & it takes enough of self

discipline & practice of meditation to control it, to get it concentrated on any job or activity. As

per “Arjuna” to “Lord Sri Krishna” in Chapter Six verse 34:

“chanchalam hi manahkrishnapramathibalavaddrdhamtasyahamnigrahammanyevayorivasu-

duskaram” (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 34)

“Arjuna said: For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and verystrong, O Krishna, and to

subdue it, to control it, I think, is moredifficult than controlling the wind.”

“sri-bhagavanuvachaasamsayammaha-bahomanodurnigrahamchalamabhyasenatukaunteya

vairagyena cha grhyate” (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 35)

“Lord Sri Krishna said: O mighty-armed Arjuna, it is undoubtedly thatmind is very difficult to

curb & is restless, but it is possible bysuitable practices of meditation and by detachment.”

“asamyatatmanayogodusprapaiti me matihvasyatmanatuyatatasakyo ’vaptumupayatah”

(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 36)

“Lord Sri Krishna said: For one whose mind is unbridled, uncontrolled,self-realization is a

difficult work. But he whose mind is controlledand who strives by appropriate means is assured

of success. That is Myopinion.”

So in the Bhagwat Gita, “Lord Sri Krishna” first of all asks one to do his DUTY. If a person does

his/her duty then half of the problems of that person are solved. Not doing one’s duty is very

harmful as it produces negative results only in one’s life, like frustration, depression, de-

motivation etc. If one does at least his/her duty, then such negative factors affect that person to a

lesser degree or do not affect at all. As per “Lord Sri Krishna”, doing one’s  prescribed duties,

even though faultily is better to have a better Mental Health.

“sreyansva-dharmovigunahpara-dharmatsv-anusthitatsva-dharmenidhanamsreyahpara-

dharmobhayavahah” (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Three verse 35)

“Lord Sri Krishna said: It is far better to discharge one’s prescribedduties, even though faultily,

than another’s duties perfectly.Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better

thanengaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path isdangerous.”

The repeated teachings of The Lord to motivate Arjuna is peculiar method in Gita. This mode of

instruction to the mind is not only extremely charming but is also most efficacious. So the setting

of the Gita has a glory and greatness of its own.Another teaching of “Bhagwat Gita” is to do

one’s work for the sake of work only without caring for the fruit arising out of that work. That

simply means to get deeply involved in one’s work or to just think single minded about

performing the best in one’s job without thinking about the results arising out of those actions

performed while doing one’s work or duty. Just concentrate on your work, that’s it. Below verse

of “Bhagwat Gita” explains this.

“karmanyevadhikarastema phalesukadachanama karma-phala-heturbhurma tesango

’stvakarmani” (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 47)

“Lord Sri Krishna said: You have a right to perform your prescribedduty, but you are not

entitled to the fruits of action. Never consideryourself the cause of the results of your activities,

and never beattached to not doing your duty.”

Another below verse of “Bhagwat Gita” explains that one should do one’s duty equi-poised or to

have the equanimity of mind, without caring & renouncing all attachment to success or failure. If

one does one’s duty efficiently & with single minded devotion, without any fear of success or

failure in his/her Endeavour, then certainly that person shall succeed in his/her work, as he/she is

doing that work without any fear of success or failure. His/her mind shall be at peace & ease

while doing such work without any fear of success or failure. Anyperson whose mind is at peace,

certainly works effectively.

“yoga-sthahkurukarmanisangamtyaktvadhananjayasiddhy-asiddhyohsamobhutvasamatvam

yoga ucyate” (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 48)

“Lord Sri Krishna said: Perform your duty equi-poised, O Arjuna,abandoning all attachment to

success or failure. Such equanimity iscalled yoga.”

So if a person is dedicated to his work & works for the sake of work only without any fear of

success or failure, then that person is going to be certainly successful in his/her carrier. By doing

meditation & other yoga techniques, one can control one’s mind & a disciplined mind can be

made to concentrate on one’s job better, producing better results. So by following the teachings

of “Bhagwat Gita” one is certainly going to excel in his/her job & in life.“Whatever the excellent

and best ones do, the commoners follow,” says Sri Krishna in the Gita. The visionary leader

must be a missionary, extremely practical, intensively dynamic and capable of translating dreams

into reality. This dynamism and strength of a true leader flows from an inspired and spontaneous

motivation to help others. “I am the strength of those who are devoid of personal desire and

attachment. O Arjuna, I am the legitimate desire in those, who are not opposed to righteousness,”

says Sri Krishna in the 10th Chapter of the Gita.

