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MANAGEMENT ADVICE IN THE THIRUKKURAL

MANAGEMENT ADVICE IN THE THIRUKKURAL

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THIRUKKURAL is the masterpiece of Tamil literature in the form of couplets (two line poems) expounding various aspects of life. It was composed by Thiruvalluvar, who is believed to have been born in 30 B.C.

The first poem says that only after full consideration of an official should responsibility be delegated to him/her. In spite of this universal first principle cases abound of managers interfering in delegated duties leading to project failure.

The second poem says it is not correct to reach final opinion about an official's capabilities without deep consideration: Nor is it correct to entertain doubts about a person selected with full care. These attitudes will only lead to irreversible difficulties. In his drama "Dara Shukoh", Gopal Gandhi refers to the history of Moorat Dara who was reputed to have been tolerant of all religions of India. This had led him to save from the gallows Malik Juvan, an Afgan chief. However when Dara himself sought refuge from Malik, the latter betrays Tara to Aurangzeb. Thus blind faith in some person makes Dara to lose not only his royal position as also his life.

The last poem stresses the need for proper training before positioning of new entrants in suitable posts. This is an obvious need. In "Troilus & Cressida" and "Henry V", Shakespeare refers to the division of labour in a bee-hive. The hexagonal pattern itself of the hive shows that it is selected as the best one for the purpose of all possible patterns. But it is an unfortunate situation in India that responsibility in many cases flows upwards from workers to the managers!  

We have been reading in the Corporate Documents (CD) section of the Economic Times a series articles on "Management &  Mythology". The present post is a sample  of such management principles derived from a secular/non-sectarian Tamil poetic "dharma sastra" (which is in the form of aphorisms.)

 

 

  

 

AVATARA RAHASYA: SECRET OF INCARNATION

अजायमानॊ बहुधा विजायते

(Purusha Sooktam)

He has no beginning (birth) or end (death); He is unborn and eternal. Yet He makes Himself born in many ways and forms on His own determination.

பொய்ந் நின்றஞானமும், பொல்லா ஒழுக்கும், அழுக்கு உடம்பும்,

இந் நின்ற நீர்மை இனி யாம் உறாமை உயிர் அளிப்பான்

எந் நின்ற யோனியுமாய்ப் பிறந்தாய்;இமையோர் தலைவா

(Nammalvar:TIRUVIRUTTAM: 1)

To save us from false knowledge,

From evil ways and the dirt of the body,

To save us from coming again and again,

To all these,

And to give us Life,

Thou, Lord of the Immortals,

Camest down here,

Taking birth in many a womb,

And accepting many a form.

(Translation: A. Srinivasa Raghavan)

The Bhagavad Gita in Chapter IV slokas 5 to 9 elucidates this topic as Sri Krishna’s own declaration. In these slokas, He says that Arjuna would not know anything about his past and future janmas (lives before and after rebirth). On the other hand, He (Bhagavaan or the Blessed Lord) can furnish all these details; He is sarvagnya (all-knowing), as stated in the Chandogya Upanishad. Nammalvar says in Tiruvoimozhi that in his avataras (incarnations), He makes Himself born on His own determination without any diminution whatever either to His divine form or all-knowing capacity.

Whenever there is a diminution of dharma, and a rise of unrighteousness, then the Lord makes Himself born forth. Two interpretations are possible here. The Lord makes Himself born. He also makes born seers who have realized fully the Ulltimate Truth and undertakes the task of re-educating the lay public through them. 

Of particular interest is sloka No.8 which lays down that for the protection of the good, for the destruction of the evildoers, for the purpose of establishing dharma, He gets Himself incarnated from age to age. The conjunction cha, in this sloka, is there, not just for the sake of the rhyme etc. It indicates that the main purpose of the avatara (incarnation) is protection of the good people: the destruction of the evildoers is an incidental event. Perhaps this is the reason why even when as at present many evildoers, similar to Hiranyakasipu, are found, there is now no avatara (incarnation) as there are no good people of the standing of Prahalada.

Sri Krishna states further that His incarnations are divine and that His plays/pranks therein are also divine. Anyone who has known His divine incarnation and divine acts therein in all its subtlety will not have another birth but will attain supreme state having reached Him.   

SRI NARASIMHA AVATARA, GOD’S OMNI-PRESCENCE

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Enggum Ulhan Kannan Endra

Maganaik Kaaindhu

Without in anyway detracting from the divine purport of the Tiruvoimozhi     , Velukudi Sri Krishnan Swami has sublimated the Alwar’s declaration into a little voice play. “Where is He?”  , is the short question his father had asked of Prahalada. “He is everywhere”, is Prahalada’s equally short answer. His father does not understand this short reply. A person can be at one place only. How can a person exist simultaneously in all places?

To clear his doubts, the father asks his son, “Is He in this particular space?”  . The son was expected to answer, “Yes, He is in this space”   . But the son repeats instead that He is everywhere. If Prahalada had stated that He is in the place indicated by his father, in later years, some atheist might argue that since Prahalad had accepted God’s existence in a particular pillar (place)   , it would mean that He is NOT in the next or any other pillar (place)! Perhaps, to avert such a possibility, Prahalada had repeated that He is everywhere.

But his father could not understand the above reasoning either. He therefore indicated a specific pillar (stated elsewhere to have been specially built to his own specifications and supervision) and enquired whether He was there. Prahalada’s answer was “He is also in that specific pillar (among all other places!)”  . It was thereafter that Lord Vishnu appeared out of that pillar as Sri Narasimha. In this manner, God revealed His Omni-presence.   #      end