A Profound Encounter- Courage, Compassion and Empathy

Courage, Compassion and Empathy

I had a meeting near Badarpur and instead of opting for the usual metro, I decided to hire an auto till Badarpur. Little did I know that I’ll remember this auto ride for the rest of my life and learn so many lessons. As I chatted with my father over the phone in Punjabi, my auto driver, Sardar Ji, couldn’t help but notice, prompting him to inquire if I was from Punjab. Confirming his suspicion, we started conversing. I came to know Sardar Ji had visited my hometown, Sultanpur Lodhi and had visited Gurudwara Shri Ber Sahib. I was overjoyed to meet someone who shared a connection with my hometown.  We delved into Punjab’s core, touching upon Punjabiat, the Punjabi Language, and the profound teachings of Sikh Gurus. We passionately recounted the sacrifices made by the 5th, 9th, and 10th Guru Sahiban to protect humanity.  However, the tone took a poignant turn when Sardar Ji, with a heavy heart, asked about the date. I told him today’s 1st Nov. He asked me to reflect upon what had transpired 30 years ago on that very date. Though I keep newspaper cuttings of all important events but I couldn’t recall anything. I admitted my ignorance, and he proceeded to share a chilling account.  On 31st Oct 1984, PM of India Ms. Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her bodyguards, triggering a series of tragic events. Sardar Ji described how he narrowly escaped when a mob attacked his locality in Trilokpuri. In a desperate attempt to save Sardar Ji’s life, his father had to cut his hair. What Aurangzeb couldn’t do in his lifetime, the mob made his father cut Sardar Ji’s hair. After saving Sardar Ji’s life, his father was killed and his body was burned by the mob.  Crossing Taimoor Nagar, I got a glimpse of Sardar Ji’s eyes from the rearview mirror. I noticed he was trying to control his tears. Even after so many years that tragedy still echoed in his memories. I was so overwhelmed that I asked him to stop the auto. Once the auto came to a halt, I stepped out, and embraced Sardar Ji with a warm hug, just like my mother used to hug me whenever I cried during my childhood. I cried like this tragedy had happened to me and I had lost one of my own family members. We cried together, and we consoled each other. I offered my sincere apologies for the pain he and his family had endured. I saluted the resilience and strength that Sardar Ji embodies.   As we parted ways after reaching Badarpur, I couldn’t help but reflect on the significance of Empathy- a virtue often preached but seldom truly felt. To date, I am grappling with the realization that some wounds are too profound to ever fully heal. We live in a world that is divided along the lines of religion, caste, and creed. Stories like Sardar Ji’s remind and compel us to cultivate compassion for one another.  Raised on tales of Sikh Gurus and heroes like Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, Bhai Mati Dass, Bhai Sati Dass, and countless others who selflessly sacrificed for the greater good of humanity. Sardar Ji’s story has reinforced my gratitude for all those who consider humanity as paramount religion. Their timeless lessons about compassion, courage, and interconnectedness resonate profoundly.   

