Indian Ethos for Managing Karma, Niti and Dharma Events with Contemporaneous Thoughts towards Innovating Bharat
Ethos, collectively defined as people’s characteristic spirit and beliefs (Barman, 2008), distinguishes one culture from another. Indian ethos is drawn from Vedic literature, considered a timeless and unequaled heritage of humankind. Several saints have treasured and disseminated their knowledge and wisdom through ancient Vedic literature encompassing Ramayana, Mahabharata, Upanishads, and Puranas. At the crest of Vedic literature, Mahabharata bears the annotation, “What is not found here will not be found anywhere else.” The essence of all these scriptures is in Bhagavad Gita, a part of Mahabharata and an apostle of life skills towards self-actualization and self realization. Further, the Bhagavad Gita greatly assists in unfolding and classifying the purpose of human acts and activities related to different objects and situations and their related needs
Management is perceived as the art of getting work done by the people (Koontz, H. and O’Donnell, C., 1955) through formally organized groups that facilitate work performance most professionally. Further, elaborating on the management process, Stoner, James., et. al. (2006) opined that it is a governance process of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling the work of organization members. However, Management Guru (Fayol, 1949) says that appropriate role allocation for the individual and the team makes the mission successful by getting the desired results. Stoner, James., et al. (ibid) clarified that management is a specialty in dealing with human beings and human relationships dealing with time matters as they arise to reach organizational goals by using all available resources.
The etymology of the word event shows that it has roots in Latin and carries the original meaning outcome. However, modern thinkers defined an event (Newman, 1950) as a sociological process borne out of human life with actions and activities of persons
who are behaviorally highly unpredictable. While advancing Newman’s idea, Kotler, et. al., (2003) added that people’s specific actions and activities are always related to a specific place and time, giving rise to an outcome. The statement indicates that an event is invariably inseparable from the place where it happens, anchoring all related activities leading to an event to that place.
Karma (Work) is an activity directed toward making or doing something. An activity is a situation where something is happening or many things are being done. It is well known that no living being in the universe can survive without constantly engaging in any activity, even for a fraction of a second. Road burg (1983) observes that individuals are motivated when they are paid for the work they do and at the same time would also be willing to put up with the stress and strain, whereas persons who do work of their own free will, without any payment enjoy the work and have the freedom to relax. Brook (1993), while classifying work and non-work, found that they have similar characteristics, such as creativity, challenge, mental activity, and self-development. However, non-work possesses freedom of choice, which is socially oriented and discretionary.
Niti pertains to principles, standards, and rules that govern appropriate behavior in various contexts and situations, often extending beyond an individual’s personal beliefs. Therefore, Ethics is a broader and more systematic study of what is morally right and wrong. Morals are social rules and guidelines that prescribe appropriate norms to behave in a particular situation. (Larry, 1999), Norms refer to matters of right and wrong, especially in the context of personal values and principles, which are highly subjective. It is observed that values and norms are not static; they may change as the political and economic orientation shifts or as education levels improve. The universality of ethical principles within Dharma transcends cultural boundaries.
Dharma provides a comprehensive framework for ethical living in the Indian Ethos of Work philosophy. While it has ancient roots, its ethical principles remain relevant and have implications for contemporary discussions on morality, ethics, and the pursuit of a righteous life. While Dharma originated in a specific cultural and religious context, its ethical principles have relevance in contemporary discussions on virtue ethics and deontology. Deontology concerns universal truths and principles (Teja, 2011), which should be adhered to regardless of the circumstances. A teleological view can be understood as ‘consequentialism’ (Kaynama, King, and Smith, 1996), following from the philosophical work of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill on utilitarianism.
Innovating Bharat as an ideal society is primarily symbolic and aspirational within the cultural and religious traditions that comprise virtuous individuals and multiple individuals who rely on the principles of Dharma to constitute the ideal society. When applied effectively, Dharma can create an ideal society by providing a moral, ethical, and Dharmic framework.
Conceptual Analysis of Karma (Work) Per the ancient Indian scriptures, every human has two bodies on the material plane—the gross body and the subtle body, where the former is visible and the latter invisible. These declarations are realized by Vedas, who testified that the gross body has five action organs, and the subtle body has five sense organs. They are related through the cosmic energy Prana, the motive power from within, by which the individual survives.
The Subtle body comprises five sensory organs,
five organs of action, and five vital gases.
Vedanta Paribhasha, 318