Management Sutra - Part 3

Management Sutras – Part 3

The scripture is divided into several parts. They are:

• Samadhi Pada
• Sadhana Pada
• Vibhuti Pada
• Kaivalya Pada

Meaning of a Few Sanskrit Words Used

Sutra means an aphorism. Literally it means "distinction" or "definition," from the Greek aphorismós, apo plus horizein, "from or to bound." It is an original thought, spoken or written in a short and memorable form.

Pada means foot. A derived meaning is also a part of a book that has four parts, probably derived from the four feet of a quadruped.

Samadhi means one-pointedness or absorption. Samadhi (समाधि, samādhi) is the state of consciousness induced by complete meditation. The term's roots are "sam" (together or integrated), "ā" (towards), and "dhā" (to get, to hold). The result can be seen as "to acquire integration or wholeness, or truth." Another breakdown is "samā" (even) and "dhi" (intellect), meaning a state of total equilibrium of a detached intellect.

Sadhana means spiritual exertion towards an intended goal. A person undertaking such a practice is known as a sadhu or a sadhaka. The goal of sadhana is to attain some level of spiritual realization. This can be enlightenment, pure love of God (prema), liberation (moksha) from the cycle of birth and death (Samsara), or a particular goal such as the blessings of a deity as in the Bhakti traditions.

Vibhuti means power or manifestation. This is often a representation of Knowledge.

Kaivalya means alone or liberation. The goal of the philosophical journey is to reach the stage of liberation, where you are alone.

Sutra Count by Part

Each part has several sutras:

• Samadhi Pada — 51 Sutras
• Sadhana Pada — 55 Sutras
• Vibhuti Pada — 56 Sutras
• Kaivalya Pada — 34 Sutras

What Samadhi Pada Explores

Samadhi Pada explores the following points:

• What is Yoga?
• Un-colouring your thoughts
• Practice and non-attachment
• Types of concentration
• Efforts and commitments
• Direct route through AUM
• Obstacles and solutions
• Stabilizing and cleansing the mind
• After stabilizing the mind

Management and Yoga

Management is the process of dealing with or controlling things or people. Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives, which philosophically is liberation, using available resources efficiently and effectively. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization, or a group of one or more people or entities, for the purpose of accomplishing a goal. A manager spends significant time in planning to control and in controlling. These expressions of management form only a part of Yoga as described in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.

Yoga Sutras 1.1 to 1.4

Yoga Sutras 1.1 to 1.4 define Yoga:

atha yoga anushasanam
yogash chitta vritti nirodhah
tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam
vritti sarupyam itaratra

Translation of the aforementioned sutras:

"Now, after having done prior preparation through life and other practices, the study and practice of Yoga begins. Yoga is the control (nirodhah, regulation, channeling, mastery, integration, coordination, stilling, quieting, setting aside) of the modifications, gross and subtle thought patterns, of the mind field. Then the Seer abides in Itself, resting in its own True Nature, which is called Self-realization. At other times, when one is not in Self-realization, the Seer appears to take on the form of the modifications of the mind field, taking on the identity of those thought patterns."

Applying This to Management

Any management professional would need to realise Management in its wholesome form. The practitioner would need to modify his or her thinking space and appropriately take charge. A successful professional is one who can:

• Regulate one's thought process
• Regulate the decision making process
• Channelize the resources and thoughts around resources
• Build mastery over the core areas of business
• Integrate divergent views and aspirations, internal as well as external
• Set aside the trivial
• Introspect through still and quiet thinking

Discipline

The essence of practitioners of Yoga, and of management, is discipline. Disciplining one's mind, words, and actions is critical to success. These three must come together in a unified manner. One gets distracted due to a weak mind (chitta). Weak managers have traits of wavering in whatever they do. They are often not consistent in their thoughts and actions. On the contrary, successful managers realise what is important, and they are able to see through organisational challenges through their strength.

In the next issue we will discuss other sutras in Samadhi Pada.

References

1. Yoga – Aphorism by Subramanian K N
2. Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Interpretive Translation by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati