Mantras: Lessons from Ramayana for the Modern-Day Manager

By K.N. Raghavan

How are some managers able to accomplish their task with ease and elan, while others fall behind?

Ramayana, renowned as one of the two great epics of our land, is widely considered a holy book as it depicts the life of Lord Rama. However, a careful reading of this work also brings out the greatness of Lord Rama as a leader, who rose above self-actualization and attained self-transcendence. This epic also tells us the stories of many others such as Bharata, Lakshmana, Hanuman, Vibhishana, Jatayu, Sampati and various female characters including Sita, Mandodari, Taara etc. Each one of them has a message to convey, which is useful in tackling challenges and managing difficult situations in the modern world. In addition to conveying important lessons in management, Ramayana also carries a message regarding protection and conservation of the environment, which is of contemporary relevance.

The author has skillfully extracted life lessons from the Ramayana that are relevant even today and presented it in an engaging narrative. This book is a must read for individuals aspiring for personal happiness, professional success and environmental sustainability.

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Point Six Technologies Pvt Ltd
• Release date: May 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9789356672284

K.N. Raghavan

K N RAGHAVAN was born in Kochi, Kerala, where he had his schooling. Having completed an MBBS degree from Government Medical College, Kozhikode, he was doing post-graduate studies in Physical Medicine andRehabilitation at Thiruvananthapuram when he decided to sit for the Public Services Examination and joined the Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Excise). In the course of his career, Raghavan has worked in places as varied as Hosur, Coimbatore, Kozhikode, Kochi, Mumbai and Singapore. He was Commissioner of Customs at Kochi from 2012 to 2017, and is presently Chief Executive Officer, Norka Roots, Thiruvananthapuram.Like most Indians, Raghavan is passionate about cricket. A BCCI accredited umpire, he has umpired One Day Internationals. He has also authored two other books – The World Cup Chronicle and VanishingShangri La: History of Tibet and Dalai Lamas in 20th Century. Married to an ENT surgeon; they have one daughter.Contacts: [e-mail] / www.knraghavan.com

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Introduction

Ramayana is the story of Rama, one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The slaying of the ten headed demon king Ravana, which is the purpose of this incarnation, forms the central line of the story covered by this chronicle. However, the element that transforms this work into an epic are the numerous side stories and sub plots that are linked to the main story line. The creator of this work intended that the character of Rama should be projected to the public through these small tales. Each one of these fables covers a different situation and highlights the greatness of Rama.

The main events in the storyline can be summarized as follows.

After his birth as the son of Raja Dasaratha and Kausalya in the royal family of Ayodhya, Rama’s services are requested, when he was still young, by the sage Viswamitra, whose penance and prayers were disrupted by the demons. While en route to the ashram of Viswamitra, Rama killed the demoness Tadaka, who had been terrorizing people in that area. After providing protection for successful completion of the ‘yajna’ conducted by Viswamitra, Rama bestowed salvation on Ahalya, who had been converted into a stone due to the curse of her husband Gautama. He took part in the ‘swayamvara’ of Sita, where he strung the bow of Lord Shiva, and married her. On his way back to Ayodhya he was confronted by Parasurama, but he handled the situation with tact and composure forcing the senior incarnation to withdraw. After his return, when arrangements were underway for his coronation at Ayodhya, Rama was forced to leave the kingdom to live in exile for fourteen years, to make good a word given by his father to Kaikeyi, mother of Bharata.

In the forest, Rama met sage Agastya and killed demons who were creating difficulties for the sages living there. He snubbed Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana who tried to seduce him, which prompted the rebuffed demoness to swear vengeance. Khara, who came to challenge Rama with his army was vanquished, upon which Surpanakha approached Ravana seeking help. Ravana employed the services of Maricha to remove Rama and Lakshmana from the ashram and abducted Sita. Jatayu, the king of birds, tried to prevent Ravana from decamping with Sita and he later provided information to Rama about the kidnapping. The search for Sita led him to Sugriva and Hanuman and the killing of Bali.

