Management Lessons from Mythology

In Indian Mythology, there is a story about a King who resides in the sky as the Pole Star. The name of the King is Dhruva and the star is called Dhruva Nakshathram, after him. His story has been mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana, the Vishnu Purana, and the Narayaneeyam. The following is a summary of his life.

Swayambu's son King Uttanapada had two queens – Suniti and Suruchi. They each bore him a son – Dhruva and Uttama. King Uttanapada was partial to his second queen, Suruchi and thus, she held sway over him. One day, Dhruva saw his stepbrother sitting on his father's lap. The five-year-old rushed to his father and asked to sit on his lap. But his stepmother denied him this simple joy and insulted him, while his father looked on impassively. Dhruva rushed back to his mother with tears in his eyes. Suniti expressed her helplessness and told him that only Bhagawan Narayana could help him. A determined Dhruva set out to seek out the Bhagawan and promised not to return till he is successful.

Meanwhile, Sage Narada came to know of the entire incident and admired the young child's resolve. He believed that Dhruva displayed the qualities of a true Kshatriya. Before helping him with an almost impossible task, the sage wanted to test Dhruva. Upon meeting the young Prince, Sage Narada tried to dissuade him from his task and stated multiple reasons for the same. But Dhruva was only focused on his goal and did not allow the sage's words to deter him from his path. Impressed with his resolve, Sage Narada told him that if he meditates in the Madhuvana forest on the banks of the River Yamuna, he would be able to find Bhagawan Narayana. He also taught him the Dvaadashakshara Mantra, "ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय" and asked him to repeat it over and over again. Dhruva thanked the sage and headed towards the Maduvana forest.

Once he reached the banks of the River Yamuna, Dhruva started his penance. In the first month, he lived only on the fruits he could find in the forest. In the second month, he survived only on grass and leaves. In the third month, he stopped eating and lived only on water. In the fourth month, he thrived only on air. In the following months, he even stopped breathing! His only thoughts were of Bhagawan Narayana. His immense concentration caused the very air from flowing. All hell broke loose on Heaven and Earth. The Devas appealed to Bhagawan Narayana to go meet Dhruva and grant him the boons he sought. Bhagawan Vishnu, who had been pleased with the penance of the child, agreed to relieve them from their suffering.

As per His word, the Bhagawan descended to Earth and approached his young devotee. As Dhruva opened his eyes, he could not believe the sight in front of him. He was looking at Bhagawan Narayana in His full glory. Stunned by His resplendence, Dhruva could not utter a word. The Bhagawan then touched Dhruva's right cheek with his conch, Panchajanya, causing Dhruva to recite the Dhruva Sthuthi.

Bhagawan Narayana answered Dhruva's query as to why he was not allowed to sit on his father's lap by making him sit on His own lap. The Bhagawan taught him the ways of the world and made him a scholar. Bhagawan Narayana also granted him his wish of becoming a greater King than his father and his father before him. He also said that Dhruva would rule for 36,000 years and that he would have a place in the sky, shining forever as the Dhruva Nakshathram.

What management lessons can be learnt from this story? Various business concepts such as business environment and its importance, the need for staffing and HR, etc., can be learnt from this story.

The business environment is dynamic, uncertain, and complex. Thus, a manager needs to be aware of even the subtle changes that take place around him. Dhruva is described to be a highly sensitive child. Similarly, a manager or any officer in a related post should be sensitive to the constant changes taking place. Let us suppose that Dhruva and Uttama are two managers of competing firms with the same target of X. Now, supposing that they both employ the same strategies but only Uttama can reach the goal and Dhruva is unable to do the same, it means that there is something different that Uttama has done. Dhruva should be able to identify what his firm lacks in comparison to his competitor and aim to rectify it. There are many other advantages to being aware of your business environment. It enables the firm to identify opportunities and getting the first mover advantage. It helps the firm to identify threats and early warning signals. It helps in tapping useful resources. It helps in coping with rapid changes. It assists in planning and policy formulation. It also helps in improving performance. There are six different types of business environments (political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental) and it helps the firm to be aware of all of them.

The foundation of any organisation is the talented and hardworking people, who are the principal assets of any firm. Without the right people, a firm cannot survive, let alone grow. Just like Sage Narada and Bhagawan Narayana were the right people to guide Dhruva in his journey of life, a firm also needs sound technicians and experts in every field. People like Queen Suruchi who restricted Dhruva's access to his father, need to be fired from the firm. The importance of human resources was only realised in the last few decades. This lead to the development of HR Departments in corporate firms and students can even specialise in a subject called human resources. Thus, this implies that the staffing process must be done with the utmost care and the money spent on it should be considered to be a worthy investment. Just like Sage Narada tested the determination of Dhruva, firms also need to make sure that applicants are fit for their jobs. The modern staffing process is quite lengthy and consists of various steps like estimating manpower requirements, recruitment, selection, placement and orientation, training and development, etc. Giving your superiors and subordinates the respect they deserve is also important for good job performance. Just as Bhagawan Narayana granted Dhruva the boons because he was pleased with the boy's devotion, managers also need to motivate their employees from time to time.

Not only the Itihasas and Puranas but various other Sanskrit texts not only provide profound wisdom and moral values but they also serve as a technical know-how to the insightful. Though the Arthashasthra is the most well-known text falling into this category, to the curious mind, there is nothing but an entire ocean of knowledge awaiting them.