Management lesson from ramayana

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Lessons of ethical and
management from
ramayana.
Soni Himani Dilipbhai (178200592042)
Business Ethics and Corporate Governance.

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GTU`s Enrollment No.: 178200592042
A PROJECT REPORT ON:
Lessons of ethical and management from Ramayana.
Institute code: 820
SHAYONA INSTITUE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Award of the Degree Of
MASTERS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA)
Under The Guidance OF
Prof. Rakesh Saravaiya
Offered by
Gujarat Technological University
Ahmedabad
Submitted By:
SONI HIMANI DILIPBHAI (Roll No: 2042)
MBA Programmed 2017- 2019 (Semester III)

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Index
NO. Title Page No.
1. Introduction 3-14
1.1. What is ethics? 3
1.2. Ethics branches. 3
1.3. What is Business Ethics? 5
1.4. Features of Business Ethics 7
1.5. Need or Importance of Business Ethics 9
1.6. Rules or Principles of Business Ethics 12
2 Introduction Of Ramayana 15-17
3 Ethics from the Ramayana 18
Corporate Ethics From Ramayana 22
Leadership Lessons from Valmiki Ramayana 34
Lesson from Ravan 35
Lesson From Rama 37
Lesson From Hanuman 39
Values taught In ramayana 41

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Chapter: 1
Introduction
1.1. What is Ethics?
Ethics, also called moral philosophy, the discipline concerned with what is morally
good and bad, right and wrong. The term is also applied to any system or theory of
moral values or principles.
Ethics deals with the study and justification of moral beliefs. It is a branch of philosophy
which examines what is right and what is wrong. Ethics and More are regarded as
identical concepts, but actually they are not. The term ethics is derived from the Greek
word ήθος (ethos) meaning moral character. The term morality comes from the Latin
word mos meaning custom or manner. Morals, from which the term morality is derived,
are social rules or inhibitions from the society. In present times this is, in a way, reverted,
i.e., ethics is the science, and morals refer to one’s conduct or character. Character is an
inner-driven view of what constitutes morality, whereas conduct is an outer-driven view.
Philosophers regard ethics as moral philosophy and morals as societal beliefs. Thus it
might happen that some society’s morals are not ethical, because they represent merely
the belief of the majority.
However, there are philosophers who argue that ethics has a relativistic nature, in the
sense that what is right is determined by what the majority believe.
For example, in ancient Greece Aristotle’s view of ethics was that “ethical rules should
always be seen in the light of traditions and the accepted opinions of the community”.
Some psychologists such as Lawrence Kohlberg argue that moral behavior is derived by
moral reasoning which is based on the principles and methods that one uses in his/her
judgment. Other psychologists regard the ethical behavior as the humanistic psychology
movement. For example, to determine what is right and wrong, one may start from “self-
actualization” which is one’s highest need and fulfils his/her potential. Still other
psychologists have developed the evolutionary psychology which is based on the
assumption that the ethical behavior can sometimes be seen as an evolutionary process.
For example, altruism towards members of one’s own family promotes his/her inclusive
fitness.
1.2. Ethics Branches
In analytic philosophy, ethics is distinguished in the following levels:
1. Meta ethics
2. Normative ethics
3. Applied ethics

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1. Meta Ethics
Meta ethics is one of the fundamental branches of philosophy which examines the
nature of morality in general, and what justifies moral judgments. Three questions
investigated by meta ethics are:
 Are ethical demands true-apt (i.e., capable of being true or not true) or are
they, for example, emotional claims?
 If they are true-apt, are they ever true, and if so what is the nature of the facts
they represent?
 If there are moral truths what makes them true, and they are absolutely true or
always relative to some individual or society or culture?
If there are more truths, one way to find what makes them true are to use a value
system and here the question is if there is a value that can be discovered. The ancient
Greek philosophers, e.g., Socrates and Plato would reply yes (they both believed that
goodness exists absolutely), although they did not have the same view about what is
good. The view that there are no ethical truths is known as “moral anti-realism”. The
modern empiricist Humes has the position that moral expressions are expressions of
emotion or sentiment feeling. Actually, the value system of a society is created by
great individuals (writers, poets, artists, leaders, etc.) or derived from some list of
moral absolutes, e.g. religious moral code, whether explicit or not.
2. Normative Ethics
Normative ethics studies the issue of how we ought to live and act. A normative
ethics theory of the good life investigates the requirements for a human to live well. A
normative theory of right action attempts to find what it is for an action to be morally
acceptable.
In other words normative ethics attempts to provide a system of principles, rules
and procedures for determining what (morally speaking) a person should do and
should not do. Normative ethics is distinguished from meta-ethics because it
investigates standards for the rightness and wrongness of actions, whereas meta-
ethics examines the meaning of moral language and the metaphysics of moral facts.
Normative ethics is also different from “descriptive ethics” which is an empirical
investigation of people’s moral beliefs.
Norms are sentences (rules) that aim to affect an action, rather than conceptual
abstractions which describe, explain, and express. Normative sentences include
commands, permissions and prohibitions, while common abstract concepts include
sincerity, justification, and honesty. Normative rules interpret “ought-to” kind of

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statements and assertions, as contrasted from sentences that give “is” type statements
and assertions. A typical way to “normative ethics” is to describe “norms” as reasons
to believe, and to feel.
Finally, a theory of social justice is an attempt to find how a society must be
structured, and how the social goods of freedom and power should be distributed in a
society.
3. Applied Ethics
Applied ethics is the branch of ethics which investigates the application of ethical
theories in actual life. To this end, applied ethics attempts to illuminate the possibility
of disagreement about the way theories and principles should be applied.
Specific areas of applied ethics are:
 Medical ethics
 Bioethics
 Public sector ethics
 Welfare ethics
 Business ethics
 Decision making ethics
 Legal ethics (justice)
 Media ethics
 Environmental ethics
 Manufacturing ethics
 Computer ethics
 Robot ethics
 Automation ethics
Strict deontological principles of ‘Ten Commandments’ type provides solutions to
particular cases that are not globally acceptable. For example, in medical ethics a strict
deontological approach would never allow the deception of a patient about his/her
illness, whereas a utilitarian approach might permit lying to a patient if the outcome of
the deception is good.
1.3. What is Business Ethics?
Business ethics is the study of proper business policies and practices regarding potentially
controversial issues such as corporate governance, insider trading, bribery,
discrimination, corporate social responsibility and fiduciary responsibilities. Law often
guides business ethics, while other times business ethics provide a basic framework that
businesses may follow to gain public acceptance.
Business ethics (also known as corporate ethics) is a form of applied ethics or
professional ethics, that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that

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can arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is
relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations. These ethics originate
from individuals, organizational statements or from the legal system. These norms,
values, ethical, and unethical practices are the principles that guide a business. They help
those businesses maintain a better connection with their stakeholders.
Business ethics refers to contemporary organizational standards, principles, sets of values
and norms that govern the actions and behavior of an individual in the business
organization. Business ethics have two dimensions, normative business ethics or
descriptive business ethics. As a corporate practice and a career specialization, the field is
primarily normative. Academics attempting to understand business behavior employ
descriptive methods. The range and quantity of business ethical issues reflects the
interaction of profit-maximizing behavior with non-economic concerns.
Interest in business ethics accelerated dramatically during the 1980s and 1990s, both
within major corporations and within academia. For example, most major corporations
today promote their commitment to non-economic values under headings such as ethics
codes and social responsibility charters.
Adam Smith said, "People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment
and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some
contrivance to raise prices."
Governments use laws and regulations to point business behavior in what they perceive
to be beneficial directions. Ethics implicitly regulates areas and details of behavior that
lie beyond governmental control. The emergence of large corporations with limited
relationships and sensitivity to the communities in which they operate accelerated the
development of formal ethics regimes.
 According to Andrew Crane, "Business ethics is the study of business
situations, activities, and decisions where issues of right and wrong are
addressed."
 According to Raymond C. Baumhart, "The ethics of business is the ethics of
responsibility. The business man must promise that he will not harm
knowingly."

