Free Business Sutra: A Very Indian Approach to Management by Devdutt Pattanaik

fear—our fear and the fears of others, how it shapes our mind, hence our feelings, which impacts how we engage with the world and what kind of relationships we end up having. Meditation, contemplation and introspection are all about becoming more aware of our gaze.
     
Everyone sees objective reality, all that is tangible and measurable, or saguna. This is drishti, or sight.
Everyone can 'see' subjective reality, thoughts and feelings, the fears underlying actions that are neither tangible nor measurable, or nirguna. This is divya-drishti, or insight.
Everyone can also let the subjective truth reveal the subject: the varna of the one who is observed as well as the varna of one who is observing. This is darshan.
    Those who did darshan first were known as the rishis, or the sages of India, often identified as 'seers', those who saw what others would not see.

    Darshan is also a Sanskrit word which means philosophy or worldview. It is also a common religious practice among Hindus: devotees are encouraged to look at the image of the deity, which looks back at the devotee with large, unblinking eyes. Placed atop the temple doorway is a head with protruding eyes watching the act of observation.

    The rishis realized that humans are not only capable of seeing varna, but can also rise up the varna ladder by outgrowing fear. However, this can only happen when we help others outgrow their fear. That is why they designed the yagna, as a tool that compels us to pay attention to others.
    Using the yagna, the yajaman can become less dependent and more dependable, and hence be a refuge for the frightened, those who seek Lakshmi as a child seeks a comforter.
    The more dependable a yajaman is, the more able he is to attract the devatas, as bees to nectar. The devatas in turn will churn out Lakshmi for him from the ocean of milk that is the marketplace. Thus will Lakshmi walk his way.
    Economic growth does not lead to intellectual and emotional growth; if anything it can amplify fear. The rishis saw economic growth without personal growth as a recipe for disaster for then Lakshmi would come along with her sister, Alakshmi, goddess of conflict, and create enough quarrels to ensure Lakshmi could slip away from the grasp of the yajaman who was unworthy of her.

    They were convinced that economic growth has to be an outcome of intellectual and emotional growth. For the workplace to be a happy playground (ranga-bhoomi) rather than a fierce battleground (rana-boomi), Lakshmi had to be an indicator and darshan, the lever.
    As is darshan, so is guna; as is guna so is varna; as is varna, so is bhaav; as is bhaav, so is svaha; as is svaha, so is tathastu. In other words, as is belief, so is behaviour, so is business. This is Business Sutra, a very Indian approach to management.

     
We shall begin by exploring how imagination transforms every human into Brahma, the creator of the yagna.
In the following three chapters, we shall explore drishti, divya-drishti and darshan, which determine the quality of the yagna.
In the final chapter, we shall explore the impact of the yagna on the yajaman.

Kama's Vision Statement

    Drishti, observing objective reality

    Divya-drishti, observing subjective reality

    Darshan, observing the subject

    Yama's Balance Sheet



 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Human hunger is unique
    t all starts with hunger. Hunger distinguishes the living from the non-living. Jain scriptures identify beings that do not feed as nirjiva and those that feed as sajiva. It is hunger that makes plants grow, and animals seek pastures and prey. But human hunger is unique:

     
Humans can visualize future hunger—tomorrow's hunger, next year's drought, and even next decade's recession, which fuels great anxiety.
Humans can visualize food coming towards them despite the fact that every plant and every animal around them seeks out food.
Humans can visualize consuming without getting consumed, even though every living organism in nature consumes