The despondency of Arjuna in the first chapter of the Gita is typically human. Sri Krishna, by

sheer power of his inspiring words, changes Arjuna’s mind from a state of inertia to one of

righteous action, from the state of what the French philosophers call “anomie” or even alienation,

to a state of self-confidence in the ultimate  victory of “dharma” (ethical action.)When Arjuna

got over his despondency and stood ready to fight, Sri Krishna reminded him of the purpose of

his new-found spirit of intense action – not for his own benefit, not for satisfying his own greed

and desire, but for the good of many, with faith in the ultimate victory of ethics over unethical

actions and of truth over untruth.Sri Krishna’s advice with regard to temporary failures is, “No

doer of good ever ends in misery.” Every action should produce results. Good action produces

good results and evil begets nothing but evil. Therefore, always act well and be rewarded.My

purport is not to suggest discarding of the Western model of efficiency, dynamism and striving

for excellence but to tune these ideals to India’s holistic attitude of ” lokasangraha” – for the

welfare of many, for the good of many. There is indeed a moral dimension to business life. What

we do in business is no different, in this regard, to what we do in our personal lives. The means

do not justify the ends. Pursuit of results for their own sake, is  ultimately self-defeating.

(“Profit,” said Matsushita-san in another tradition, “is the reward of correct behaviour.” – ed.)

What scholars say about Holy Gita

“No work in all Indian literature is more quoted, because none isbetter loved, in the West, than

the Bhagavad-gita. Translation of sucha work demands not only knowledge of Sanskrit, but an

inward sympathywith the theme and a verbal artistry. For the poem it is a symphony inwhich

God is seen in all things. The Swami does a real service forstudents by investing the beloved

Indian epic with fresh meaning.Whatever our outlook may be, we should all be grateful for the

laborthat has lead to this illuminating work.”– Dr. Geddes MacGregor, Emeritus Distinguished

Professor of Philosophy University of Southern California “The Gita can be seen as the main

literary support for the greatreligious civilization of India, the oldest surviving culture in the

world. The present translation and commentary is another manifestationof the permanent living

importance of the Gita.”– Thomas Merton, Theologian

“I am most impressed with A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’sscholarly and authoritative

edition of Bhagavad-gita. It is a mostvaluable work for the scholar as well as the layman and is

of greatutility as a reference book as well as a textbook. I promptlyrecommend this edition to my

students. It is a beautifully done book.”Dr. Samuel D. Atkins Professor of Sanskrit, Princeton

University“As a successor in direct line from Caitanya, the author ofBhagavad-gita As It Is is

entitled, according to Indian custom, to themajestic title of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta

SwamiPrabhupada. The great interest that his reading of the Bhagavad-gitaholds for us is that it

offers us an authorized interpretationaccording to the principles of the Caitanya tradition.”–

Olivier Lacombe Professor of Sanskrit and Indology, Sorbonne University, Paris

“I have had the opportunity of examining several volumes published bythe Bhaktivedanta Book

Trust and have found them to be of excellentquality and of great value for use in college classes

on Indianreligions. This is particularly true of the BBT edition andtranslation of the Bhagavad-

gita.”–Dr. Frederick B. Underwood Professor of Religion, Columbia University

“If truth is what works, as Pierce and the pragmatists insist, theremust be a kind of truth in the

Bhagavad-gita As It Is, since those whofollow its teachings display a joyous serenity usually

missing in thebleak and strident lives of contemporary people.”–Dr. Elwin H. Powell Professor

of Sociology State University of New York, Buffalo

“There is little question that this edition is one of the best booksavailable on the Gita and

devotion. Prabhupada’s translation is anideal blend of literal accuracy and religious insight.”–

Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins Professor of Religion, Franklin and Marshall College