Life Lessons from Guru Nanak Dev Ji

My home town of Sultanpur Lodhi in Punjab is amongst one of the most ancient cities of India. The first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, spent 14 years 9 months and 13 days in Sultanpur Lodhi. In 1497 Guru Nanak Dev disappeared in rivulet called Kali Bein and re-appeared after 3 days with Mool Mantra and started his first Udasi (Sacramental Journey) to spread the Sikh faith. Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born on 29th Nov. 1469 (on full moon day in the month of Katak- Nov.-Dec.) at Rai Bhoi Di Talwandi (present day Nankana Sahib in Pakistani Punjab). on 12th November 2019, Sikhs across the globe will be celebrating 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and my town will feature in one of the biggest celebrations of Guru Ji’s birth anniversary. Guru Ji traveled far and wide teaching the message of God who dwells in all his creations and constitutes the eternal truth. During childhood days my parents and grandparents used to tell a number of stories on Guru Ji’s teachings and those stories helped shape my world view. My this blog is dedicated to 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Here are 5 life lessons we can learn from Guru Nanak Dev Ji. 1. Gender Equality It is a sad truth that women are not treated fairly and equally in today’s society and are subjected to discrimination and violence. 500+ years back, Guru Nanak Dev ji promoted the equality of genders, and laid the foundation of a system that gave women equal rights in all aspects of life. Guru ji says, “From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to a woman he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her bad from whom kings are born.” 2. Guru Shows You the Path Guru Ji were marked by divine grace and had keen interest in spirituality and divine subjects. When Guru Ji went to school on the very first day he astonished his teacher by describing the implicit symbolism of the number 1 (One) as Ek Onkar meaning God is One. Guru Nanak Dev Ji learnt lessons of spirituality from his elder sister Bibi Nanaki. Bibi Nanaki helped Guru Nanak Ji to understand the true meaning of spirituality and direct his energies in right direction. Bibi Nanaki was not only spiritual Guru of Guru Nanak Dev but also she was the first Sikh to follow the path of Sikhism. Guru is the voice of the God and only a Guru can show you the right path which leads towards God. 3. Work Life Balance and Spirituality Guru Ji never left his house in search of God. He had a perfect Work Life and Spiritual balance. He worked as accountant in charge of grain stores during days and spent his evenings with his family but once his family would sleep, Guru Ji would meditate all night without disturbing any of his family members. Guru Ji didn’t support monasticism and lead the life of honest householder. We can learn to balance Work Life and Spirituality from Guru Ji’s life. 4. Merit Comes First When Guru Ji decided to select his successor, Mata Sulakkhani, Guru Ji’s wife, requested Guru Ji to give Gurgaddi (Spiritual Throne) to one of their sons. But Guru Ji put both his sons along with Bhai Lehna Ji and many other followers to severe tests to check their level of spirituality and understanding of other divine subjects. Bhai Lehna Ji was the only one to pass all the exams and various tests. Guru Nanak Dev ji chose Bhai Lehna Ji over his own sons. Guru Ji named Bhai Lehna ji as Angad (from Ang meaning part of his body). If you are on a bigger mission you should select your partners/team members on merit and not on their background or reference. 5. Say No Discrimination and Superstitions Guru Nanak Dev Ji was strongly against divisions in race, caste and discrimination. Guru Ji fought against discrimination with the help of his companions Bhai Mardana, who was a muslim, and Bhai Bala, who was a hindu. Both of them were with Guru Ji because of their merit and not because of their religion, caste or race. Guru Ji questioned a number of superstitions and beliefs which were prevalent at that time. A number of people believe in superstitions without questioning the ideologies behind the same. One should question the rationale behind all superstitions. And one should not discriminate in people who all are God’s own creation. This Gurpurab May Guru Nanak Dev Ji bless you with more happiness and more peace. Happy Gurpurab!