The band of monkeys led by Hanuman took over the search, which took them to the cave of Swayamprabha and finally to the sea, where Sampati told them the location of Ravana’s kingdom. Hanuman leapt to Lanka and met Sita and returned to tell Rama the details. The monkey army built a bridge across the sea to Lanka, and they took on the mighty Lankan forces. Ravana suffered a setback before the battle when his brother Vibhishana deserted him and joined Rama’s side. In the battle that followed, Rama killed Ravana and rescued Sita. Following this, they returned to Ayodhya for ruling over this kingdom.

Ramayana is divided into seven kandas, which are as follows.

(1) Bala Kanda: This portion describes the early life of Rama as prince of Ayodhya, his stay in the ashram of Viswamitra and ends with his marriage to Sita.

(2) Ayodhya Kanda: This segment details the act of Kaikeyi in foiling the arrangement made by Dasaratha for coronation of Rama and ends with the departure of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana to the forest.

(3) Aranya Kanda: This section covers the life of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana in the forest, the visit of Surpanakha to their ashram and ends with the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana.

(4) Kishkinda Kanda: Here the setting is in Kishkinda, the abode of ‘vanaras’ (monkeys), where Rama helps Sugriva overwhelm Bali and armies of monkeys are sent in search of Sita.

(5) Sundara Kanda: This chapter is devoted entirely to the visit of Hanuman to Lanka, his meeting with Sita and his escape back to mainland.

(6) Yudha Kanda: The battle between the forces of Rama and Ravana, which ends with the former prevailing over the latter is covered here.

(7) Uttara Kanda: This Kanda is not present in the original version of Valmiki Ramayana. This details the life of Rama and Sita after the coronation of the former as the ruler of Ayodhya.

As the protagonist around whom the story revolves, Rama is present throughout the narrative. The different situations that he faces brings to the fore various aspects of his character, which are considered ideal and worthy of emulation. The sterling qualities that Rama demonstrates include obedience to his parents, respect towards teachers, composure in times of stress, effective decision making, compassion towards fellow beings – both humans and animals – love for nature, diplomacy, strategic thinking, capacity to delegate, ability to motivate and competence to lead from the front. These traits make him an exemplary human being as well as an exceptional leader, a rare combination. It is for these reasons that Rama is hailed as the uthama purusha or the perfect man.

The narrator of the epic has adopted a two-pronged approach to describe the greatness of Rama. In the initial part of the work, the abilities that mark out Rama as different from the rest of humans are told through various instances while, in the latter portion, they are brought out through the impact that Rama had on other characters in the epic and nature of decisions that he made in critical situations. An analysis of each of the important qualities of Rama that make him a great leader is attempted in the following chapters. This is of contemporary relevance as the fundamentals underlying these abilities can be inculcated by each one of us in our lives even today.

Another feature of this epic lies in the series of lessons that retain significance in our daily lives and work. It is a tribute to the sagacity of the creator of this work that the messages communicated through this work provide solutions to even some of the protracted problems of today. These timeless principles are conveyed through the characters of Bharata, Jatayu, Taara, Sampati and various other characters who form part of the story. The role of these personae and the pertinence of the principles conveyed through them are discussed in detail in this book.

The relevance of Ramayana to the present times and the significance of the messages conveyed through this epic to the public make a compelling topic for discussion. There is a lesson in this for everyone and as a corollary, everything about this work carries a lesson. This epic was penned by Valmiki, who, according to a popular legend, was an outlaw before realizing the folly of his ways and transformed himself to become the first poet in Sanskrit. This fable itself tells us it is possible for anyone to mend his ways and turn over a new leaf. The fact that after renouncing his ways, Valmiki could acquire such proficiency of the language as to become a poet, further shows that there is a place for late bloomers in life and society. There cannot be another epic that carries so many axioms applicable to all sections of society for all times.

