कर्मणयेवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि।
Geeta’s most pronounced shloka says “You have the right on the effort but not on the result. You don’t have to worry about the result and you cannot refrain from your efforts”.
This appears very tough to follow. How can someone make efforts without aiming or thinking of results? All great things start with dreaming, envisioning, target setting and then targeting. How can this happen without constantly thinking (not day dreaming the positive result either) about the aim for regularly strategizing and direction scrutiny? For example reaching Mars can be the aim but how can it be possible without constantly monitoring its path and step-jumping the gravitational orbits of Earth and Mars.
The answer perhaps lies in the difference between “thinking & worrying”. Worrying goes beyond thinking of the aim. It is thinking about the situation of not getting the results. It definitely distracts your attention on the target. And let us see what happens if we miss out the result.
- We will have to try again.
- We will have to try with more precision.
- We will have to try with more vigor.
- We may have to discard the target and try some alternative target.
- In any case getting into the chain of “Ever extending targets”
That is life. A continuous struggle! Life is larger than any result.
In a recent NDTV telecast of “25 Living Legends of India” Amitabh Bachchan quoted his father’s teaching to him. Shri Harivansh Rai Bachchan told him “If things work out to your wishes, it is good; if they don’t, it is still very good.” Again very tough to understand! How it is “still very good”, let us evaluate;
- We will have to try again, with more precision and vigor.
- If it does not happen again, we may have to discard the target and try some alternative target which may prove to be more fruitful.
- In any case getting into the chain of “Ever extending targets.
After commissioning the first unit of Lower Sileru Hydro Project (4x115 MW) on 23-March-1976, a team of chief engineers went to Dr. N. Tata Rao, the then Chairman of APSEB, thinking that they will all rejoice with him and perhaps will get his congratulations first hand. Contrary to their expectations, Dr. Tata Rao commented “That is O.K. What is happening on the No.2 Unit?” That is the philosophy of “Ever extending targets”.
Since life is not death, it is a continuous journey of “Ever extending targets”, it could be a new target, a repeat target with more vigor, a modified target or an alternative target; what keeps you going is a target!
A new year is unfolding like a blossom with petals curled tightly, concealing the beauty & fragrance within………Happy New Year 2014
Source: Monthly letters from Dr. BSK Naidu to his present & past MBA students.
Note: I came in touch with the public figure, Dr BSK Naidu while pursuing management courses in Great Lakes Institute of Management, Delhi NCR campus in 2012-13 when Dr Naidu was the Chairman of the institute. His discourses and writings are full of examples from his past experiences which connect the audience well and arrest their attention. For the benefit of all, I will publish some of his indispensable writings. Dr BSK Naidu was kind to give permission.