Life Lessons from Bird Watching

I was a toddler when my parents used to take me to ‘Dinga Pull’, a local pond, near my home town of Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala District. The pond was full, of a number of local as well as migratory birds like cranes, black winged stilts, herons and geese etc. Those were the days when air conditioners were a luxury only a few could afford. And most people used to sleep on rooftops during summers. Early in the morning everyday, I used to count number of big flocks of migratory birds. And I didn’t realize when bird watching became my hobby and continues to be the hobby I enjoy the most until today. The only difference is now I capture them in my digital memory as well. What amazes me the most about the birds is the variety of color, sizes and feather styles they exhibit. I love to watch them sing, dance, feed their chicks, eat, fight and sometimes trick human beings. My grandmother had at least two to three stories to tell on each bird I used to tell her about after coming back from my bird watching expeditions. In Greek culture the hell is described as ‘Averno’ a place without birds and I too believe in the same. God has surrounded us with birds and in our culture birds are symbol of our faith and trust on God. In addition to being impressed by the sheer beauty and diversity of the bird kingdom, I am equally amazed by their mannerism and behavior patterns. Over many years, I have learned a number of life lessons from bird watching and in this post I’ll share some of the key ones. 1. Evolution Sixty Six million years ago a ten kilometer wide asteroid collided with Earth; such was the impact of the collision that the dominant animal group at the time, the mighty dinosaurs went extinct, at least most of them. Though the impact was equivalent to a force of millions of nuclear bombs and eventually ushered in a nuclear winter like scenario for Earth’s climate, still one peculiar type of dinosaur made it through the catastrophe and survives today. We know the current descendants of these dinosaurs as ‘Birds’. There have been a countless studies to why did ancestors of modern birds survive while many of their close relatives succumbed. Recent research suggests that prior to the extinction event, a line of the dinosaurs shrank in the size gradually over millions of years as they developed flight capabilities and beaks (instead of teeth). And they were able to sustain themselves eating seeds long enough to survive the climate conditions and emerge as survivors. Evidence also suggests that seeds are usually tough naturally and can withstand catastrophic phenomena. It’s possible that changes in diet actually lead to leaner structure overtime and their bones and muscles evolved become lighter (and therefore the flight). This was possible in part because birds evolved and adapted to the environmental changes. And of course the conditions created by the collision were favorable to their long term survival, so they got lucky as well. In order to grow and to be successful in our lives we also need to change and adapt as per the situation. 2. No One Wins Alone Birds fly in V shape formation and each formation has a leader and each member of the formation follows the leader. When the lead bird flaps its wings it creates uplift for the followers and helps save their energy and they can fly farther. When the leader gets tired another member from the formation takes his place and the leader shifts to another position without any feeling bad about losing his position in the formation. Once they reach their destination their hierarchy ceases to exist and all of them spend time with each other as equals. If they see any danger they shout and also tell others about the danger. A great team beats a great individual any day. When you surround yourself with like minded people with a winning attitude you benefit from fresh ideas, profound insight and positive energy. 3. Know the Route and Travel Together Migratory birds fly thousands of kilometers every year and they follow the same route for generations. As they say, “if you want to go fast, go alone and if you want to go far, go together.” No one understands this phrase better than birds. They fly together as flying together increases their chances of survival. 4. Wake Up Early You will never find a bird sleeping late in its nest. Birds wake up very early and welcome the sun with beautiful songs and start their routine with positive energy. This is one trait found in all successful people world over- they all are early risers and start their day when others are still sleeping in their beds. If you want to develop habit of waking up early click here. 5. Self Care Birds struggle the whole day feeding and taking care of its ever-growing chicks, still you will not find a single bird untidy. Birds take care of themselves and they keep themselves clean and tidy. When we are stressed at work with loads of to do list and overdue tasks, the first thing we do is to skip meals, stop exercise and ignore our social life. Ignoring self care only makes things worse. Self care helps us in preventing the overload burnouts, reducing the negative effects of stress and helps us to refocus. If you can’t take long breaks to rejuvenate your energies even small breaks go a long way to help you perform better. 6. Come Back Home Birds start their day early for the search of food and sometimes they fly to distant places looking for food but when sun sets in they always come back to their nests. A number of people ask where do migratory birds belong to and I always answer that their home is where their families are. Travel… Continue reading Life Lessons from Bird Watching