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1.4. Features of Business Ethics:
1. Code of conduct: Business ethics is a code of conduct. It tells what to do and what
not to do for the welfare of the society. All businessmen must follow this code of
conduct.
2. Based on moral and social values: Business ethics is based on moral and social
values. It contains moral and social principles (rules) for doing business. This
includes self-control, consumer protection and welfare, service to society, fair
treatment to social groups, not to exploit others, etc.
3. Gives protection to social groups: Business ethics give protection to different social
groups such as consumers, employees, small businessmen, government, shareholders,
creditors, etc.
4. Provides basic framework: Business ethics provide a basic framework for doing
business. It gives the social cultural, economic, legal and other limits of business.
Business must be conducted within these limits.
5. Voluntary: Business ethics must be voluntary. The businessmen must accept
business ethics on their own. Business ethics must be like self-discipline. It must not
be enforced by law.
1 • Code of conduct
2 • Based on moral and social values
3 • Gives protection to social groups
4 • Provides basic framework
5 • Voluntary
6 • Requires education and guidance
7 • Relative Term
8 • New concept

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6. Requires education and guidance: Businessmen must be given proper education
and guidance before introducing business ethics. The businessmen must be motivated
to use business ethics. They must be informed about the advantages of using business
ethics. Trade Associations and Chambers of Commerce must also play an active role
in this matter.
7. Relative Term: Business ethics is a relative term. That is, it changes from one
business to another. It also changes from one country to another. What is considered
as good in one country may be taboo in another country.
8. New concept: Business ethics is a newer concept. It is strictly followed only in
developed countries. It is not followed properly in poor and developing countries.

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1.5. Need or Importance of Business Ethics:
Stop business malpractices
Improve customers' confidence
Survival of business
Safeguarding consumers' rights
Protecting employees and shareholders
Develops good relations
Creates good image
Smooth functioning
Consumer movement
Consumer satisfaction
Importance of Labour
Healthy competition

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1. Stop business malpractices:
Some unscrupulous businessmen do business malpractices by indulging in unfair
trade practices like black-marketing, artificial high pricing, adulteration, cheating in
weights and measures, selling of duplicate and harmful products, hoarding, etc. These
business malpractices are harmful to the consumers. Business ethics help to stop these
business malpractices.
2. Improve customers' confidence:
Business ethics are needed to improve the customers' confidence about the quality,
quantity, price, etc. of the products. The customers have more trust and confidence in
the businessmen who follow ethical rules. They feel that such businessmen will not
cheat them.
3. Survival of business :
Business ethics are mandatory for the survival of business. The businessmen who do
not follow it will have short-term success, but they will fail in the long run. This is
because they can cheat a consumer only once. After that, the consumer will not buy
goods from that businessman. He will also tell others not to buy from that
businessman. So this will defame his image and provoke a negative publicity. This
will result in failure of the business. Therefore, if the businessmen do not follow
ethical rules, he will fail in the market. So, it is always better to follow appropriate
code of conduct to survive in the market.
4. Safeguarding consumers' rights:
The consumer has many rights such as right to health and safety, right to be informed,
right to choose, right to be heard, right to redress, etc. But many businessmen do not
respect and protect these rights. Business ethics are must to safeguard these rights of
the consumers.
5. Protecting employees and shareholders:
Business ethics are required to protect the interest of employees, shareholders,
competitors, dealers, suppliers, etc. It protects them from exploitation through unfair
trade practices.
6. Develops good relations:
Business ethics are important to develop good and friendly relations between business
and society. This will result in a regular supply of good quality goods and services at
low prices to the society. It will also result in profits for the businesses thereby
resulting in growth of economy.
7. Creates good image:
Business ethics create a good image for the business and businessmen. If the
businessmen follow all ethical rules, then they will be fully accepted and not
criticized by the society. The society will always support those businessmen who
follow this necessary code of conduct.

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8. Smooth functioning:
If the business follows all the business ethics, then the employees, shareholders,
consumers, dealers and suppliers will all be happy. So they will give full cooperation
to the business. This will result in smooth functioning of the business. So, the
business will grow, expand and diversify easily and quickly. It will have more sales
and more profits.
9. Consumer movement:
Business ethics are gaining importance because of the growth of the consumer
movement. Today, the consumers are aware of their rights. Now they are more
organized and hence cannot be cheated easily. They take actions against those
businessmen who indulge in bad business practices. They boycott poor quality,
harmful, high-priced and counterfeit (duplicate) goods. Therefore, the only way to
survive in business is to be honest and fair.
10. Consumer satisfaction:
Today, the consumer is the king of the market. Any business simply cannot survive
without the consumers. Therefore, the main aim or objective of business is consumer
satisfaction. If the consumer is not satisfied, then there will be no sales and thus no
profits too. Consumer will be satisfied only if the business follows all the business
ethics, and hence are highly needed.
11. Importance of Labour:
Labour, i.e. employees or workers play a very crucial role in the success of a
business. Therefore, business must use business ethics while dealing with the
employees. The business must give them proper wages and salaries and provide them
with better working conditions. There must be good relations between employer and
employees. The employees must also be given proper welfare facilities.
12. Healthy competition:
The business must use business ethics while dealing with the competitors. They must
have healthy competition with the competitors. They must not do cut-throat
competition. Similarly, they must give equal opportunities to small-scale business.
They must avoid monopoly. This is because a monopoly is harmful to the consumers.

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1.6. Rules or Principles of Business Ethics:
Rules or principles of business ethics are the code of conduct for businessmen. It tells us
how businessmen should do business for social good. These principles are related to
consumers, employees, investors, local community and the society as a whole.
The important rules or principles of business ethics are as follows:-
1. Avoid exploitation of consumers:
Don't cheat and exploit consumers by using bad business practices such as artificial
price rise and adulteration.
2. Avoid profiteering:
Don't indulge in unscrupulous activities like hoarding, black-marketing, sale and use
of banned or harmful goods, etc., for the sake of greed to earn exorbitant profits.
3. Encourage healthy competition:
Don't destroy a healthy competitive atmosphere in the market which offers certain
benefits to the consumers. Do not engage in a cut-throat competition. Avoid making
attempts to malign and spoil the image of competitors by unfair means.
4. Ensure accuracy:
Always check and verify the accuracy in weighing, packaging and quality while
supplying goods to the consumers.
5. Pay taxes regularly:
Pay taxes and other charges or duties to the government honestly and regularly.
Avoid bribing government officials and lobbying for special favors.
6. Get accounts audited:
Maintain accurate business records, accounts and make them available to all
authorized persons and authorities.
7. Fair treatment to employees:
Pay fair wages or salaries, provide facilities and incentives and give humane
treatment to employees.
8. Keep investors informed:
Supply reliable information to shareholders and investors about the financial position
and important decisions of the company.
9. Avoid injustice and discrimination:
Avoid injustice and partiality to employees in transfers and promotions. Avoid
discrimination among them based on gender, race, religion, language, nationality, etc.
10. No bribe and corruption:
Don't give expensive gifts, secret commissions, and kickbacks, payoffs to politicians,
bureaucrats, government officials and suppliers. Say no to bribe and avoid corruption.
11. Discourage secret agreement:
Do not make a secret agreement with other businessmen for controlling production,
distribution, pricing or for any other activity, which is harmful to the consumers.