The entire world is going through an immense churning process in the aftermath of the pandemic caused by the Covid-19 virus and its various mutants. At the dawn of the present century human beings were having a complacent existence, finding comfort in the thought that the age of wars causing large scale destruction was over. The emergence of China as the global manufacturing hub, the easy inter-connectivity between nations, secure trade and supply chains and cross border movement of peoples gave rise to the delusion that the world was fast becoming flat. However, developments starting with the destruction of the twin towers of World Trade Centre on 11 September 2001, the war on terror sponsored by USA, the economic downturn that started in 2008 followed by the trade wars between USA and China and finally the pandemic that brought the entire world to a halt have proved yet again that a peace filled planet remains a myth.

How can one cope with these sudden unprecedented changes that take place in the external environment? Does the epic offer any solutions to tackle such situations? What is the point in reading and repeating something written centuries ago if it does not offer any answer to the problems faced in daily life? And can it offer any help to take on the future? What advice can the work of a robber turned sage provide to persons who can access information at the click of a button and connect with anyone they wish to in the split of a second? These could be some of the thoughts of the members of the younger generation who are forced to face the challenges thrown up regularly on account of the rapidly changing global scenario.

To answer these questions, one must look inwards and try to understand what the main aspirations of human beings in their lives are. Once the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter are achieved, the aspirations of human beings can be broadly summarized under two heads – attainment of happiness and absence of grief. Though some of the factors that provide happiness may vary from person to person, certain elements such as parental love, affection of children, regards from colleagues and contemporaries are common to all people. Here the more important aspect is to understand that while improvement of one’s own worth and its appreciation by peers brings joy, the accumulation of riches and material objects seldom begets happiness. On the other hand, grief can neither be avoided nor its presence in life ignored. The critical aspect relating to grief is that it can be minimized and overcome by releasing from the mind the factor which is causing it. At certain points in life, one needs to realize the need to let go of burdensome attachments and aspirations and adjust to reality.

Psychologists have introduced the concept of self-actualization as the route to maximize one’s potential and find happiness. This involves finding time to appreciate the beauty and pleasures of life, feeling confident in one’s own skin, possessing the ability to accept the smooth and rough with equanimity, staying rooted in reality, showing compassion to fellow creatures and developing a strong moral fiber. To achieve this state one must gain knowledge and also be in a position to shun the demands of sensual nature. It is observed that persons with higher self-actualization scores are able to lead a more fulfilling life embellished with greater satisfaction, positive relationships, self-acceptance and a sense of purpose in life.

The next stage of human development after self-actualization is named self-transcendence. Where self-actualization is the process of maximizing one’s own potential to lead a more productive life, self-transcendence involves ‘rising’ above the self to became part of a greater whole. Here the person starts focusing more on others than on self, gets motivated not by external factors but by the happiness that the activity brings and develops a strong conscience which keeps him away from committing any misdeed. The only restrictions in the path from self-actualization to self-transcendence are the ones placed by the person himself. An individual who transcends the limitations imposed by ego and attachment will reach a stage where he does not compete with others but with himself. He finds joy when he digs deeper into his own reserves of capacity and potential and succeeds in surpassing his own efforts. Self-transcendence by itself is a lofty goal, which can be attained only by a fortunate few. Thus, Ramayana does not only steer readers towards otherworldly spirituality. Much of it is devoted towards practical knowledge that can enhance quality of life.

The principles embodied in self-actualization and self-transcendence are depicted through various stories in the Ramayana. The advice given by Rama to Lakshmana on two occasions – at the time when he is asked by Dasaratha to leave for the forest and later while living in the woods – and the words of sage Agastya convey the basics about leading a fulfilling life and being able to surmount the limitations placed by ego and desires. The transient nature of bodily pleasures and wealth, the myth of invincibility that only a fool feels, the need for desisting from attachments and seeking true knowledge are all highlighted in the words of Rama and Agastya. Thus, the epic also gives lessons about meeting the aspirations of humans and points the way towards enjoying a gratifying experience in this world.

Finally, the epic reiterates at various places the importance of living in harmony with nature, which is the key to sustaining life in this planet for future generations. This is highlighted in the Aditya Hridayam, which comprises of