Management Lessons from Ali Baba & Forty Thieves

Ali Baba and 40 Thieves is amongst most told stories from the Arabian world and I am sure most of you must have listened to this amazing story.  I came across this amazing story recently while preparing for my upcoming program and immediately some thoughts crossed my mind. In this post I’ll share the Management Lessons from Ali Baba & Forty Thieves. Here is the story of Ali Baba & Forty Thieves* Ali Baba and his elder brother Qasim are the sons of a merchant. After their father’s death, the greedy Qasim marries a wealthy woman and becomes well-to-do, building on their father’s business. Ali Baba marries a poor woman and settles into the trade of a woodcutter. One day, Ali Baba is at work collecting and cutting firewood in the forest, and he happens to overhear a group of 40 thieves visiting their treasure store. The treasure is in a cave, the mouth of which is sealed by magic. It opens on the words “open sesame” and seals itself on the words “close sesame”. When the thieves are gone, Ali Baba enters the cave himself and discreetly takes a single bag of gold coins home. Ali Baba and his wife borrow his sister-in-law’s scales to weigh their new wealth. Unbeknownst to them, Qasim’s wife puts a blob of wax in the scales to find out what Ali Baba is using them for, as she is curious to know what kind of grain her impoverished brother-in-law needs to measure. To her shock, she finds a gold coin sticking to the scales and tells her husband. Under pressure from his brother, Ali Baba is forced to reveal the secret of the cave. Qasim goes to the cave, taking a donkey with him to take as much treasure as possible. He enters the cave with the magic words. But in his greed and excitement over the treasure, he forgets the words to get out again. The thieves find him there and kill him. When his brother does not come back, Ali Baba goes to the cave to look for him, and finds the body quartered and with each piece displayed just inside the cave’s entrance, as a warning to anyone else who might try to enter. Ali Baba brings the body home where he entrusts Morgiana, a clever slave-girl from Qasim’s household, with the task of making others believe that Qasim has died a natural death. First, Morgiana purchases medicines from an apothecary, telling him that Qasim is gravely ill. Then, she finds an old tailor known as Baba Mustafa whom she pays, blindfolds, and leads to Qasim’s house. There, overnight, the tailor stitches the pieces of Qasim’s body back together so that no one will be suspicious. Ali Baba and his family are able to give Qasim a proper burial without anyone’s asking awkward questions. The thieves, finding the body gone, realize that yet another person must know their secret, and they set out to track him down. One of the thieves goes down to the town and comes across Baba Mustafa, who mentions that he has just sewn a dead man’s body back together. Realizing the dead man must have been the thieves’ victim, the thief asks Baba Mustafa to lead the way to the house where the deed was performed. The tailor is blindfolded again, and in this state he is able to retrace his steps and find the house. The thief marks the door with a symbol so the other thieves can come back that night and kill everyone in the house. However, the thief has been seen by Morgiana who, loyal to her master, foils the thief’s plan by marking all the houses in the neighborhood similarly. When the 40 thieves return that night, they cannot identify the correct house, and their leader kills the unsuccessful thief in a furious rage. The next day, another thief revisits Baba Mustafa and tries again. Only this time, a chunk is chipped out of the stone step at Ali Baba’s front door. Again, Morgiana foils the plan by making similar chips in all the other doorsteps, and the second thief is killed for his failure as well. At last, the leader of the thieves goes and looks himself. This time, he memorizes every detail he can of the exterior of Ali Baba’s house. The leader of the federation pretends to be an oil merchant in need of Ali Baba’s hospitality, bringing with him mules loaded with 38 oil jars, one filled with oil, the other 37 hiding the other remaining thieves. Once Ali Baba is asleep, the thieves plan to kill him. Again, Morgiana discovers and foils the plan, killing the 37 thieves in their oil jars by pouring boiling oil on them. When their leader comes to rouse his men, he discovers they are all dead and escapes. The next morning, Morgiana tells Ali Baba about the thieves in the jars. They bury them, and Ali Baba shows his gratitude by giving Morgiana her freedom. To exact revenge after some time, the leader of the thieves establishes himself as a merchant, befriends Ali Baba’s son (who is now in charge of the late Qasim’s business), and is invited to dinner at Ali Baba’s house. However, the thief is recognized by Morgiana, who performs a sword dance with a dagger for the diners and plunges it into the thief’s heart, when he is off his guard. Ali Baba is at first angry with Morgiana, but when he finds out the thief wanted to kill him, he is extremely grateful and rewards Morgiana by marrying her to his son. Ali Baba is then left as the only one knowing the secret of the treasure in the cave and how to access it. This is how this story ends for everyone happily for everyone except forty thieves. The forty thieves were rich and powerful but still they not only lost all their fortunes but also their lives. Ali Baba was neither more powerful nor smart still he managed to get everything by making best use of… Continue reading Management Lessons from Ali Baba & Forty Thieves

