Bhagirath “The SCM Guru"

Logistics has become the inevitable part of the human life. Logistics and supply chain is the driving force behind the successful functioning of the economic system in any country. It is unthinkable to accomplish any marketing and manufacturing activities without the proper support and back up by the logistics operations which involve transportation, inventory management, material handling, storage, labeling, packaging and the information integration. Logistics management is that portion of the supply chain which plans, defines, carries out and controls the efficient, effective, flow and storage of goods, services and information between the point of origin and to the point of consumption by satisfying customers' requirements and expectations. A person who is working in the field of logistics management is called a Logistician.

Logistics is a new field of study and not much popular amongst our university graduates. The concept was evolved in the beginning of 1950s with the military operations. To be more clear, if I quote the most popular answer found in our logistics books, it might be something like that“the first logistics activities were found at warfare premises” However, if we analyze the history in detail, we will be able to find some commendable logistics activities in the past. The war between Ram and Ravana, Bringing of Sanjeevani Booti by Hanuman to save Laxman, construction of bridge by Nal and Neel which took Ram’s army to Lanka, Military operations of Pandava’s and Kaurava’s which is stated in the book of Mahabharatha etc. are few to name as the early form of logistics activities in the human history. Yes, Logistics is as old as human history and the logistics activities were silently mentioned in the Vedas and the ancient books. Here arises an important question. ”If logistics is as old as human history, why the ancient history is getting unnoticed? Why we are unable to give tributes to those who fabulously played the role of a successful logistician?” There is an untold story behind the curtain which I would like to bring to the notice of my dear readers.

If I am right, we all know the role of great King in the ancient history, who brought the river Ganges from heaven to earth. Yes, it was none other than the Bhagirath, The king of Khosla. Bhagirath (?????, bhagīratha) was a great king who brought the River Ganges, personified as the river goddess Ganga, to Earth from the heavens. The legend's of Ganga's descent from the heavens into the dry land has been narrated in the Hindu mythological epic of Ramayana. Once King Sagara the ruler of Ayodhya and an ancestor of Lord Rama performed a Ashwamedha Yagya about 99 times and it was a success, because each time he descent a white horse to wander close to the background and the horse successfully reached to the king Sagar’s kingdom without unchallenged. However, Indra the king of God's knows the success story of kings and became jealous. After the success of Ashwamedha Yagya of 99 times and now he wants to make the sacrifice of 100th Yagya, again the horse has to be descended, but this time, Indra kidnapped the white horse and blanket in the hermitage of Kapil Muni.

King Sagar send his 60,000 sons from ayodhaya to find the horse and finally they reach at kapil muni's hermitage. They enraged the sage and attacked him as a thief. Suddenly the eyes of kapil muni’s opened and turn all the prince’ into ashes. To erase the sins of the princes Kapil muni adviced to bring back the river ganges to earth. Bringing Ganga back to Earth was a Herculian task and which is near to impossible as it required thousands of years of rigorous TAPASYA & PRAYER. The Kosala kings of were not able to manage this as they were engaged in handling their office of rulership. As a consequence, the sins of the thousand prince’ multiplied in their destructive energy, and began resulting in natural calamities. By the time Bhagiratha ascended to thrown as a King of Khosala, the peace and security in his Kingdom was completely broken and he found it is impossible to govern. Bhagiratha relinquished the realm to his trusted ministers and put forth to the Himalayas to do a strenuous TAPASYA in the extreme climate. He continued his arduous TAPASYA for one thousand years, to please Lord Brahma. At the end of the thousand years, Brahma was pleased and asked him for his wish. But the problem was river ganges were hide in the matter hair of Lord Shiva, Brahma granted the wish and said to bhagiratha to pray to Lord Shiva. Ganga has a strong flow and it would have been impossible for anyone to contain the destructive impact of this event except Shiva. Bhagiratha again had to perform a Tapasya to Lord Shiva, living only on air. The compassionate Shiva appeared after a year's of tapasya, and assured Bhagiratha that he would make Ganga fall on his matted locks. Shiva softened the flow of Ganges to the earth and Bhagiratha led the way for Ganga on his chariot, and she followed him across the north and east of Bharat and finally merging with the ocean. In her course she washed the ashes of Sagara's sixty thousand sons, who ascended to heaven while praising and blessing Bhagiratha.

This is the story we all know about. But what is the untold part? Let me think widely, in a broader sense, through the herculean task of bringing River Ganges to earth King Bhagirath has performed the greatest logistics activity (water is transported from heaven to earth) in the ancient period. This Bhagiratha Prayathna is said to be the first logistics activity and that is why people consider the king Bhagiratha as the Guru of Logistics and later the guide, instructor and Guru of Supply Chain Management-”The SCM Guru”. I truly desire that my readers and the logistics people would unite me in appreciating the efforts of our first Logistician as the Guru of Supply Chain Management – the SCM GURU. Yes, we all can join our hands together in appreciating the extra-ordinary effort by that great logistician and give the honor which he really deserves.