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12. Keep service before profit:
Accept the principle of "service first and profit next." The customer or consumer is
the most important part of any business. All business activities are done for meeting
his needs and for increasing his satisfaction and welfare.
13. Practice fair business:
Make your business fair, humane, efficient and dynamic. Give the benefits of these
qualities to the consumers.
14. Avoid monopoly:
Avoid forming private monopolies and concentration of economic power.
Monopolies are bad for consumers.
15. Fulfil customers’ expectations:
Adjust your business activities as per the demands, needs and expectations of the
customers.
16. Respect consumers rights:
Give full respect and honour to the basic rights of the consumers.
17. Accept social responsibilities:
Honour responsibilities towards different social groups.
18. Satisfy consumer’s wants:
Find out and satisfy the wants of the consumers. Use the available resources to
produce good quality goods and services. Supply these goods and services regularly
to the consumers. Charge reasonable prices for the goods and services. Give proper
after-sales services. Do not produce goods and services, which are harmful to the
health and life of the consumers. Remember, the main objective of the business is to
satisfy the consumer’s wants.
19. Service motive:
Give more importance to service and consumer's satisfaction and less importance to
profit-maximization. Make profits by providing services to the consumers. Do not
make profits by exploiting the consumers.
20. Protect group interests :
Protect the interest of the group i.e. give employees better wages and good working
conditions, give shareholders better rate of dividend, give consumers good quality
goods and services at low prices, etc.
21. Optimum utilization of resources:
Ensure better and optimum utilization of natural and human resources and minimize
wastage of these resources. Use the resources to remove poverty and to increase the
standard of living of people.
22. Intentions of business:
Use pure, legal and sacred means to do business. Do not use illegal, unscrupulous and
evil means to do business.

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23. Follow Woodrow Wilson's rules:
According to the late American President Sir Thomas Woodrow Wilson, there are
four important principles of business ethics. These four rules are as follows:-
1) Rule of publicity:
According to this principle, the business must tell the people what it is going
to do. It must not create doubts, misunderstanding, suspicion, secrets, etc.
2) Rule of equivalent price:
According to this principle, the customer must be given proper value for their
money. So the business must not sell below standard, outdated and inferior
(poor) goods for high prices.
3) Rule of conscience in business:
If the business is conducted properly, then it is beneficial to the society.
Otherwise, it is harmful to the society. Therefore, the businessman must have
a conscience, i.e. a morale sense of judging what is right and what is wrong.
He must be very careful while taking business decisions because these
decisions affect the entire society.
4) Rule of spirit of service:
The business must give importance to the service motive. That is, priority
must be given to render service to human beings over profit.

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Chapter: 2
1. Introduction of Ramayana:
 Ramayana," or "The Journey of Rama," is one of the most compelling Indian epics
written by sage Valmiki, who is called the adi kavi, meaning the "first poet" in
Sanskrit. It is the story of Rama, who was the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu.
Ramayana consists of seven kandas, which refer to sections. They are:
1. Bala kanda - The boyhood of Rama.
2. Ayodhya kanda - The life in Ayodhya until Rama went on exile.
3. Aranya kanda - Life in the forest with wife, Sita, and brother Lakshman and
abduction of Sita by King Ravana.
4. Kishkindha kanda - The phase in the kingdom of Sugriva, a vanara, meaning
"monkey"
5. Sundara kanda - The journey of Rama to Srilanka.
6. Yuddha kanda - Also called Lanka kanda, it is about the battle with King Ravana,
rescue of Sita and return to Ayodhya.
7. Uttara kanda - Rama's life as king of Ayodhya, sons' births, testing the innocence
of Sita who returns to her mother who is considered the earth goddess, and the
demise of Rama.
Ramayana was such an inspiring epic that it was created in many other Indian
languages. One of the most famous works is "Kamba Ramayana" written by Tamil
poet, Kambar.
 Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, is the eldest son of King Dasharatha and his wife
Kaushalya. Although Rama is his father's choice to succeed him, the king's second wife,
Kaikei, wants her own son on the throne. She schemes to send Rama and his wife Sita
into exile, where they remain for 14 years.
While living in the forest, Sita is kidnapped by the demon king Ravana, the 10-headed
ruler of Lanka. Rama pursues her, aided by his brother Lakshmana and the mighty
monkey general Hanuman. They attack Ravana’s army and succeed in killing the demon
king, freeing Sita after a fierce battle and reuniting her with Rama.
Rama and Sita return to Ayodhya and are warmly welcomed back by the citizens of
the kingdom, where they rule for many years and have two sons. Eventually, Sita is
accused of being unfaithful, and she must undergo a trial by fire to prove her
chastity. She appeals to Mother Earth and is saved, but she vanishes into
immortality.

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 Dasharatha was the King of Ayodhya and had three wives and four sons. Rama was the
eldest and his mother was Kaushalya. Bharata was the son of Dasharatha’s second and
favorite wife, Queen Kaikeyi. The other two were twins, Lakshmana and Shatrughna
whose mother was Sumithra. In the neighboring city the ruler’s daughter was named Sita.
When it was time for Sita to choose her bridegroom (at a ceremony called a swayamvara)
princes from all over the land were asked to string a giant bow which no one could lift.
However, as Rama picked it up, he not only strung the bow, he broke it. Seeing this, Sita
indicated that she had chosen Rama as her husband by putting a garland around his neck.
Their love became a model for the entire kingdom as they looked over the kingdom under
the watchful eye of his father the king.
A few years later, King Dasharatha decided it was time to give his throne to his eldest
son Rama and retire to the forest. Everyone seemed pleased, save Queen Kaikeyi since
she wanted her son Bharata to rule. Because of an oath Dasharatha had made to her years
before, she got the king to agree to banish Rama for fourteen years and to crown Bharata,
even though the king pleaded with her not to demand such a request. The devastated King
could not face Rama and it was Queen Kaikeyi who told Rama the King’s decree. Rama,
always obedient, was content to go into banishment in the forest. Sita and Lakshmana
accompanied him on his exile.
One day Rama and Lakshmana wounded a rakshasas (demon) princess who tried to
seduce Rama. She returned to her brother Ravana, the ten-headed ruler of Lanka. In
retaliation, Ravana devised a plan to abduct Sita after hearing about her incomparable
beauty. He sent one of his demons disguised as a magical golden deer to entice Sita. To
please her, Rama and Lakshmana went to hunt the deer down. Before they did though,
they drew a protective circle around Sita and told her that she would be safe for as long
as she did not step outside the circle. After Rama and Lakshmana left, Ravana appeared
as a holy man begging alms. The moment Sita stepped outside the circle to give him
food; Ravana grabbed her and carried her to his kingdom in Lanka.
Rama then sought the help of a band of monkeys offer to help him find Sita.
Hanuman, the general of the monkey band can fly since his father is the wind. He flew
to Lanka and, finding Sita in the grove, comforted her and told her Rama would come
to save her soon. Ravana’s men captured Hanuman, and Ravana ordered them to wrap
Hanuman's tail in cloth and to set it on fire. With his tail burning, Hanuman escaped
and hopped from house-top to house-top, setting Lanka on fire. He then flew back to
Rama to tell him where Sita was.

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Rama, Lakshmana and the monkey army built a causeway from the tip of India to
Lanka and crossed over to Lanka where a cosmic battle ensued. Rama killed several of
Ravana’s brothers and eventually confronted the ten-headed Ravana. He killed Ravana,
freed Sita and after Sita proved here purity, they returned to Ayodhya where Bharata
returned the crown to him.