Govardhan Puja: Thanks Giving Day to our Parents- Lessons from our Puranas

Today’s the fourth day of Diwali festival and Hindus across the world celebrate this day by performing Govardhan Puja. Govardhan Puja reminds me of stories I had learned during my childhood. In this post I’ll share those two stories and lessons from our Puranas. Story 1: Krishna was playing with his friends when he saw villagers of Varindavan carrying eatables for a Yaga to please Indra, the God of Rains. Krishna asked them why do they pray a God who’s so distant and instead they should pray Mount Govardhan which actually brings rains and provide food and shelter to so many creatures. He initiated a festival that paid respect to Mount Govardhan by offering food and many other things. Krishna then assumed the form of mountain and accepted the offerings of the villagers. Indra got very angry upon seeing shift in the devotion of villagers towards Krishna and Mount Govardhan. To teach villagers a lesson he directed lightning storm and heavy downpour upon Varindavan. To protect the villagers from the calamity, Krishna lifted the Mount Govardhan on his little finger and the entire village came under Mount Govardhan to take shelter from storm. Indra after causing such heavy downpour for seven days ultimately gave up and bowed to Krishna’s superiority. Click here to watch the story. Story 2: Once Maharishi Narad gave a divine fruit to Lord Shiv and Mata Parvati and told them that whosoever will eat this fruit will get supreme knowledge and immortality. Kartikey and Ganesha, sons of Lord Shiv and Mata Parvati, both wanted to eat that fruit and both requested their parents to give the fruit to them. Now the situation was tricky as whom to give the fruit. So Lord Shiv told them whoever will circle the entire world seven times and come back first will get the fruit. Listening this Kartikey took his vehicle, Peacock, and started his journey around the world. On the other hand Ganesha’s vehicle was mouse and he thought he can’t defeat his elder brother by riding mouse. So he thought what does the world mean to him and who’s his world. Ganesha loved his parents and whoever we love, becomes center of our lives and all our life energy goes into it. So Ganesha circled his parents, who were his world, seven times and got the blessings of his parents. Ganesha was adjudged the winner of the race. Hence he was given the divine fruit. Click here to watch the story. These two stories, and lessons from our Puranas, remind us that our parents are our Mount Govardhan and our world. All their lives they try and protect us from all the evils and difficulties. They provide nothing but the best of means to grow and help us excel in our lives. When the whole world is performing Govardhan Puja today by circling Mount Govardhan, let’s all Thank our Parents for all the sacrifices they have made and all they have done to ensure our well being and make us what we are today. May God Bless everyone’s Parents!

A Thought Well Provoked!

Have you ever thought why it is important for us to continuously improve ourselves? Here’s a Thought Well Provoked and my take on what it takes to be someone’s role model. Last week I facilitated a training program for the employees of IDBI Bank at their New Delhi regional office. It was a three days training program and everything went as per the plan and all my trainees were happy. Post session a couple of trainees wanted to talk to me regarding their future plans and seek some help on how can they do better in their lives. I spoke to them one by one and helped them with my suggestions. I was happy to see enthusiasm and the way they wanted to learn new things and explore new opportunities. By the time I finished it was quite late, I left the premises in a hurry as I was to go out with my wife. On the way to metro station I called my wife to inform that I am on the way and I shall be home in about 30 minutes. It was when I noticed some of my trainees, who were having coffee at Cafe Coffee Day, waving and inviting me to join them. As I was busy over the phone call and also was in hurry hence I just waved back and kept walking towards the metro station. While I took escalators for the metro station I realized I have committed a mistake as I should have finished my phone call, gone inside the CCD, thanked them for the invitation, shared my plan for the evening and then should have excused myself. Realizing my mistake I went back, apologized for my behavior and shared the reason for my odd behavior. They seemed happy as we spoke for some time, laughed remembering some light moments of the training program. Before departing they asked me for a group photograph and we requested a CCD team member to click`. After we got the picture clicked, I thanked the CCD member and I requested one of my trainees to share the picture with me on Whatsapp and I departed for the metro station. I was in metro when I received a friend request on my Facebook account from one of them which I accepted. In next couple of minutes I saw a picture which was tagged to me with a caption, ‘with Rohit Sir..What a Gem!!!!!!’ It was a proud moment for me as one of my trainees had written such high for me. It’s been 5 days today that I got such high regards from someone and I am really happy and overwhelmed with honor, love and respect my trainees showered upon me. But there is something which is bothering me for last 5 days and I could not sleep properly. There are some questions which are continuously haunting my mind.  ‘Am I really a Gem? Am I really worth this honor, love and respect?’ I don’t have an answer to the questions and I am not sure whether there is any answer to my questions. The only thing I know is, I am not perfect and I have many limitations and I need to a long way to be able to accept such honor. A quote from great Sufi Saint Baba Sheikh Farid perfectly explains state of my mind, “Kaale Mainde Kapde Kaala Mainda Ves, Gunhee Bhareya Main Fira Lok Kahe Darvesh” (My Clothes are Black My persona is Black, I Roam Around Full of Sins Yet People Call Me a Holy Man). I want to thank all my trainees for provoking these thoughts in my mind. I promise I’ll try and transform myself into a better human being and a better professional and live as a role model and up to your expectations. God Bless!

