Learnings from Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta

A couple of weeks back my ex-colleague asked me to share some takeaways of what I had learnt from Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta! Initially, I thought of summarizing a few concepts and takeaways, but then it was becoming too much for a single post. So, I ended up veering towards applications of the learnings that could help illustrate the learnings one at a time.

Let me take one concept here, of the three Gunas viz Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas, and illustrate the application of same to our personal lives and from work perspective to startups.

Sattva alludes to something which is hard/difficult/strenuous to do today, but beneficial in the long run e.g. getting up from blissful sleep, pulling yourself out of the bed, and going for a jog/walk/exercise every morning would a simple concept that implies it to a Sattvic activity. Seemingly difficult now, but with benefits in the long term.

 Rajas (or Rajasic) means something that gives us momentarily pleasure while we are indulging in it, but would have ill effects in the long run e.g. having fast food that tastes yummy when gorging it, however, leads to health issues eventually. The long term ill-effects of such actions is nearly always a given loss.

Tamas (or Tamsic) activity is something that neither beneficial now, nor in the long run. The simplest example could be wiling away time in front of the idiot box, binge-watching one series after another. Precious time, lost forever!

How would these Gunas apply to say, start-ups?

Sattva implicitly talks about self-discipline, so any startup that does not follow a disciplined approach is unlikely to last long, whether it be operational discipline, fiscal discipline, or execution discipline.

Similarly, Rajas would translate into something like being frugal now and remaining focused on the end game. So, as a startup when you are lucky to get investor funds, you don’t blow it on mindless ads and parties and one-upmanship to prove that you’ve arrived, but spend it prudently in the creation of real value, for your customers, your organization, and your investors.

Tamas is something that, for me, would be an entrepreneur who gives him(her)self a pompous title without having anything to show for it. And I see them aplenty here, there and everywhere ;) Just by adding a CxO or a Co-founder, or similar sounding title without having anything to show would be detrimental to their growth now, and in the long term as well.

If you've reached till here, do share your thoughts/suggestions/feedback. I am always eager to learn, but would also be glad to delve into other concepts or answer questions if any!