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CHAPTER: 3
Ethics from the Ramayana:
 Understanding ethics has never been easy. More so in the present times when there is so
much emphasis on ethics. Ethics are supposed to be the science of right and wrong. But
often the dividing line between right and wrong is thin. Especially in the present era, that
is Kalyug, in which an individual is more concerned about him than society.
While ethics are suddenly becoming popular, their practice leaves much to be desired. In
management, one of the most modern subjects of social sciences, the focus on ethical
management practices has suddenly increased. From ethics committees to ethical
training, corporate houses and business leaders are trying to ensure ethical behaviour on
the part of employees.
Even as reams are being written on what is ethical and what is not, instances of unethical
practices are legion. From newspaper stories to electronic media exposes every day, we
find volumes written and discussed on ethical conduct that has become a part of our
everyday life. Yet questions like what is ethical and why people behave unethically
remains unanswered.
However, even if we cannot zero in on a definition of what is ethical, we can certainly
say that a deed or act is ethical or not when we see or hear it happen. It is about both the
act and context. More than the instance or the incident, it is the intent that defines ethics.
While those big volumes and references in management literature may not be able to
vividly explain ethics or do justice to the subject, the ancient Indian scriptural text
Ramcharitmanas, the saga of life and times of lord Ram written by Goswami Tulsidas,
can be a valid reference book on ethics.
The country recently celebrated Ram Navami and it is time to draw lessons from the
classical text. Perhaps, it is this assumption that Ram’s rule was the ideal rule that the
expression ram rajya has been coined. A society is said to be ideal when the social actors
perform their acts in the ideal way. That is to say that they play the roles assigned to them
in the right way. But what is the right way is often not clear and ethical dilemmas arise.
Reading the Ramcharitmanas may offer clear insights into what is right and what is
wrong for a particular role. The greatest difficulty is that the same person performs many
roles, and dilemmas arise when the demands of one role come in conflict with the
demands of another role.

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Ramcharitmanas helps us resolve these role conflicts with beautiful insights. Ram as a
son, Ram as husband, Ram as a king, Ram as a brother, and Ram as a father had
encountered many such conflicts which were not easy to resolve, yet he could come up to
the expectations of all these roles in the best possible way. When Ram was asked to go
into exile, he had options. Yet he chose the ideal path.
Similarly, Bharat, his younger brother, also had many ethical dilemmas but he resolved
them in the most objective and ideal way. The same applies for Sita, Ram’s wife,
lakshman and Shatrughan — Ram’s other two brothers. At times, for a casual reader, the
actions of these persons would appear to be out of sync on standards of social
desirability. But that is the precise lesson of Ramcharitmanas. Socially desirable may not
always be ethically desirable.
 Be it business or human activity, the act of bringing people together, popularly known as
‘management’, is broadly defined by five functions—Planning, Organizing, Leading,
Organizing, and Coordinating.
Management books and journals may appear to be an en vogue trend. However, the
actuality of the same finds its roots in eras that epically existed ages ago. Seers like
Tulsidas and Valmiki through Ramayana brought sure-shot management lessons to fore
for all and sundry in the contemporary entrepreneurial era.
1. Provide a concrete vision to followers:
Like Rama, it is important for all the employers to set and share vision with the
followers. This would enable motivation in them to perform because there would be
clarity of goals. Even Rama shared vision of bringing Sita back home and for the
same he delegated various responsibilities; he sent some as search parties and asked
some others to work on the bridge construction.
2. Believe in the ability of subordinates to achieve an aim and inspire them to do
so:
Against the sophisticated army of Ravana that had vanquished many kings and
celebrated a past of defeating devtas, Rama led a multitude of aboriginal tribes which
could not be called anything more than a rag-tag army. Even after the constant
mocking and jeering, Rama instilled confidence and sustained faith in his troops
against the seemingly impossible-to-defeat demonic fleet of Ravana. A leader’s trust
in his team is paramount.

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3. Treat all people equally:
Unlike many princes of that time, Rama mingled with everyone alike regardless of
the prevalent norms of lower and upper strata. The untouchability issue never touched
him and this helped him strike associations among fishermen and tribal folks as well;
this brings us to a very important learner tip: Equality results in loyalty.
4. Stand courageously in the face of great adversity:
Following Sita’s kidnap, Rama wandered penniless in the forest. Ramayana speaks of
pretty vivid details of Rama’s sadness in Sita’s absence. However, this did not stop
him from forging ties with Sugriv and others even in the face of a dilemma when the
enemy was unknown.
5. Stand for morality but do not engage in judgmental posturing:
Well known for his moral code, Rama endeavored to stand forth for the values he
projected. But nowhere in Ramayana, was he depicted as a blind puritan who only
wanted his code of conduct in place and rest all be banished. No! Rama was a person
of resolve. He chose to suspend judgment at all times. His value systems were
different even from his father; Rama had one wife while many other kings including
his own father had several. A leader who gives way to creativity as an open field to
his team mates is revered more as ‘suspending judgements’ is still the way to go!
6. Consult subordinates on important matters and allow them to give their
opinions freely:
When Vibhushan ratted out on Ravana, Rama vowed to protect him. He consulted his
army chiefs and many suggested Rama that a demon is not to be trusted especially
when he is the brother to the culprit. Instead of chiding or rebuking their ideas, Rama
neutralized their incredulity and convinced them in his favor. This brings out a very
important lesson as everybody felt heard. He empowered his subordinates. Reducing
the power differential between an employer and an employee can work wonders.
7. Follow a code of ethics and be ready to sacrifice to follow it:
Underpinning the Utopic way of life, Rama chose ethical decision making process in
all areas of his life. Many-a-leader build credibility first with sacrifice first to resort to
unethical means later. The generation that fought for the nation's independence
degenerated into wheelers and dealers after acquisition of power. The political leaders
now continue to speak of their glorious ancestral past while seeking votes. Under the
surface of that vote appeal, they always seek to hoodwink the multitude in the name
of past sacrifices. Rama never did so. The overconfident Ravana on day one was
disarmed by Rama’s chivalry but he was allowed to return safely to his citadel
unharmed because Rama believed that an unarmed individual must not be attacked.

~ 21 ~
8. To be humble and treat everyone with respect.
9. To maintain a calm and peaceful mind devoid of anger.
10. To maintain good company, It is not enough to have a good heart, we need to be
careful while choosing friends.
11. Lord Rama portrays a persona of ‘eternal optimist’. The lesson here is to be an
optimist and respond positively even in adverse situations.
12. Hanuman represents devotion, determination, courage and single-minded focus to
accomplish a task. Another very important point is that Hanuman’s focus is only on
his duty and not the reward.
Similarly, we are supposed to focus on our respective duties and not fix our minds on
the rewards or benefits.

~ 22 ~
 Corporate Ethics from Ramayana:
The Ramayana is one of the greatest epics of Hindu Mythology. It is not just a story, but
also an educational medium used by the ancient sages to espouse the importance of doing
your dharma (duty). Lessons from Ramayana are a part of teaching leadership,
management and governance at many prestigious management institutions. Here are a
few lessons that we can comprehend from Ramayana and how they can be applied in the
corporate world...
1. Team motivation is vital:
One of the most obvious incidences, in which use management principles is very
clearly visible is that of Hanuman going to Lanka. His mission was to locate Sita
there and give her Lord Ram’s message. When it became clear that Sita was in Lanka,
Jamvant asked Hanuman to go there. He helped him in realising his true potential and
motivated him to go in the enemy’s camp.
Lesson: Jamvant motivating Hanuman is a classic example of a good Manager
helping his personnel to realise their potential and acting accordingly.
2. SWOT Analysis:
Once mentally prepared for the job, first thing which Hanuman did after reaching
Lanka was to do a complete analysis of the situation. He did a complete study about
the Lankans, assessing their strengths and weaknesses, the various threats and
opportunities which he had in the enemy’s camp.

