From Charismatic Leader to Diplomat: Lord Krishna’s Legacy in the Modern World

On the eve of Janmashtami, which is the birth of Lord Krishna, ?a key deity?revered in Hinduism, I’d like to reflect upon his relevance in today’s world. ?He is worshipped as the eighth incarnation (avatar)?of Vishnu,? he is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love.

I decided to write about him since I am quite fascinated by his divine charm, and mesmerizing persona, but also his multifaceted persona and significance in our lives that have been inundated with modern technology while still bearing a pious view on life. ?

I see Krishna as an Environmentalist, I think he is the best role model for conservation efforts, his love for the “Kadamba tree” and his profound connection with the trees holds a special place, in fact, these trees stood as witness to the celestial love between Krishna and Radha in Vrindavan. Cows and Krishna have always been together, he is a cowherd boy, and this relationship between him and cows represents the harmony with nature. ?

Lord Krishna?is a “musician”, and the tune he creates by playing his transcendental flute is embodied with cosmic energy. it's none other?... Krishna can easily be called India's greatest musician.? Krishna is a “cosmic dancer”, he rendered the Ras dance, where Krishna dances with Radha and the gopis. ?

Lord Krishna is also described as the “greatest diplomat”, his role as an ambassador of the Pandavas to the Kauravas for an agreement to prevent the disastrous war is an example, in fact, seasoned diplomat and minister S Jaishankar had mentioned in his speech about Lord Krishna’s mastery in negotiation and navigating difficult situations during the Mahabharata, which holds relevance in today’s diplomacy. ?

Lord Krishna is a proven “charismatic leader & manager”, in a piece written by Pravin Aggarwal in “ Speaking Tree”, he describes him as a “Management Guru”, of all times who managed very well in all the circumstances to achieve the desired goal ... we remember him as- Sri Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum.??

We have numerous examples from the battle of Mahabharata, where he exuberated his self-confidence to achieve desired results by choosing Arjuna over Duryodhana’s complete army. The author underlines that a manager should set clear Goals and Krishna had 3 clear-cut Goals that he followed and achieved. a) Paritranaya Sadhunaam – Welfare for Saints b) Vinashaya Dushkritaam – Destroy Evil c) Dharmasansthapanaay Sambhavaami yuge yuge – To establish and strengthen Religion in every Era. ?

A manager must keep his team motivated, and he motivated Arjuna when he reached the battlefield, he lost his determination to fight when he saw that among the opponents were many of his relatives young and old and that he was going to kill them for the sake of the Kingdom. He resisted fighting and dropped his arms. Krishna motivated him by his speech later named “Bhagwat Gita” which is still read and followed. Arjun recovered and decided to fight.

As a manager one needs to demonstrate “being a strategist to achieve targets” in Mahabharata, count and experience of warriors in favour of Kauravas, he chose to build effective strategies and implement them in the battle, which Pandavas won. Most importantly leaders’ mettle can be tested when they perform with limited resources.? Knowing his excellent Leadership Qualities, Arjuna requested Krishna not only to lead the entire mission but to personally lead him by accepting to be his “Saarthi” (Charioteer), guide him and lead him to success. We have numerous examples of Krishna demonstrating his management skills in the battle of Mahabharata, be it around role clarity, tactful communication, being grounded and above all staying focussed on your goal. ?

Krishna as a “Protector of Woman”, we have all heard about the tale of how he saved Draupadi when she was subjected to a traumatic situation, another instance when a demon had kidnapped 16,100 women and kept them captive in his kingdom. Krishna fought with the demon and rescued all the women; these women were scared to go back to their villages, as they feared nobody would accept them, they asked Krishna to marry them, and he married them all.

I would end this piece by mentioning, that he is a multidimensional personality, his life’s journey, and the challenges he faced with humility and demonstrating resilience are relevant in today’s era to be a better human being, artist, professional, defender of human rights, warrior and so on.