“The Bhagavad-Gita, one of the great spiritual texts, is not as yet acommon part of our cultural

milieu. This is probably less because itis alien per se than because we have lacked just the kind

of closeinterpretative commentary upon it that Swami Bhaktivedanta has hereprovided, a

commentary written from not only a scholar’s but apractitioner’s, a dedicated lifelong devotee’s

point of view.”–Denise Levertov, Poet

“The increasing numbers of Western readers interested in classicalVedic thought have been

done a service by Swami Bhaktivedanta. Bybringing us a new and living interpretation of a text

already known tomany, he has increased our understanding manyfold.”–Dr. Edward C Dimock,

Jr. Department of South Asian Languages and Civilization University of Chicago

“The scholarly world is again indebted to A. C. Bhaktivedanta SwamiPrabhupada. Although

Bhagavad-gita has been translated many times,Prabhupada adds a translation of singular

importance with hiscommentary.”–Dr. J. Stillson Judah, Professor of the History of Religions

and Director of Libraries Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California

 “SrilaPrabhupada’s edition thus fills a sensitive gap in France,where many hope to become

familiar with traditional Indian thought,beyond the commercial East-West hodgepodge that has

arisen since thetime Europeans first penetrated India. “Whether the reader be an adeptof Indian

spiritualism or not, a reading of the Bhagavad-Gita As It Iswill be extremely profitable. For

many this will be the first contactwith the true India, the ancient India, the eternal India.”–

Francois Chenique, Professor of Religious Sciences Institute of Political Studies, Paris, France

 “It was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, butlarge, serene, consistent, the

voice of an old intelligence which inanother age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of

the samequestions which exercise us”–Emerson’s reaction to the Gita

“As a native of India now living in the West, it has given me muchgrief to see so many of my

fellow countrymen coming to the West in therole of gurus and spiritual leaders. For this reason,

I am veryexcited to see the publication of Bhagavad-gita As It Is by Sri A.C.Bhaktivedanta

Swami Prabhupada. It will help to stop the terriblecheating of false and unauthorized ‘gurus’

and ‘yogis’ and will givean opportunity to all people to understand the actual meaning of

Oriental culture.”–Dr. KailashVajpeye, Director of Indian Studies Centre for Oriental Studies,

The University of Mexico

“It is a deeply felt, powerfully conceived and beautifully explained work. I don’t know whether

to praise more this translation of the Bhagavad-gita, its daring method of explanation, or the

endless fertility of its ideas. I have never seen any other work on the Gitawith such an important

voice and style. . . . It will occupy a significant place in the intellectual and ethical life of modern

man for a long time to come.” –Dr. ShaligramShukla Professor of Linguistics, Georgetown

University

“I can say that in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is I have foundexplanations and answers to questions

I had always posed regarding theinterpretations of this sacred work, whose spiritual discipline I

greatly admire. If the asceticism and ideal of the apostles which formthe message of the

Bhagavad-gita As It Is were more widespread andmore respected, the world in which we live

would be transformed into abetter, more fraternal place.”–Dr. Paul Lesourd, Author

ProfesseurHonoraire, Catholic University of Paris

“When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created thisuniverse everything

else seems so superfluous.”– Albert Einstein

“When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, andI see not one ray of

hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-gita andfind a verse to comfort me; and I immediately

begin to smile in themidst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita willderive

fresh joy and new meanings from it every day.”–Mahatma Gandhi

“In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the

Bhagavad-gita, in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seem puny and

trivial.”

–Henry David Thoreau

“The Bhagavad-Gita has a profound influence on the spirit of mankindby its devotion to God

which is manifested by actions.”

–Dr. Albert Schweitzer

“The Bhagavad-Gita is a true scripture of the human race a living creation rather than a book,

with a new message for every age and a new meaning for every civilization.”

–Sri Aurobindo

“The idea that man is like unto an inverted tree seems to have been current in by gone ages. The

link with Vedic conceptions is provided by Plato in his Timaeus in which it states ‘behold we are

not an earthly but a heavenly plant.’ This correlation can be discerned by what Krishna

expresses in chapter 15 of Bhagavad-Gita.”

–Carl Jung

“The Bhagavad-Gita deals essentially with the spiritual foundation of human existence. It is a

call of action to meet the obligations and duties of life; yet keeping in view the spiritual nature

and granderpurpose of the universe.”

–Prime Minister Nehru

“The marvel of the Bhagavad-Gita is its truly beautiful revelation of life’s wisdom which

enables philosophy to blossom into religion.”

