How does Shrimad Bhagavad Gita apply to different aspects of your work?
Aspects
- Ambition
- Boss and Work
- Competence
- Decision
- Expectations
- Teams
Here we will focus on Ambition
Ambition:
Those who wish to excel in their work need to give up all distractions of the senses
Distraction
“यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन |
कर्मेन्द्रियै: कर्मयोगमसक्त: स विशिष्यते ||”
Chapter 3, Sholoka 7
“yas tvindriyani manasa niyamyarabhate ’rjuna
karmendriyaih karma-yogam asaktah sa vishishyate”
“But those karm yogis who control their knowledge senses with the mind, O Arjun, and engage the working senses in working without attachment, are certainly superior. “
When to think about this?
- When you are tempted by shortcuts
- When temporary pleasures make you procrastinate
- Deciding between long term and short term plans
- When you feel deviated from the path of your goal
Righteous Path to Ambition is always hard
Right Path
“क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् ||
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दु:खं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥5॥”
Chapter 12, Shloka 5
“kleśho ’dhikataras teṣhām avyaktāsakta-chetasām
avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ dehavadbhir avāpyate”
“For them who have their minds attached to the Unmanifested the struggle is greater; for, the Goal which is the Unmanifest is attained with difficulty by the embodied ones.”
When to think about this?
- Feeling demotivated
- When people are making fun of your goal and ways
- When an unethical shortcut tempts you
- Feeling like giving up
- You don’t get desired results
Action is created by passion
Passion, Action, and work
“रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् |
तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम् ||”
Chapter 14, Shloka 7
“rajo rāgātmakaṁ viddhi tṛiṣhṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam
tan nibadhnāti kaunteya karma-saṅgena dehinam”
When to think about this?
- You need to force someone to follow you
- When actions do not produce desired results
- Not being able to see another point of view
- When frustrated by the laziness of others
Ignorance leads to Lethargy
Ignorance leads to Lethargy
“तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् |
प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत ||”
Chapter 14, Shloka 18
“tamas tv ajñāna-jaṁ viddhi mohanaṁ sarva-dehinām
pramādālasya-nidrābhis tan nibadhnāti bhārata”
“O Arjun, tamo guṇa, which is born of ignorance, is the cause of illusion for the embodied souls. It deludes all living beings through negligence, laziness, and sleep. “
When to think about this?
- Procrastinating work
- Not able to find reasons for errors
- Everything appears wrong
- When the quality of work suffers
Do not get blinded by the ambition
Blinded by Ambition
“आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा |
कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ||”
Chapter 3, Shloka 39
“āvṛitaṁ jñānam etena jñānino nitya-vairiṇā
kāma-rūpeṇa kaunteya duṣhpūreṇānalena cha”
“The knowledge of even the most discerning gets covered by this perpetual enemy in the form of insatiable desire, which is never satisfied and burns like fire, O son of Kunti. “
When to think about this?
- When you turn selfish to get your desired goal
- All decisions are based on your ambition only
- Others feel that you are not welcoming of them
- When you grow unfair to others
Read More: Why Kurukshetra was chosen for the Mahabharata war?