Lod Hai- ਲੋੜ ਹੈ

In 1675 Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus) led by Pandit Kirpa Ram came to seek help from Guru Tegh Bahadur for protection against atrocities of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. They, on the advice of the Guru, told the Mughal authorities that they would willingly embrace Islam if Guru Tegh Bahadur, did the same. Guru Tegh Bahadur was arrested and taken to Delhi. Before departing to Delhi, Guru ji nominated his son Gobind Rai as next Sikh Guru. Guru Tegh Bahadur was put in chains and ordered to be tortured until he would accept Islam. But Mughals failed to make him accept Islam. For this Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded in public at Chandni Chowk on 11 November 1675. Guru Ji is known as “Hind Di Chadar” (The shield of India) as he saved Hinduism by sacrificing his life. On 13th April 1699, Guru Gobind Rai asked for five heads from his followers. Five Sikhs (Daya Ram, Dharam Das, Himmat Rai, Mohkam Chand, and Sahib Chand) volunteered to give their heads. He named them as Panj Pyare (The Five Loved Ones) and gave them mixture of Water, Patashas and Khanda (Double edged sword) as Amrit (“Nectar”) and gave them all the name “Singh” (Lion), and designated them collectively as Khalsa (the Pure Ones). The Guru then astounded the five and the whole assembly as he knelt and asked them to in turn initiate him as a member, on an equal footing with them in the Khalsa, thus becoming the sixth member of the new order. His name became Guru Gobind Singh. This is how the Khalsa Panth came into existence. Till date Hindu and Sikh celebrate this day with all the enthusiasm and valor. On the eve of tercentenary of Khalsa Panth in 1999, I was one of the devotees who had gone to Anadpur Sahib to celebrate tercentenary of birth of Khalsa Panth. When I reached Sri Keshgarh Sahib, I saw some Kashimri Pandits who had also come to pay tribute and seek blessings of Sikh Gurus. This was not the first time that Kasmiri Pandits had come to Anadpur Sahib to seek blessings of Guru Ji. Their forefathers had also come there to seek help from Guru Teg Baahadur to save them from Aurangzeb, around 325 years back. Then Guru Ji had sacrificed his life to save their lives and their faith. Whatever is happening there in Kashmir these days is almost the same and now there are hundreds of Aurangzebs but there is no one who can save the Kashmiri Pandits and their faith. My heart filled with pain and I pleaded to Guru Ji to come back and save the humanity. Following is the poem I wrote at one go sitting there and have not edited ever since: “Lod Hai- ਲੋੜ ਹੈ” Tin Sadiya Beetan Magro Main Ajj Phir Kashmiri Pandita Nu Anandpur Sahib De Qilae Wal Jaandea Dekhea Hai, Lagda Hai Aapniya Bodiaan Te Janaeouan Piche Ohna Nu Ajj Phir Kise ‘Teg’ De Sir Di Lod Hai. Te Eh Lod Ajay Khatam Hoyi Nahin Jaapdi Sago Hor Vadh Gayi Hai, Te Ajj Phir Itihaas Aapne Aap Nu Dohraan Te Tulea Hoyea Hai. ‘Jafarnama’ Likh Ke Kafara Nu Side Raah Paan Wala Pata Nahin Kithe Jaa Baithea Hai, Te Ajj Ohde Loka ‘ch ‘Kufarname’ Likhan Di Hod Hai. ‘Baazawalea’ Hun Ta Tere Baaz Vi Sehme Baithe Ne Titra De Dar To, Te Ajj Phir Tere Baaza Nu Teri Chamakdi Shamsheer Di Lod Hai. Jeeneya Merneya To Mukt Tere ‘Chali Mukte’ Dar Di Qaid ‘ch Ne Ajj Phir, Te Ajj Phir Ohna Nu Dar Di Qaid whicho Mukt Kervaan Di Lod Hai. Lagda Hai ‘Chandi‘ vi Ja Baithi Hai Machiware De Junglean ‘ch Shumb Nishumb De Dar To, Te Ajj Phir Teri Chandi Nu Teri ‘Chandi Di Vaar’ Di Lod Hai. O Jinha Sheesh Kalm Kerva Laye Per Kesha Nu Hath Na Laun Dita, Ajj Ohna Nidar Bahadara ‘ch Kesh Qatal Kervaan Di Hod Hai. ‘Kalgiyan Walea’ Je Aap Nahin Aana Ta Bhej De Koi Hor ‘Banda’ Dakhkhn To ‘Bahadar’ Bana Ke, Ajj Teri Singha Di Qaum Nu Bahadara Di Thod Hai. Tin Sadiyaan Beet Gayian Ne Sikha Nu Singh Banea, Kinjh Karange Tere Bajurg Singh Ehna Kashmiri Pandita Di Rakheya? Ajj Phir Ghol Ke Bhej De ‘Amrit’ Which Sanjivni Booti, Ajj Teri Singha Di Qaum nu Navi Taqat Di Lod Hai. Tin Sadiyaan Beetan Magro Main Ajj Phir Kashmiri Pandita Nu Anandpur Sahib De Qilae Wal Jaandeya Dekheya Hai, Lagda Hai Aapniya Bodiaan Te Janaeouan Piche Ohna Nu Ajj Phir Kise ‘Teg’ De Sir Di Lod Hai.

