MONDAY MUSINGS – Learnings from Indian Literature

Starting from this week, I will be posting weekly blogs in Bhogya.online and this week’s post is a PREAMBLE for the upcoming posts. Look forward to my blogs in your favorite Bhogya.online.

Why Monday Musings?
I post weekly motivational articles in LinkedIn as a newsletter MONDAY MUSINGS. I just completed posting my 142^ndepisode of Monday Musings Newsletter. What is important here is that these 142 episodes have come out every Monday consistently before Monday morning without missing a single Monday, so far. How was it possible amidst my other professional commitments? I don’t know but I now have the confidence that it will continue to happen. Monday Musings started 3 years back with a posting of 25 articles in the first phase. I took a break and converted the first 25 blogs into a book and started Series 2 and Series 2 is continuing still.

What is Monday Musings?
Monday Musings are motivational articles based on Indian classical literature and Grandma stories. Meanwhile, I wrote two books based on Monday Musings articles. My books are based on Monday Musings articles but not the compilation of Monday Musings.

We should be proud that our reverent motherland India has contributed many unique teachings to this world such as yoga, meditation, ayurveda, bharatanatyam, etc which are admired by the world. Another gem but not so popular is Indian Literature. After all, India has given to this world the gospel truth ie ‘Vasudaiva kutumbakam’ (in Sanskrit from Upanishad) and யாதும் ஊரே யாவரும் கேளிர் (in Tamil by கணியன் பூங்குன்றனார). Incidentally both mean the same. i.e.,‘the entire world is just one family’. Indian Literature has been studied enough and enjoyed from multiple perspectives such as Dharma, Philosophy, Love, Culture, Valor, etc. Bhakti forms a very important part of Indian Literature. I have incidentally seen a new perspective from our Indian Classical Literature ie `Management Skills’ ie `Self Development of Life Skills’. I shall share with you readers whatever I enjoyed and benefited from Indian Literature as a series in this column. This series will continue as long as I will be able to find enough material from Indian Literature and I am sure this will go for long as there is enough in Indian Literature.

How did I get interest in Indian Literature?
I generally like `Management Quotes’. Quotes stay in our mind for very long time and help to relate to learnings easily. Quotes by westerners are popular as management quotes.

One day when I was perusing thirukkural¹ for a speech, I came across this wonderful kural

வெள்ளத்தனைய மலர் நீட்டம் மாந்தர்தம்

உள்ளத்தனையதுஉயர்வு. (595)

Meaning – The height of the stalks of water-flowers are proportionate to the depth of water; so is men’s greatness proportionate to the nobility of their thoughts.

Something flashed in my mind. That was the first time I read that kural though this kural was inscribed in many Chennai local buses. But it looked very familiar. I then realized that it sounds the same as a popular management quote I quote often.

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”  – Zig Ziglar

When I looked closely at this kural, I tend to think that Zig Ziglar would have got the motivation for his quote from this kural! (Remember, Thirukkural was written 2000 years back whereas Zig Ziglar lived in 20^th century). Thiruvalluvar in fact conveyed the same punch message adding a nice simile.

I was astonished and my interest in Indian Literature grew. I sincerely felt that this is a different dimension which has not been explored enough. I started my research. I noticed some research papers and articles on topics such as `Thirukkural and Management’, `Chanakya and Business’, etc but could not find a concerted effort to teach management skills from Indian Literature. I decided to take the mantle on me.  

I started scripting a weekly article every Monday on the title `Monday Musings’ (I chose Monday as I felt the need to infuse positive thinking on the first day of the work week) and sent to my colleagues. Positive feedback from my colleagues encouraged me to post these blogs every Monday on LinkedIn and Twitter. I am now extending the same to Bhogya readers.

Bhogya.Online and Monday Musings
I am introduced to Bhogya.Online by Ms.Malathi Krishnaswamy when she messaged me if I can share some articles for Bhogya. I was amazed at the purpose. Purpose is very important for everyone, and I elaborated the same in one of my Monday Musings episode. I was in fact looking for such initiatives for digital promotion of Indian culture and I feel very happy to contribute in Bhogya. Please follow my blogs in Bhogya and give your feedback.

Where do I take my reference from?
There is enough information in Indian Literature. References available in many Indian languages. I am limiting my sphere of influence to Sanskrit and Tamil as they are the two classical Indian languages I know. I would be happy to receive references from other Indian languages from the readers and I promise to use them effectively in my articles. Of various literature references I used, Thirukkural, Bhagavad Gita, Valmiki Ramayanam, Mahabharatam, Arthasasthra, Bharathiar Songs, etc find important mention. Each one is a separate treatise and I already have enough material to last for another 3 years.

Musings will continue, Will start from next Monday.

¹Thirukkural is a classical tamil literature of 1330 couplets from 133 topics covering various dimensions of life such as Dharma, Materialism, Love (Dharma, Artha, Kama)