~ 23 ~
Lesson: The SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities and threats) analysis is one of
the most important aspects of modern day management. First you need to ascertain
the goals, or job to be done. Then, get mentally prepared for it and have a right plan.
And then, analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the competitor and what threats
and opportunities are there in the business.
3. Work on strategic alliances:
In Ramayana, Sughriv has shown some of the best managerial characteristics. As a
successful manager he had Ram to work accordingly and got his kingdom back from
a brother who was far mightier than him. Using his managerial skills he even had
Angad to work for him. If Sughriv would have been a bad manager then the same
Angad would have turned into one of his arch enemies.
Lesson: It is said that businesses are run on relations. A manager who can nurture
good relations with the employees, clients etc, can do wonders for his company. Lord
Ram was very good at it. He was the master of nurturing relations. His prowess at it
was so great that while Ravana was lying wounded in the battle field and was about to
die, he shared some important lessons which he had learnt in his life.

~ 24 ~
4. Value your subordinates:
n the same Ramayana, again and again Ravana has shown the signs of a bad manager,
and hence led to the demise of his kingdom. From the starting itself he ignored the
suggestions of his managers and got his kingdom in the state of war with Ram.
Lesson: A good manager is the one, who can get his work done even from the rivals.
A good manager listens to what his subordinates has to say and tries to keep them
together especially when the organization needs them the most. But Ravana’s
mismanagement was responsible for Vibhishan (one of the wisest manager) leaving
him amidst a crisis.
5. Leaders need to create more leaders:
After the discovery of Sita's whereabouts, Hanuman, of his own volition, set aflame
the city of Lanka. Hanuman's decision of burning Lanka displeased Ram. And so
after that, Hanuman stopped taking decisions. To rectify the damage done, Ram had
to remove himself from the scene so that Hanuman could rediscover his decision-
making abilities. During the course of the war, Mahiravan, managed to abduct both
Ram and Laxman and take them to Patal lok. Only Hanuman had the intellectual and
physical prowess to rescue them and eventually, Hanuman succeeded in rescuing
Ram. Ram had thus created a leader.

~ 25 ~
Lesson: A time comes in every leader's life when he has to create leaders around him.
This involves making people around him competent enough to take independent
decisions.
6. No one is bigger than the brand!:
The challenge in building the bridge to Lanka was to make the stones float (as all
stones will sink the moment it is thrown into the ocean). It is said that a solution was
offered by supporters of Lord Rama, i.e. inscribe the name "Rama" on the stone and
then throw it in the ocean. The same was done and it worked! At one point, Lord
Rama decided to extend a helping hand so he picked up a stone and threw it in the
ocean. Surprisingly it sank without a trace!
Lesson: The stone sank because it was not inscribed with ‘Rama’. Lord Rama was
confident that he do not need to use his "brand" as he was THE "brand" and tried to
repeat the magic. But it did not work. It was not "branded" with "Rama". Moral of the
story is that the Brand is bigger than the "owner" of the brand. A manager should feel
good, when people recognize him by the name of his company.
7. Importance of communication:
When Bali fought demon Mayavee and entered a cave during their fight, Sugreeva
was ordered to keep a watch outside till Bali emerged. After nearly a year' wait when
neither Bali nor the rakshasa (demon) came out, Sugreeva thought they had both been
killed. He went back to Kishkindha and became its ruler and made Tara, Bali's wife,
his queen.However, Bali returned and seeing Sugreeva as king, Bali thought he had
been betrayed.

~ 26 ~
Lesson: The cause of mortal enmity between brothers Sugriva and Bali originated in a
terrible miscommunication. The turn of events helped Rama do his bit. Lesson is to
be beware of miscommunication at any stage, whether in acquisition or in
management of talent.
8. Believe in your team:
The Rakshasa army was a powerful one, which had defeated the formidable, devas
and vanquished powerful kings. In contrast, the army of Rama comprised of soldiers
who were perhaps aboriginal tribes who had never encountered a sophisticated army
before. Yet Rama maintained confidence in the ability of his army to surmount this
seemingly impossible odd and enthused by his confidence his army fought to achieve
victory.
Lesson: Set ambitious goals and motivate your team to meet them
9. Succession planning:
Dasaratha’s plans for installing Rama on the throne of Ayodhya do turn topsy-turvy,
but the existence of a clear succession plan can never be denied. This is meant to
ensure continuity in governance. It helped that besides being the eldest son, Rama
was liked by all and hence chosen to lead the kingdom once his father passed away.
As per Raghuvansham of Kalidasa, when the time comes to relinquish his body,
Rama divides it equitably between his two sons – Lava and Kusha.

~ 27 ~
Lesson: All well-managed companies ensure that the career development plans of
their top performers are directly linked to succession plans. Good leaders should
invariably groom the managers under them.
10. Leave the comfort zone:
When Rama gets ordered to remain in the forest for a span of fourteen years, Sita and
Rama take it as an opportunity to engage with the ordinary citizens of their kingdom,
rather than remaining confined to the comforts of their palace. This helps them to
understand the ground realities better.
Lesson: Marketing honchos of today who travel through the hinterland to get a better
first-hand feel of the customer’s pulse do a far better job of servicing the market.

~ 28 ~
11. Excellence in execution:
The plan to locate Sita gets brilliantly executed by Hanuman. The wisdom with which
he conducts the search and the single-minded pursuit of the goal is an example worth
emulating by managers at all levels. While crossing the sea, he declines an invitation
from Mount Mynaaka to take some rest on the way.
Lesson: The manner in which Hanuman assures Sita of his genuineness exhorts
managers to conduct commercial negotiations by first setting the anxieties of the
opposite party at rest.
12. Recognize and stay away from the ‘Yes-men’!:
Ravana is a highly learned and accomplished person. One of the reasons for his
downfall is to neglect the advice of nay-sayers. His wife, Mandodari, brother
Vibheeshana and grandfather Malyavaan – all advise him to return Sita to Rama.
Instead, he chooses to listen to his courtiers who play on his ego and pride and advise
him not to do so.

~ 29 ~
13. Always stick to the plan:
When Rama killed the demon Maricha who came disguised as the golden deer, the
demon called out "Lakshmana! Sita!" in Rama's mimicked voice and died. Sita, upon
hearing it, urged Lakshmana, who was standing guard to her, to go and help Rama,
who seemed to be in trouble. Lakshmana's patient counseling against it could not
convince her. She accused Lakshmana of nurturing an evil idea of having an illicit
relationship with her in the absence of Rama. Lakshmana, shell shocked by hearing
such an abominable accusation, left immediately, leaving her alone. Ravana utilized
this opportunity to abduct her.
14. Have a clear vision:
Rama's clear vision was to rescue his wife Sita and defeat the evil forces. This clarity
about the goals as well as the process enabled his army to put its heart and soul in the
battle to rescue Sita. A foreseen vision will always be a motivating factor to focus on
the goal and to not get deviated. Every leader needs to have a clear vision of what he
is aiming for and what will it bear him in future. Also he needs to think in parallel to
his followers who will support him to achieve his goals.
15. Beware of dubious attractions:
Sita, in the forest, got madly attracted by a beautiful golden deer. She refused to heed
to her husband's counsel that such a deer could not be a natural one and it could be a
demon in disguise. It is her incessant pestering to acquire the deer to be her play-mate
that forced Rama to go behind it. It paved the way for her getting separated from him
and she got forcibly abducted by Ravana.

