ABCD of Management: Kisan Maharaj's Three Principles for Managers

B.N. Dastur

I enjoy interviewing successful and effective entrepreneurs and managers. Information, knowledge, skills and talent are required for success, but despite having all these, many entrepreneurs, leaders, managers cannot taste success. The reason? Because all of them are raw in winning the full trust of their employees, knowledge workers, stakeholders. In the absence of such faith, they cannot take work from people, cannot do it, cannot do it. In his wonderful management book Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Kisan Maharaj has discussed 43 characteristics of a leader. Zoroastrian religion of Zoroastrians is based on good thought, good speech, good behavior. Kisan Maharaj has given the status of tapas to good thoughts, speech and behavior. Mental austerity, speech austerity, physical austerity are said. 'Peace of mind, calm spirit, control over contemplation, purity of conscience – this is called mental austerity.' (Gita 17/16) Purity of conscience is very necessary for good thoughts. Our body is equipped with a unique system of conscience, which prevents us from thinking, speaking, doing, doing anything wrong and even enjoying the wrong things, but there is a 'manufacturing defect' in the design of the conscience. Once you order it to die quietly, it stops doing its job. For this reason entrepreneurs, businesspersons and managers must have purity of conscience. Good thoughts are not possible in the absence of a pure conscience. Good verbal communication is done through speaking, writing, electronic devices, and nonverbal behavior, but of all of these, verbal communication is more effective. Parsi managers address employees as 'son' or 'uncle', aunty. Children of the house, Zadu, themselves, call the women who cook as 'Aunty'. Kisan Maharaj says – 'Speech which is non-exciting, dear and beneficial and true, in addition to the study of the scriptures – is undoubtedly called austerity of speech.' (Gita 17/15) Good Behavior Good behavior does not receive injections. Good behavior is not possible in the absence of good thought-speech. In the words of Kisan Maharaj – 'Respect towards deity, Brahman, Guru, caste members, chastity, simplicity, control over senses and non-violence, is called bodily austerity.' (Bhagavad Gita) Additionally, Kisan Maharaj has also described three types of Karma – Tamas, Rajas, Satvik. Karma which is done for self-interest and evil is called Tamas. (Gita 17/19) Actions that are done for the sake of respect, fame, politics are called Rajas. (Gita 17/18) Karma which is done with sincerity, devotion and devotion is called sattvik. (17/17) 'These three austerities (good thought, speech, conduct) performed with utmost faith by a nishkam man who does not hope for fruit is called sattvik.' (Gita 17/17)