Bhishma, the Ultimate Resource for Business and Politics
Among the myriad
of players in the great epic, The
Mahabharata, two characters stand out prominently towering over the rest:
Bhishma, the scion who renounces his right to the kingdom to enable his father
marry a woman of his choice, who dominates the entire epic spanning over five
generations--in the earlier phase playing the role of an active participant,
and later on becoming a learned and well-respected elder statesman and mentor;
and Vasudeva Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who plays the role of a
non-partisan counsellor, mediator, and the overarching, non-participating chief
and mentor for the victorious Pandavas. To Vasudeva Krishna is also
attributed the famous Bhagavad Gita, the
celestial song on the duties and responsibilities of humans in steering their
lives in this world, delivered on the battlefield to Arjuna, the reluctant Pandava who could not come to terms with the idea
of decimating friends, family, and other elders whom they were to fighting
against.
Bhishma is the
chosen anchor for my latest book, The
Bhishma Way: Ancient Dharma for Modern Business and Politics (Random House,
December 2015). Why did I choose Bhishma? For one thing, Bhishma is relatively less
researched and written about, compared to Vasudeva Krishna. But I was the man
himself, his life as a message, and the rich counsel that is available in his
voice in the epic, which is of continuing relevance to the present day problems
and issues of governance and personal behaviour in business and politics.
As a strict upholder of Dharma both in his personal and public
life, there are indeed very few equals to Bhishma. His commitment to truth and values was unquestionably rocky firm. His sense of justice serves as a beacon light to
civilised people around the world. One could differ from and argue with his
exposition of social and ethical principles, especially in the present day
changed circumstances, but none could question either his sincerity of purpose
or his commitment to what he thought was right and ethical.
Was he always infallible in his judgement
or actions (and even in-actions)? Of course not; and that is what makes Bhishma
so human and so relatable to any of us in our day to day activities. Towards
the end, he himself realised his follies but by then it was too late for
redemption. If some of these anecdotal incidents appear to bear some uncanny
resemblance with our own personal experience in business or political
behaviour, it only confirms how timeless Bhishma and his life were, nay, are in
our modern circumstances.
Governance is the primary focus of this
book, exploring how contemporary administrations can learn and adopt takeaways
from the Mahabharata in general and
Bhishma in particular. Justice is the fundamental objective of all systems of
governance (though justice itself could be subjective, differing according to
circumstances); justice in a civilised commonwealth depends upon three
constituents: the value systems of the realm, the standards of dharma or
righteousness, and the emphasis placed upon on the practice of truth. The
book’s five chapters are structured accordingly, beginning with the
fundamentals, leading to the objective, and finally to the system designed to
deliver on the objective.
The discussion of each of these, often
inter-dependent, concepts is focused on the individual, the state, and the
corporation as a sub-set of the state. To better relate to the reality of the
day, a representative (and by no means an exhaustive) collection of cases are
included as illustrations. The fact is that each of us (as was the case with
Bhishma and all the other characters in the story) is facing situations and
taking decisions that seem appropriate under given circumstances. Whether
decisions are in line with what they ought to be under such circumstances
(within the framework of values, righteousness and truth), only one’s own
conscience could judge.
Bhishma’s counsel repeatedly includes
admonitions to the king that he should consult his ministers, advisers, elders,
and the ‘learned’, and then using his judgement take his own decision. Despite
going through the motions of consultations with all these people, the king
could take a decision that did not lead to the greatest good for the largest
number of people. A telling example is the instance where Dhritharashtra seeks
advice from Vidura, Bhishma, Drona, and others with regard to giving the
Pandavas back half of their kingdom, but decides against it to suit his
personal agenda of retaining the whole kingdom for himself and his son. In
modern times, both in governments and corporates, similar situations are not
difficult to find!
The story of Bhishma, although
predominantly one of greatness, valour and wisdom, has its share of pathos as
well, especially in his later phase where it seemed he was just respected but
not necessarily heeded. Whether it was during the dice game and the disrobing
of Draupadi, or on whether the Pandavas should get back half of their kingdom,
his advice fell on deaf ears. Duryodhana in particular was openly disrespectful
and even insulting; Karna (who had a poor equation with Bhishma anyway) was
increasingly confrontational, and Dhritharashtra became more restive and
annoyed. For someone who had sacrificed his kingship and worked so hard to
expand and protect the kingdom, such treatment was not warranted. And yet,
instances are common in modern-day governments and corporations where similar
side-lining and disrespect of senior leaders and directors take place
routinely. Wouldn’t it be better for such seniors to step down with dignity
rather than suffering such ignominy? Or, like Bhishma, in the larger interests
of the country or the company, should they continue to pursue what is best for
the constituents?
Notwithstanding the few negatives,
overall, the impression Bhishma proffers is one of man of great dignity,
forbearance, courage, integrity, justice, and above all, selfless service for a
chosen cause. There is much that the present and future generations of leaders
can emulate in their respective spheres of activity and influence. This book is
a humble effort in that direction.
________________________________