~ 30 ~
16. Maintain cool during crisis:
Following Sita's abduction, Rama wandered destitute and penniless in the forests
searching for Sita. The Ramayana is full of poignant details of Rama's sadness and his
memory of Sita. Yet this grief did not prevent him from searching for allies even
when the enemy was unknown. Even throughout the battle with Ravana, Rama
maintained his courage even at the darkest hours and in doing so inspired his army to
not only continue the unequal fight, but also win it.
17. A premium on values:
Sticking to some core values which are steeped in righteousness eventually leads to
success. The main protagonist of Ramayana, Rama, is depicted in Ramayana as an
epitome of virtue. He is an ideal king, an ideal son and a pragmatic person. He sets
high ethical standards in warfare and invariably sides with dharma, or righteousness.
18. Empower subordinates:
When Vibhishan defected, Rama took him under his protection. He then had a talk
with the various army chiefs some of whom disagreed with Rama. Instead of
punishing them, Rama assuaged their suspicions and got them to accept his decision.
Everybody felt that their opinions had been heard and that their objections had been
clarified. Empowerment of subordinates to question his decisions was a key and
unique quality of Rama which one cannot but help comparing with Ravana who never
allowed anybody to contradict him.
19. Never have too many controlling stakeholders in your business:
King Dashratha had three wives – Kaushalaya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi. Thus, when you
have too many stakeholders in decision making, it becomes difficult to control your
business. Kaushalya gave birth to Rama, Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharat and Sumitra
gave birth to Laxmana and Shatrughana. Power dilutes when too many stakeholders
take charge of any business.
20. Never sign a document without reading the terms and conditions:
Once queen Kaikeyi had saved King Dashratha’s life in battle. Dashratha was very
pleased with his queen and thus in order to repay the favour, the king told her that she
can ask for any two boons from the king. When Kaikeyi’s mind was influenced by
her maid Manthara, she used these boons against her stepson Rama and tried to make
her own son Bharata the next crowned king of the kingdom. She asked the king to
send Rama on a 14-year-long exile to the forest and to declare her son Bharata as the
next king of the kingdom. In business, you cannot trust anyone. Make sure, you have
all the your contacts in black and white.

~ 31 ~
21. Learn from the experts:
King Dashratha sent his son Rama to sage Vishwamitra for learning the art of
warfare. As the promoter or owner of the business, learn to send your children to the
most suitable teacher. Raise your next generation of leaders by putting them in
challenging situations. Help them develop the skills they must learn to face a
challenging business environment.
22. Be willing to compete:
When the King Janaka organised the wedding of his daughter Sita, fearsome warriors
were invited to participate in a ‘Swayamvar spardha’- the competitive act of choosing
one’s husband’. The king organised a competition in which Rama defeated all other
warriors and emerged as the most suitable candidate. As a business owner, expect
strong competition and learn whatever it takes to win what you want ethically.
23. Do not covet what does not belong to you:
If you see the entire story plot of Ramayana you will realise that it is made up of
storylines where human greed took charge. Kaikeyi wanted her son to be the next
king; Ravana’s sister Surpanakha wanted to marry Laxmana, who rejected her evil
advances and ended up cutting her nose; King Bali abducted the wife of his own
brother Sugreeva. Likewise, Ravana wanted to possess Sita, who was the rightfully
wedded wife of Rama. Ravana – blinded by his desire to possess Sita – ended up
abducting her. The entire battle of Lanka was fought to free Sita from the shackles of
the evil king Ravana. In your business too, learn to play ethical. Do not do anything
illegal or overlook laws to secure a quick win.
24. Keep wise counsel:
Queen Kaikeyi kept an evil maid Manthara as her counsel. Over time, the woman
managed to poison Kaikeyi’s mind against Rama. King Ravana avoided the counsel
of his wife Mandodari who told her to return Sita respectfully to her husband. He did
not listen to his own brother Vibhishana and kicked him out of his kingdom. Do not
have subordinates who always try to flatter you. Surround yourself with a team of
people who tell you what you need to know and not what you like to know.
25. Choose your joint venture alliances carefully:
Rama, in order to win, needed a powerful ally. Yet when it came to making an
alliance, he choose Sugreeva over his powerful brother King Bali. Bali was a very
powerful man who had already defeated Ravana once, and yet Rama did not join
forces with him because he was an immoral man. He kicked his own brother
Sugreeva out of the Kishkindha kingdom and abducted his wife. If you partner with

~ 32 ~
wrong and unethical people you may win in the short run, but in the lose run will lose
your reputation.
26. Negotiate and do not fight disruption:
Before declaring a full-scale war, Rama tried to negotiate with King Ravana by
sending Angada as his emissary. Later on, even Hanumaan offered peace to Ravana,
but he was so blinded in his ignorance that he failed to see a more powerful force.
Innovate on your strategy regularly. Choose innovation over ignorance. A low of
businesses die because their leader could not negotiate and adapt well to a powerful
force of disruption. The businesses which do not change with time, eventually get
destroyed.
27. Begin with end in mind:
Before you waste time or effort, answer the question ‘why do we need this
opportunity’. This alignment will ensue that we don’t travel down a road to place
where we don’t want to reach. This is as simple as what we consider during an
elevator pitch. What do you want from those precious seconds? A business card or an
appointment or a decision? Know this beforehand.
28. Identify/Create an opportunity:
Once you know why you want an opportunity, you can identify a suitable one. If you
want to a successful leader you may have to create an opportunity. After all Ravana
was not issuing tenders for destruction of Ashoka Vana. Hanuman took it upon
himself so that Ravana will be forced to meet him.
29. Be ready to lose some to win some:
This is traditional wisdom. When we pursue an opportunity we let go of many other
opportunities. So we need to make sure that we win more than we lose. Also be
prepared to lose the battle but win the war. Hanuman bowed to Brahmastra even if he
did not have to so that he can meet Ravana. So understand which factor is the
Brahmastra you will bow to.
30. Time your actions:
If Hanuman wanted to give up eventually, he could have done that to Aksha himself –
but that would have confined him to the dungeons. If he has to bow it had to be
brahmastra so that Ravana may understand that he is facing a man of extraordinary
caliber. Similarly you need to time your actions, do not sacrifice too soon or do not
keep holding on to multiple options till your time runs out. Be prudent and time your
actions, like a successful stock trader would do.

~ 33 ~
31. Know your personality style:
This is to be aware of how we communicate or process things. There a lot of tools to
know this like Social Styles or Psychometric tools like MBTI, many of these are free
to use and a simple online questionnaire can let you know your personality traits.
32. Know the personality style of the other person:
This is the trickier part after all you can’t go about asking others to fill questionnaires
before you interact with them. You have to guess their style indirectly by observing
their words, body language etc.
33. Flex your style to influence others:
Once you know how you deal with a situation and how other deal with it, you have to
align your ways with theirs’ to get them to agree with you. This is done by changing
the way you communicate, the information you use to substantiate your argument.
Vibhishana did this by quoting scriptures and exalting Ravana’s authority over it. He
also told Ravana what is in it for him and used Ravana’s position as the lord of three
worlds as an excuse not to kill Hanuman.