Har Har Mahadev- Each One in Himself (People Empowerment Perspective)

Our ancient literature and mythological books are full of stories – citing friendship, faith, dutifulness, leadership, dedication, compassion etc. Like always, I get ideas – relating their perspective to our jet age life, where I deal with people at various levels in different organizations. Being a L&D professional I have been working on bringing change to organizations and wondered if I could really link the very phrase‘Har Har Mahadev’. We all have heard this phrase several times in temples, in recitals and in prayers. The perspective clicked to me while reading about the Dharamyudha in which Lord Shiva, the Mahadev as explained by Amish in his book, coined the phrase to empower his team of warriors. I learned a new perspective of people management and people empowerment while reading this particular part in the story. It is the battle field and the entire team is ready to work for the betterment of their reign and its people. The weak, the strong, the proven and the laggards – all want to contribute and excel. Identifying traits & Leadership Style In ancient times, it was one God, one king or one leader for all. The delegation though happened in those times too but was only limited to the set of duties. The belief and onus of responsibility was put on just one person of each clan – in this case, it is the ‘Neelkanth’ – who was believed to be the messiah for the people of Meluha who waited for him to come & fight for their rights and save them from the Chandravanshi’s and the Nagas. Now the ‘Neelkanth’ has arrived who is like a new leader who is given the onus of leading the state in the best way possible, as per the rules laid by the state which has its own weaknesses and threats owing to the idealism and self belief of the population. He is trying to get into the system as he apparently is highly opinionated and believes in Karma – the good and bad. He is someone who doesn’t believe in being restricted by the man-made rules and believes in the Power of Expression, Equality and Performance over scores & class. Now isn’t that something which we all are aiming for in life and more importantly in everyday work life? We all try each day to strike a balance with our leaders (read bosses) who we want to be non-biased. A participant leader is always a welcome in a career life. It leads to mutual growth and understanding. It is the thing everybody hopes for to make the journey pleasant. Authority If a person seems important to us, we listen to that person. The person who is perceived as an outsider suddenly is been looked up to and heard of as a leader, a savior. Reason – we feel the person is important, possess power and authority and can help us gain benefit. Authority is a decisive adjective and that is why people in authority shall be chosen with great discretion and in full faith. While Shiva coined the term ‘Har Har Mahadev’ for his team, he wins hearts and trust of his team. Because he embraced authority with great liberation and he shared his power with his team by delegating the authority and empowering the meritorious. In the mentioned Dharamyudh its ‘Drapaku’ who is made the leader by Shiva for his pure talent & patriotism for the state. People Empowerment The above two are only considered worthwhile if they are used for the growth & up-liftment of the team, the resources and are made to work towards a goal which will yield results that are good to the people, the organization at large. Where it is the contribution and the result that matters most, the delegation of the team is done as per the skill-set possessed by each of them and where the sense of belongingness is inculcated deep within. The story about inception of the phrase ‘Har Har Mahadev’ guided me to the base of this human resource practice. It is about the following qualities which enable employee empowerment. When Lord Shiva told his team that it is not about him being a Mahadev but it is that each one around is a Mahadev in himself. Here, he is bringing in the concept of people empowerment and bringing in the sense of belonging which is currently practiced as ‘Employee Management & Industrial Relations’. This is what the current day HRM practices aspires for. Team, group dynamics and synergy are not just terms – they really carry a lot of meaning & weightage. The age old literature, the history vouches for it and the present day start-ups seems friendlier towards it. They value individual traits, personal skill-set, personality and interests more than the KRA, the task at hand and the targets on paper. The ancient mythological philosophies certainly carry a lot of management lessons and this is what stuck my mind when I read about ‘Har Har Mahadev’. Particularly if we talk in context of team empowerment, participant leadership, passion & compassion before rules, Lord Shiva gives me so many relevant stories.

