Delivering Value - The Lord Krishna Way (Published in Ekaakshara Magazine)
As children, we may have watched TV Series depicting several of Lord Krishna’s stories, but did we ever contemplate on the reason for His actions. Lord Krishna was a true people person. People loved Him in all roles, pouring their heart out to Him, seeking His guidance in all their decisions. Isn’t this the precise requirement of every HR personnel? Organizations have HR and L&D professionals, but the question is whether one can portray such characteristics in day-to-day life.
Krishna essayed numerous roles, a naughty child, a visionary leader, a trusted confidante, and a loving husband. In each of his roles, one can clearly trace the figure of an efficient human resource administrator, learning constantly and developing all those whose lives he touched, throughout his journey of life and beyond.
Through several of Lord Krishna’s stories or Leelas, let us try and identify resemblances to modern HR practices and learn from them.
Lord Krishna as a Child
Lord Krishna, fondly called as Kanha, was a very naughty child, breaking pots and stealing butter, but even in these stories we find lessons to learn.
Before every mischief, Lord Krishna gathered all his mates and explained the plan in detail. Each child then played his role to perfection, without a care regarding who got to taste the butter first. They all had faith in the Lord, knowing that whatever the prize, it would be equally divided amongst all. This teaches us the importance of team work and faith in one’s team members. Some of the greatest tales of friendship exist between the Lord and his poor Brahmin friend Sudama. The Lord never discriminated, this being one of the many reasons for all the love that he enjoyed.
In one incident, the venomous snake Kaaliya was polluting the river Yamuna with his poison, creating havoc in the Lord’s village. Lord Krishna without fear jumped into the river, defeated him and emerged, dancing on the many heads of the snake. Thus, the Lord listened to the problems of His people and fearlessly vowed to end them, earning reverence from his people in return.
The Lord always spoke the truth and followed the right path. At a very young age, he went against Lord Indra, not fearing Indra’s wrath, instead displaying the characteristics of a fearless and righteous leader. Infuriated, Indra brought forth a terrible storm on the village. Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan Mountain to save his village from the harsh storm, showing that a true leader must set aside contingency measures to tackle situations which may arise.
Lord Krishna accepted the invitation to Mathura put forth by his wicked uncle Kans, despite knowing that Kans was an all powerful King who only wished to kill Him. This shows us that a leader must always face the situation at hand. If he does not face the situation immediately, it will only grow in magnitude. It also shows the Lord’s readiness to take on new responsibilities in life, away from his protected village, so that he may work for the greater good of society.
After defeating Kansa, Lord Krishna handed over the reigns of the kingdom to the rightful king, shunning greed, another important learning. He then proceeded to learn from the revered Rishi Sandipani, because even the most learned need to continue with the cycle of knowledge since learning is an unending process.
At Rishi Sandipani’s ashram, Lord Krishna, his brother Balrama and his close Brahmin friend, Sudama, spent many a days together. Once the Lord and Sudama went to the forest to collect wood. Having to spend the night therein, they both decided to rest on different trees. Alone on the tree, Sudama felt very hungry, and ended up eating all the rice preparation given by Rishi Sandipani’s wife which was to be shared by both the pupils. Inspite of this, the Lord held no resentment against Sudama, forgiving him, since it is human to err. It would be foolish, He said, to lose a good friend for committing a mistake. HR personnel should similarly help their employees grow in life keeping aside past bitterness, instead helping them walk the right path.
Lord Krishna as a Young Prince
On completion of His education, Lord Krishna returned to Mathura as a young prince. Following Kans’s death and widowing of his daughters, Kans’s father-in-law Jarasand, attacked Mathura several times causing great destruction and loss of life. Lord Krishna realized that the assaults would not stop, hence deciding to shift base to a newly built well-protected city ‘Dwarka’. This decision faced severe opposition from Mathura’s top ministers, but the Lord succeeded in convincing everybody. From this we learn that leaders sometimes have to take difficult decisions, which may be opposed, but if one explains the benefits of the decision calmly with determination, they will be accepted in due course of time.
In another incident, Rukmini, the princess of Vidarbha, wrote a distress letter to Lord Krishna, stating that she was being forced to marry against her wishes inspite of having given her heart to Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna immediately sprang to her aid believing it was her right to choose a husband, proving the Lord’s resolution to protect the rights of all those who approached Him for help.
After Rukmini agreed to willingly go away with the Lord and serve him for all her lives as his wife, Rukmini’s brother Rukmin, blinded by his obstinacy, attacked the Lord with his army on the way. Rukmin and his elaborate army were defeated in no time. When the Lord was just about to take his life, Rukmini intervened, and put forth a plea to spare her brother’s life. Lord Krishna relented and spared his life.
From this we learn, that Krishna, inspite of being the Lord of the three worlds, always listened to good advice. Just like an efficient HR manager should give everybody a chance to dialogue, listen attentively to all and make decisions that serve not his own interests but those which serve the welfare of the organization at large.
Also, Rukmini wanted to get married to the Lord in Madhavpur, since it was her wish to marry in a place where no one had ever done so before. Again, Lord Krishna agreed, showing the traits of modern HR practices, worded as openness to innovation.
Lord Krishna and the Mahabharata
The most crucial role of the Lord as an HR emerges as the charioteer to Arjuna in the war of Kurukshetra. The Lord took on the role of Arjuna’s constant companion, coach and guide, renewing his strength and direction in the great war of Truth. When, Arjuna seemed lost and forlorn, the Lord helped satisfy his doubts and clear his mind to walk the path of righteousness.
The teachings of the Lord to Arjuna are eternal truths, pertinent to people for generations to come. The Lord explained to Arjuna about work, religion and knowledge. One needs to work without expectation, since it is in one’s hands to do or not do a certain job, but one cannot control the outcome. One should have total control over one’s senses and not instead, be controlled by them. One’s work and decisions should always be for the greater good, since only an ignorant man works to satisfy his selfish needs. The wisdom imparted by the Lord helped calm the storm of uncertainty in Arjuna’s mind, leading him to victory in the war.
This is just a short illustration of the lessons by the great Lord Narayana in his Krishna Avatar on Earth, proving that efficient HR practices can help one lead a fulfilling life. Through these stories, the Lord portrays that it is possible to be an efficient leader and an effective HR personnel even in human form in our daily life. The Lord’s preaching if put to practice, will help us reach our true potential as also of all whose lives we touch.