Dr. Satyavan Saurabh
The Ramayana, the most widely read Indian epic, is not only a scholarly account of the life and times of Lord Rama but has lessons on the subject areas of management principles, politics, strategy, economics, commerce, values and ethics, and leadership. The Ramayanas are certainly religious textbooks but not prescriptive. From times immemorial, they can also be classified as works of literature. The Ramayana composed of sage Valmiki is known as Adi Kavya and was in Sanskrit. Later it evolved into different languages and each poet gave it in different forms and a different language. The ethics remained the same.
Ramayana as an epic is an eternal source of guidance for mankind on how to live life in such a way that it benefits society and does not do any work which one may regret later. Lord Rama is not the only one whose actions leave an indelible mark on our minds. Almost every person in the Ayodhya royal family i.e. the family of Maharaj Dasaratha is steeped in principles. Reading to children at an impressive age the tales of the great epic written by sage Valmiki about the princely prince (and later king) of Ayodhya will give them perspective and direction in life. If observed closely, Ramayana gives us many moral lessons.
Ramayana covers all aspects of management practices in a very clear, yet comprehensive manner. Ramayana is the story of an ideal son, brother, husband, enemy, king, wife, and friend. One should follow him. They are the pole stars that people can keep an eye on to find out if the direction is right for their words and actions – no one is expected to reach those dizzying heights of idealism. Ram was Maryada Purushottam who lived his life according to norms and rules. The Ramayana can provide important clues to management practices for business school students. Anyone who has gone through the recitation of the Ramayana, either the Ramcharitmanas by Goswami Tulsidas or the Valmiki Ramayana, will know that this Indian epic consists of the works of those who played various roles such as Lord Rama, his three younger brothers, his wife Sita and Hanuman. Important management lessons have been given through the medium.
The best part of Ramayana is that the lead role played by Lord Rama imparts highly valuable lessons about ethical conduct. Values and ethics are heavily emphasized in the course content these days and form an important part of the curriculum in almost every business school as business organizations are emphasizing ethics and ethics. Enhancing ethics has become a major concern today. It has become an important attribute of managerial quality. Lord Rama has set an example. He is the epitome of values and ethics and an exemplary role model. He is also a picture of humility, commitment, and character.
Humility is a highly considered managerial quality. Similarly, his brothers show what ethical conduct is. This is the time when everyone is craving power and money. But here is a man who, despite being the legitimate heir to the throne, is so generous that he renounced his right to rule to obey his father. The entire population of the state wanted him to become the ruler. But he refused. The beauty of the entire Ramayana is that his younger brother Bharata, who was given the throne, is equally reluctant to occupy the throne, as he thinks it was not legitimate.
The Ramayana also contains some very important lessons on state art. The dialogue between Rama and Bharata in the Ayodhya section is a treatise on administrative knowledge. No aspect of administration has been left out in that discussion. Valmiki Ramayana presents this aspect very comprehensively. Duty, sacrifice, integrity, values , and righteousness are all reflected in the behavior of the main characters. Not only this, lessons in strategy on teamwork, project management, human resource management, and warfare can also be learned. The Ramayana is a complete text on the social sciences dealing with all dimensions.
These\epics are not only for Hindus – so you will find people who read them as religious norms and some who read them as stories and some who call them nothing but war stories. Therefore, they do not form the basis of any religion. For the devotee, Rama and Krishna may be incarnations of Vishnu while for many they are good characters and for some they are myths. This kind of excessive worship, and connectedness is hard to find in any character or book. Needless to say, they are the cornerstone of Sanatan culture and the cornerstone of the so-called Hindu way of life. Every parent wants or wants a dutiful son like Ram. They will despise Ravana or Kansa and both symbolize the victory of good over evil.
The writer is a Poet, Independent Journalist, Columnist and All India Radio/ TV Panellist.
