Is Trump's victory 'Karmic justice'? Not in the Indian version!

We just witnessed a spectacular victory for former US President Donald Trump, who just got re-elected to the White House after a huge margin vs Kamala Harris – 312:226. During his victory speech, a three-word proclamation by UFC CEO Dana White (an avid Trump supporter) made quite a few headlines.

“This is karma, ladies and gentlemen.”

When you look at popular media, people in the US seem to use the word karma quite often. It isn’t that they necessarily understand its context in Eastern traditions, but they do generally imply it to symbolize ‘cause and effect’.?

Now whether or not Trump deserves a victory (as Dana White implies) will be very debatable, depending on who you are talking to in the US. It is a variation of “May the better man/woman/team win.”

It is obviously not the way that the Kamala Harris camp would view it! They may take heart from the following shloka in the Bhagavad Gita:

??? ?? ??????????? ??????? ?????? ?? ????????? ????? |

?????????????? ??????? ??????? ?????????: || Chapter 2, Verse 37 ||

If you fight, you will either be slain on the battlefield and go to the celestial abodes, or you will gain victory and enjoy the kingdom on earth. Therefore arise with determination, O son of Kunti, and be prepared to fight.

But this is followed immediately by the following verse:

?????:?? ??? ?????? ???????? ?????? |

??? ??????? ???????? ???? ????????????? || Chapter 2, Verse 38||

Having an equal mind in pain and pleasure, gain and loss, victory and defeat, engage in battle and thereby you will not incur sin.

It is a very crucial lesson for those who see a victory as a justification for their hard work, or even defeat as a cruel and unfair twist of fate. Lord Krishna asks Arjun to have equanimity instead – a balanced mind that does not get affected by joy and sorrow, victory and defeat or gain and loss. ?

When you are driven by any kind of ego, desire or personal gain, you will forever be bound by karma and samsara. Sin in this case implies attachment to the outcome, which will keep you trapped in the cycle of birth and rebirth, reinforcing desires, ego, and a sense of personal ownership over actions and outcomes.

If you are not the doer, then who is? This indication comes a bit later in Chapter 3.

???????: ??????????? ????: ??????? ?????: |

????????????????? ?????????? ?????? || Chapter 3, verse 27||

All activities are carried out by the three modes of material nature. But in ignorance, the soul, deluded by false identification with the body, thinks of itself as the doer.

Your activities, according to the Bhagavad Gita, are an interplay of cosmic forces, natural laws and the soul’s karmic journey. This means that while you are a pure soul, attachment to prakriti (the material nature and the three gunas), you make the mistake of attaching yourself to the body, mind and its actions.

You develop desires and also fears, for which you engage in action or karma. Based on this karma, you will face consequences that need to be experienced. Therefore the cycle of samsara continues.

What should leadership be like?

Be it Trump or any other leader, victory should not be a tool for ego fulfilment or a source of vanity. Karma is much larger than results happening in your favour, because that will not happen always. When White refers to Karma, it is like 'ultimately you will win'. Life is instead a continuous cycle of victory and defeat and ultimately, we are all dust!

Being the President of the world’s most powerful economy for the second time, should be viewed with gratitude and as an opportunity for service. If leaders would view their every decision and action as a service to God as Lord Krishna advises (rather than a validation or otherwise of their actions), they would be more selfless and work for the common good. But then it is also true that leaders are only a product of the larger society and what it believes and expects at that point in time.

Even for Harris, the defeat may be a big shock initially. But once that wears out, it is time for her to calmly contemplate her next calling in life and pursue it with the same sense of purpose and determination. Failure cannot diminish you ever, that is something people do to themselves. And unfortunately, quite a lot of them get pretty good at it.

One may wonder how you can still be worldly without every wanting anything, as the Bhagavad Gita seems to suggest.

The real engagement should always be in your duty and sincere efforts, not on your outcomes. When you find intrinsic enjoyment, interest and passion in the work that you do, you will ultimately show higher sense of satisfaction, greater levels of creativity and unwavering persistence. Success or failure are then incidental, the work itself will become your greatest reward.

You will experience what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi defined as the flow state - state of “optimal experience” where people report deep engagement, joy, and satisfaction in activities for their own sake. You are the warrior, and you have chosen your battlefield. Fight that battle then with complete focus, and you have transcended the dualities of victory and defeat. In Lord Krishna’s words, you will have then attached yourself to your soul or highest self.

What do you do when someone says, "I have read the Bhagavad Gita but despite my efforts, things didn't work out"? Ask him or her to read it again!

This is also true for companies who believe that just big incentives and rewards are the way to retain top talent. Salaries and incentives matter, but you need to give people opportunities for learning, engagement, growth and self-development. Be genuinely sensitive to their needs and aspirations, and foster an environment that nurtures their intrinsic motivation. When employees feel that their work aligns with their personal values and offers a sense of purpose, they are more likely to be engaged, committed, and loyal.

Offering opportunities for meaningful work, recognition of effort, autonomy, and the chance to contribute to a larger mission can significantly enhance their intrinsic motivation, leading to higher performance and job satisfaction. Ultimately, when companies invest in their employees' growth and well-being beyond just financial rewards, they create a culture that attracts and retains top talent.

Article authored with inputs from ChatGPT