~ 34 ~
 Leadership Lessons from Valmiki Ramayana
Valmiki Ramayana has lessons in all aspects of human life. It also has lessons on politics,
economics, sociology, psychology, management, human values, and ethics and so on.
Management is an art of getting things done through people. Ancient civilizations
throughout the history had methods of management, such as --planning, organizing,
staffing, leading, motivating, controlling, decision making, etc. Every king who ruled
ancient kingdoms had his own style of management, which includes administration and
leadership.
Leadership is an important function of management and also an important element in any
organization, society and country. What makes an organization, society and a country
successful while another fails at most time can be attributed to leadership effectiveness.
Generally leadership is defined as the process of influencing the activities of an
individual or a group in efforts towards achieving certain goals. The world ‗influencing
‘can be substituted with other words such as transforming, empowering, driving,
motivating and inspiring. Inspiration means motivation that has been internalized and
therefore comes from within the followers, as opposed to motivation that is simply a
temporary response to external stimuli. Inspired followers make those goals of their own.
In leadership, the leader is the key in transforming the followers. The leader is the most
important element in leadership. The personality, behaviour and character of the leader
are an important determinant for success of any organization, society and country.
Napoleon Bonaparte once said that he would have an army of rabbits led by a lion than
an army of lions led by a rabbit. It is the leader who navigates and provides vision and
mission for his people. In most of the organizations, societies and countries the failure or
poor performance, whether economically, politically or socially are not due to poor
administration but poor leadership. Therefore leadership is the life force and the spirit of
an organization that holds everything together. The wise leader uses the force from
within, to inspire and motivate his people. Without leader, an organization, a society and
a country are merely collection of people.

~ 35 ~
 Lessons from Ravana:
1. Power Of Faith:
Ravana performed an intense penance (or tapasya) to appease Shiva, lasting several
years. During his penance, Ravana chopped off his head 10 times as a sacrifice made
in the name of Shiva. Each time he sliced his head off, a new head arose, thus
enabling him to continue his penance. At last, Shiva, pleased with his austerity,
appeared after his 10th decapitation and offered him a boon. Ravana asked for
immortality, which Shiva refused to give, but gave him the celestial nectar of
immortality. Ravana also asked for absolute supremacy over gods, heavenly spirits,
other rakshas, serpents, and wild beasts. Contemptuous of mortal men, he did not ask
for protection from these. Shiva granted him these boons in addition to his 10 severed
heads and great strength by way of knowledge of divine weapons and magic. Faith, it
seems, can move mountains!
2. Power Of Knowledge:
Ravana belonged to an august lineage, having been born as the grandson of Brahma,
the creator of the universe, and the son of the sage Vishrava and younger brother of
Kubera, the deity of wealth. Ravana was a scholar and connoisseur of arts. Ravana
possessed a thorough knowledge of Ayurveda and political science. His ten heads
represent that his knowledge of the six Shastras and the four Vedas. "While Ravana
was aggressive and arrogant, he was also an extraordinary scholar. Under his father's
tutelage, he mastered the Vedas, the holy books and also the ways of Kshatriyas
(warriors). He is even credited with writing a commentary on the Vedas and verses on
medicine. An excellent Veena player, he also composed the Ravanstuti," said Satkari
Mukhophadhyay, noted Sanskrit scholar, Ramayana expert and consultant with the
National Mission of Manuscripts at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.
Thus, even Ravana's life story tells us that knowledge can win you praise, even from
your staunchest enemies.
3. That Everyone Is A Consortium Of Multiple Layers:
Ram once addressed Ravana as a "Maha Brahman". Ravana was a villain, but that
notwithstanding, he was a man of honour. In Kampan's version of Ramayana, Ravana
was praised for his talent, knowledge, and strength. In the words of Kampan himself,
"Ravana had been an invincible hero in many a battle." Ravana was also the only
Brahman in the whole wide world who had the strength to lift Shiva's Mt. Kailash on
his shoulders - a power bestowed to him by Shiva himself.
In another tale that shows Ravana's myriad personality, Rama was wanting to please
the Gods with a Yagna before going to battle with Ravana, so as they may bless him
for the war. As an elder was needed to bless the proceedings, he asked one of the
Vanaras to request Ravana himself. Ravana agreed and, ironically, blessed the
offerings of his enemy-knowing full well the ramifications of this pooja. This shows a

~ 36 ~
more magnanimous side of the character whom all Hindus love to hate.
The beauty of Hinduism, to me, is that it presents its characters in shades of black and
white. Thus, honoring the true spirit of this religion, we must uphold the belief that no
one can be typified as 'good' or 'bad'. All people are a complex mechanism of emotions
and characteristics, and it is best to see the good in everyone, and ignore the negatives.
4. To Be A Good King:
Ravana was a very efficient and just ruler, acknowledged even in Valmiki's
Ramayana. In his rule, Lanka was called Sone ki Lanka, and entered the golden and
most prosperous period in its history. He assumed leadership over the army of demon
king Sumali and established a golden rule over Lanka. According to Hindu
mythology, Lanka was built by Vishwakarma, the best of all architects. Ravana was
also a caring ruler, who looked after his subjects well.
5. One Must Never Forget That Ego Kills:
An insatiable, all-consuming ego turned out to be Ravana's Achilles' Heel that
negated all his otherwise divine qualities. In this respect, he is, and will forever, serve
as a lesson to illustrate that even though one is well endowed with good qualities, a
single frailty in character is enough to drag you to your end.

~ 37 ~
 Lessons from RAMA:
1. Pick Your Battles:
One the most important and unsaid values which we can learn from Lord Ram is to
learn to pick our own battles. The story of Lord Ram is the perfect example of
picking one’s own battle. He knew when to fight for a cause and when to accept the
situation. Am wanted to fight for Sugriv against Bali but Rama does not want any
unnecessary bloodbath of Vali’s army with whom he wants to maintain friendly
relations. Lord Ram fought for his wife Sita. She was abducted by Ravana who
refused to give her up in spite of Lord Ram giving him chances to surrender. Lord
Ram knew he was fighting against injustice and he knew he was on the correct side.
Even though Lord Ram knew that he will win against Ravana, Lord Ram gave him
chances to surrender and return Sita back to him. But it was Ravana’s ego which
clouded his judgment. Lord Ram knew that the cause was worth fighting for and he
did exactly that.
2. Use your resources carefully:
If we carefully look at Lord Ram, it is a clear indicator that he was a master in
management. Even though his Vanar Sena was not at par with the Ravana’s army, he
still managed to defeat the demon king. The main reason for this victory was that he
knew how to use his resources. He motivated his army and inspired them to go for
war against Ravana’s mighty army. He analyzed the ability of his commanders and
gave them tasks according to their ability. He used his leadership skills to gather all
the resources to find and free Sita and bring her home.
3. Integrity and Character:
When it comes to teaching about how to have a strong character, no one else even
comes close as Lord Rama. Lord Ram was considered a god not because of his divine
status, but because of his actions. He was the ideal son, husband, brother and a king.
Even though he was close to becoming the king of Ayodhya, he never questioned his
father’s decision to send him to the forest for 14 years. He never even had any ill will
against his step mother because of whom he was sent to the forest. As a husband, he
loved Sita unconditionally and did everything in his power to keep her happy. He did
not distinguished people according to their cast, creed, color or sex. Shabri is the best
example for the same.

~ 38 ~
4. Strategic Alliances:
Lord Ram’s association with Vibhishan is seen with mixed feelings. Vibhishan
played an important role in Lord Ram’s victory over Ravana. Both Ram and
Vibhishan were followers of Dharma and this is what brought them together and
closer. Vibhishan knew that Ravana had done wrong when he kidnapped Sita. When
Vibhishan tried to tell Ravana this, he was banished from the kingdom. This is when
he decided to side with Lord Ram. Vibhishan had a huge role to play as he helped
Lord Ram to defeat Ravana and take back Sita. Vibhishan became the King of Lanka
after Ravana’s death.
5. Democratic leader:
Lord Ram as a leader was democratic. He allowed his team to grow its strength and
more importantly believed in them. The best example is that even though Ravana’s
army was way more superior to Lord Ram’s army, he managed to motivate them to
such an extent that they defeated Ravana’s army. Lord Ram was a democratic leader
because he allowed everyone to participate in the decision making. He used to listen
to his deputies and then make a decision. Characteristics such as honesty,
intelligence, courage, creativity, competence and fairness mark a democratic leader. If
we analyse properly, these were also the characteristics of lord Ram.
6. Focused:
Lord Ram was very clear when it came towards his goal. He was entirely focused on
saving Sita and defeating evil. Because he was clear what he wanted. He focused on
achieving them entirely. Because he knew what he wanted he never wavered from
that goal. He knew what he wanted and he knew how to get it. What this teaches the
leaders of today is to have a clear vision of the goal.
The lesson we have learnt from Lord Ram is that one should willingly face every
situation in life and how we should behave towards our situations, battles and
alliances. That is how as a leader we should behave with our followers and while
facing moral trial. All these things can be learnt from the life of Lord Ram.