Delegation in Ramayana (Mythology & Management)

Stories are the best ways to overcome obstacles of learning. While I was working on a leadership program I came across two stories from our mythology which helped me to explain the concept of delegation to my trainees. In this blog, ‘Delegation in Ramayana (Mythology & Management) I’ll share both the stories and how these stories explain the delegation. First Story Lord Ram helped Sugriva to regain his honor and made him king of Kishindha. Sugriva and vanars decided to help Lord Ram unite with his wife Mata Sita who was abducted by demon Ravan. The entire Vanar army was divided into four groups and sent in four directions to find Mata Sita. Hanuman, Angad and Jambavantha with their group reached the southern seashore. They met Sampati, a vulture, who tells them Mata Sita was abducted by Ravan and is sitting under a tree in Lanka, which is on the other side of the ocean. Upon encountering the vast ocean, every vanara begins to lament his inability to jump across the water. Hanuman too is saddened at the possible failure of his mission, until the other vanaras and the wise bear Jambavantha begin to extol his virtues. Hanuman then recollects his own powers, enlarges his body, and flies across the ocean. After he finds Sita in captivity, Hanuman reveals his identity to her by giving her ring of Lord Ram. He reassures her that Lord Ram has been looking for her. He offers to carry her back to Lord Ram, but she refuses his offer, saying it would be an insult to Lord Ram as his honor is at stake. She gives her jewelry to Hanuman Ji and asks him to give it to Lord Ram. Second Story To seek a peaceful solution, Lord Ram sent Angad as messengers to convince Ravana to return Mata Sita peacefully. As this was the only way to avert the war. Angada tried every means to convince Ravana, but he was firm to face battle instead of returning Mata Sita peacefully. Angada planted his foot firmly on the ground and challenged anybody in the courtroom to uproot his foot. If anybody were to accept the challenge and was successful, Lord Ram would concede defeat and return without Mata Sita. All the commanders of Ravana’s army and even his son ‘Indrajit’ tried to lift Angada’s leg but none succeeded. Feeling humiliated by this failure, an infuriated Ravana slowly walked towards Angada’s planted foot and just as he was about to hold Angada’s leg to attempt the challenge, Angada moved away and Ravana fell down. Angada explained that the challenge was for Ravana’s commanders and not for Ravana. He told that Ravana was prepared to fall on his feet but instead he should choose to fall on the Lord Ram’s feet, for those are the ones that remove fear of cycle of life & death. He then picked up Ravana’s crown which fell down on the ground and threw it out of the palace. Ravana ordered his men to kill Angada. But he took a jump and flew back to the place where the Vanara army was gathered. Lessons: Mythology & Management These two stories give us very important lessons of management in purview of Delegation. See Lord Ram as CEO of company and observe the power of delegation being expelled and carried off by him. When the thought struck my mind, I got another reason to reassure myself that management certainly is a derivative of mythology. Lord Ram, put across the problem and took up a discussion to suggest solutions. He was aware of his team strengths and weaknesses.  Lord Ram also knew about the importance of each task to their organization and the task @ hand. Accordingly as per the skill set and the importance of task – he further went on to strategic delegation among the team. That is the reason why Hanuman in story 1 was assigned the task to find Sita and to reconfirm her presence at the Ashok Vatika. He was assigned the task based on this physical skill set and presence of mind. And Sita like an ardent associate understood the importance of task delegated and din’t asked for any further help or assistance. In management context, an extension further to delegation leads to imbalance and hence grievance. And that is why the delegation holds lot of importance. Coming to the second story, Angada was delegated a task of authority. He was a messenger deployed to discuss the suggested way out, to avoid war. His skill set included assertiveness, authority, communication skills and he knew temper control which wasn’t a case with Hanuman as he was an emotional devotee of Lord Ram and would never listen to any ill words for Lord Ram. Lord Ram knew of his skill set and his power. And hence the delegation was done accordingly. These two stories embark all the 5 Stages of Delegation. Where Lord Ram, observed and realized the strengths of his team members including Hanuman, Jamavanth and Angad. He evaluated the situations and the employee skill set, he made sure of the circumstances and allowed his team to collaborate and that’s how he delegated.