Bangalore: Mahabharata, the great epic of the Bharata dynasty, is not just a saga of war teems or a material of philosophical and devotional values. It is a tale that inspires awe and wonder, and is a true amalgamation of do’s and don’ts that can be related to every aspects of our day-to-day life.

Take a look at the six workplace lessons than can be drawn from this epic tale ascribed to the sage Vyasa, as listed on the Economic Times, based on the inputs of Devdutt Pattanaik, Chief Belief Officer, Future Group.

1. Don’t Be A Bhishma At Work:

Bhishma (Devavrata), the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu and Goddess Ganga, is depicted as a noble figure in the popular versions of Mahabharata. Yet most people wonder why he met a sorry end in the hands of Arjuna, pinned to the ground, suspended between the heaven and earth and unable to move his limbs.

As per the Hindu mythology and old Vedic ashram system, a man is supposed to enter vanaprasth ashram, i.e. retire, once his son has a son of his own, and enter sanyas ashram, i.e. renounce the world entirely, when his grandson has a son of his own. This is fundamentally a talent management policy that is meant to make certain that the old makes a way for the new.   

Bhishma essentially went against the system. He took advantage of the boon ‘Swiccha Mrityu’ (control over his own death) and refused to die even after his grand-nephews became old enough to take control and rule the kingdom. Basically he refuses to let go, thus lord Krishna pinned him to the ground and got him out of the way, so that life can move on and natural order is restored.

So don’t be a Bishma at work. Yes, we are identified by the work we do and it is not easy to let go of our identity. But ultimately, you must learn to respect the natural order, let it go and allow the new breed to take control, when the time is right.  

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