~ 39 ~
 Management Lessons from HANUMAN:
1. No Boss, yet rise to the pantheon:
Character of Lord Hanuman was also known for loyalty and dedication for his master
and has reached the level of God with sheer dedication, loyalty in his work in such
manner that world over there is no Hindu temple where Lord Ram is mounted, and
Lord Hanuman must be there side by side. This also draws common lesson for all
those common soldiers or professionals from different organization that even without
reaching apex of the hierarchy of organization one can draw name, respect, and fame.
As we all understand that, in most of the organization all the employees are not going
to be chosen as head or CEO of the organization but through sheer dedication,
commitment of work and honesty to take the criticism on chin, one can gain the
respect and acknowledgment for his work.
2. Form of leadership:
The concept of multi- tasking a buzz word in most of project work can also be related
with personality of Lord Hanuman. For an example his servitude nature towards Lord
Ram and same the time courageous approach in the battle field is a classic example
how one can transform the type of leadership based on the situation and
circumstances. Switching over to various form of job is the demand of the day and lot
many project manager’s struggles to adopt into this mold.
3. Right Advice:
In another situation in Ramayana. Vibhishan with four his trusted aides were waiting
for an answer from Rama whether his surrender will be accepted. Rama calls for an
emergency discussion with his top core group of Generals - Whether to take
Vibhishan or not - Sugriva, Jambhavan and Neelan say "No" and justifies with valid
and sound reasons for not taking him-Rama then looks at Bajrang Bali for his opinion
and Veer Hanuman starts slowly analyzing the situation. He says "Yes" - take him
along and explains why? In today’s board room as far my experience goes, I have
rarely seen a debate or discussion, normally decisions are imposed in the name of
discussion and those speaks differently are shunted out by the system.
4. Apply the power when it is necessary:
Remember the scene of Ramayana when brother Laksman was badly injured and all-
most died, when Ravana's son Meghnand hurls a powerful weapon. Lord Hanuman
was called upon to fetch this herb from the mount Drongiri in the Himalayas or valley
of flowers.Upon reaching there, Hanuman was unable to identify the herb and
decided to lift the entire mountain and bring it to the battlefield. The context is
important in terms of getting the result inspite of not having the best knowledge and
skill to do the task. Lord Hanuman got confused and couldn’t identify the herb, most

~ 40 ~
of the today project managers will withdraw from the complex situation like this,
but Lord Hanuman backed up his strength, bring the entire mountain to the earth. At-
least some would identify the herb and brother Lakshmana would back to the life. On
the other hand most of powerful mangers get immense pride and show off to reflex
muscle on miniscule issue to their employee, forgetting the fact that utility of power
lies into minimum use and when to be used causes must justify the action, seems not
many believes it.

~ 41 ~
 VALUES TAUGHT IN RAMAYANA
1. Relationships v/s Money:
The prominent characters in Ramayana teach us to make personal sacrifices for the
welfare of others. Lakshmana accompanied Lord Rama to the forest for fourteen
years although he was not obliged to. He considered his service to Rama as his
greatest wealth; he gave up food and sleep during the exile to serve Rama and Sita.
Rama’s wife Sita is another example of one who left her comforts to assist her
husband. Bharat could have taken over the kingdom of Ayodhya, claiming it came to
him, without his asking. However he not only relinquished his right to the throne, he
performed severe austerities to atone for Rama’s banishment. He held himself
responsible for Rama’s exile, and served the citizens of Ayodhya in absence of Rama
without taking any facilities for his own enjoyment.
2. Forgiveness:
After Ravana was killed by Rama, Hanuman approached mother Sita to convey the
good news. He then asked her permission to kill the various demons that harassed her
during her imprisonment in Lanka. Sita refrained Hanuman from doing that; she
explained how her suffering was due to her own destiny, and those who perpetuated
violence towards her need to be forgiven. And since Ravana was killed, she said it
serves no purpose to attack the demons. She thus taught the need to avoid
unnecessary violence. She told an interesting story to illustrate this point: Once, a
tiger chased a man in a forest. He climbed a tree to save him, but discovered a bear
staying atop the tree. The tiger urged the bear to push down the man, who was after
all a common enemy. The bear refused, claiming he is now a guest. The tiger
patiently waited under the tree to eat his prey. After some time, the bear went to
sleep. The tiger then reasoned to the man that if he threw the bear down, the tiger
would eat him instead. This way the man could escape. Tempted, the man slowly
climbed the upper branch, and pushed the bear down. However, the bear woke up and
retained his balance. Now the tiger turned to the bear and said the man had shown his
true colors by his ungrateful act. Hence, the tiger argued to the bear, he should push
the man down, for he deserved to die. Again the bear refused, saying he may be an
ungrateful human, but since he (the bear) was the host, he would serve and protect his
guest. Mother Sita then told Hanuman that we should never abandon our good nature
even in face of provocations.

~ 42 ~
3. Protecting the weak:
The vulture Jatayu’s exemplary sacrifice teaches us how we should be willing to even
lay down our lives to protect the weak and oppressed. When Ravana kidnapped Sita,
she saw Jatayu perched on a tree. She frantically called out to him, and told him to
immediately inform her husband Rama that she was being taken away by the cruel
demon. Jatayu was old and weak; moreover Sita just asked him to inform Rama. Yet
Jatayu confronted Ravana, knowing very well that he was no match for the demon
king. He roared at the Rakshasa to fight him before taking the princess away. He
censured Ravana in strong words, and called him a coward for escaping without
fighting Rama. In the ensuing fight with Ravana, Jatayu lost his life. However Rama
declared him to be a true hero, and granted him residence in the spiritual world. Lord
Rama even performed the final rites for Jatayu, a ritual that he couldn’t do even for
his own father. Although born as a vulture, Jatayu was bestowed with the honour that
the Lord didn’t bestow on his own father. Lord Rama and Jatayu thus taught the
sacred virtue of protecting the weak and oppressed.
4. Equality of race and creed:
Lord Rama’s best friend was Guha, a tribesman from a low caste. The Lord shared
his heart with him, while crossing the river. Rama also ate heartily the berries offered
by an old woman, Sabari, a daughter of a hunter. Her love for the Lord conquered
Rama so much so that he even ate the fruits after she had first tasted them to see if
they were sweet. She thus offered her remnants to the Lord, which the Lord happily
ate, without any hesitation. Lord Rama’s most intimate associates were the monkey
soldiers, of whom Hanuman is the most celebrated devotee of the Lord. Any
Ramayana rendition is incomplete without the glorification of Hanuman.
5. After Ravana was killed SriRama asks Vibhishana, Ravana’s brother to perform the
final rites for Ravana.
6. Rama then commands Lakshmana to coronate Vibhishana as the king of Lanka with
the help of Sugriva and others.
7. He orders Vibhishana to reward the monkey army with gold and gemstones for their
valor displayed in warfare.
8. Hanuma keeps back mountain sanjeevini in its original place.

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