–Herman Hess

“I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad-gita. It was the first of books; it was as if an empire

spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old

intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same

questions which exercise us.”–Ralph Waldo Emerson

“In order to approach a creation as sublime as the Bhagavad-Gita with full understanding it is

necessary to attune our soul to it.”

–Rudolph Steiner

“From a clear knowledge of the Bhagavad-Gita all the goals of human existence become

fulfilled. Bhagavad-Gita is the manifest quintessence of all the teachings of the Vedic

scriptures.”

–AdiShankara

“The Bhagavad-Gita is the most systematic statement of spiritual evolution of endowing value to

mankind. It is one of the most clear and comprehensive summaries of perennial philosophy ever

revealed; hence its enduring value is subject not only to India but to all of humanity.”

–Aldus Huxley

“The Bhagavad-Gita was spoken by Lord Krishna to reveal the science of devotion to God

which is the essence of all spiritual knowledge. The Supreme Lord Krishna’s primary purpose

for descending and incarnating is relieve the world of any demoniac and negative, undesirable

influences that are opposed to spiritual development, yet simultaneously it is His incomparable

intention to be perpetually within reach of all humanity.”

–Ramanuja

The Bhagavad-Gita is not seperate from the Vaishnava philosophy and theSrimadBhagavatam

fully reveals the true import of this doctrine which is transmigation of the soul. On perusal of the

first chapter of Bhagavad-Gita one may think that they are advised to engage in warfare. When

the second chapter has been read it can be clearly understood that knowledge and the soul is the

ultimate goal to be attained. On studying the third chapter it is apparent that acts of

righteousness are also of high priority. If we continue and patiently take the time to complete the

Bhagavad-Gita and try to ascertain the truth of its closing chapter we can see that the ultimate

conclusion is to relinquish all the conceptualized ideas of religion which wepossess and fully

surrender directly unto the Supreme Lord.

–BhaktisiddhantaSaraswati

“The Mahabharata has all the essential ingredients necessary to evolve and protect humanity

and that within it the Bhagavad-Gita is the epitome of the Mahabharata just as ghee is the

essence of milk and pollen is the essence of flowers.”

–Madhvacarya

Yoga has two different meanings – a general meaning and a technical meaning. The general

meaning is the joining together or union of any two or more things. The technical meaning is “a

state of stability and peace and the means or practices which lead to that state. The Bhagavad

Gita uses the word with both meanings. Lord Krishna is real Yogi who can maintain a peaceful

mind in the midst of any crisis.”

–Mata Amritanandamayi Devi.

Karma, Bhakti, and Jnana are but three paths to this end. And common to all the three is

renunciation. Renounce the desires, even of going to heaven, for every desire related with body

and mind creates bondage. Our focus of action is neither to save the humanity nor to engage in

social reforms, not to seek personal gains, but to realize the indwelling Self itself.

–Swami Vivekananda (England, London; 1895-96)

“Science describes the structures and processess; philosophy attempts at their explaination.—–

When such a perfect combination of both science and philosophy is sung to perfection that

Krishna was, we have in this piece of work an appeal both to the head annd heart.“–

SwamyChinmayananda on Gita

I seek that Divine Knowledge by knowing which nothing remains to be known!’ For such a

person knowledge and ignorance has only one meaning: Have you knowledge of God? If yes,

you a Jnani! If not, you are ignorant. As said in the Gita, chapter XIII/11, knowledge of Self,

observing everywhere the object of true Knowledge i.e. God, all this is declared to be true

Knowledge (wisdom); what is contrary to this is ignorance.”  –Sri Ramakrishna

Maharishi calls the Bhagavad-Gita the essence of Vedic Literature and a complete guide to

practical life. It provides “all that is needed to raise the consciousness of man to the highest

possible level.” Maharishi reveals the deep, universal truths of life that speak to the needs and

aspirations of everyone.

–Maharshi Mahesh Yogi

The Gita was preached as a preparatory lesson for living worldly life with an eye to Release,

Nirvana. My last prayer to everyone, therefore, is that one should not fail to thoroughly

understand this ancient science of worldly life as early as possible in one’s life.

— LokmanyaTilak

Bibliography

http://www.vinayahs.com/dropbox/Bhagavad%20Gita%20and%20Management.pdf

http://bhagavata.org/gita/chapter6.html

http://www.samskritbookfair.org/archives/882