Lessons Learnt at Master's feet

 -By Shrikanth Srinivasan
(Shrikanth is a student of Swami who completed his B.Com from Brindavan campus and then his MBA from the Prashanthi Nilayam Campus. An outstanding student throughout his career, Shrikanth also had the unique opportunity of being a Vedam lead boy and used to regularly lead Veda chanting before Swami in Mandir. He is currently the Industry Manager for the Business and Financial Services team in Frost & Sullivan, Chennai. He is widely acknowledged as a very honest leader with deep knowledge and interest in the well being of his team. In this article he shares some of the lessons from Swami that he imbibed which held him on good stead in life.)

Swami has remarked that rather than reading the Bhagavat Gita, it is more important to follow at least one sloka of the 700 slokas fully in life.   Each word Swami utters has the highest significance.  Earlier only Arjuna had that privilege, but all of us who heard His Divine Discourses are equally privileged if not more. 

I have been a huge beneficiary of following Swami’s teachings.   Three of the teachings that deeply impressed me are:

·         Speaking truth under all circumstances

·         Story of Anthony’s violin

·         Joining small organization in the initial phases of career.

In one of the discourses which I read in man management, Swami advised the students to join a small organization in the initial phases of their career.  Swami said if we join a small organization, we will be able to understand the full spectrum of the work done, and that experience will be useful when we are working in a big organization.   He advised further to not jump from one organization to another quickly and emphasized us to staying in that organization for at least 5 years.  Additionally, He cautioned us not to compare the salaries and if someone comments that the salary one is drawing is low, then we should think “for my experience this is the right salary”.  He also highlighted the importance of quality than quantity by telling that a tea spoon of cow’s milk is better than barrels of donkey’s milk.  

I found these teachings of Swami of highest importance.   I joined a small company called as Frost & Sullivan in July 2005.   At that time some of my less academically distinguished classmates were earning 1.5 times to 2 times the salary compared to me. I remembered Swami’s golden teaching.   I reminded myself that this is a small company and I will gain valuable experience, and thought that for the work I do this is a commensurate salary.  I focused on quality of work delivered and worked hard.  I remembered the story of Anthony who worked with the thought that God is perfection and he was able to finish making just one or two violins per year.   I remembered this teaching and put in all efforts to achieve perfection in work.  Over time, my manager appreciated the quality of work and encouraged me to do higher value adding work.   Over the years, by Swami’s grace I was able to get Analyst of the month award, and President’s club award multiple times.

I feel that in the corporate world it is more important to speak the truth at all circumstances.   By adhering to this teaching, my colleagues perceive me to be sincere and trustworthy.   However it is also important to remember Kabir’s Doha of speaking only pleasant truth and avoiding unpleasant truth.  I also remember Swami telling us about Sage Durvasa’s adherence to truth when Ashwathama questioned him on the whereabouts of the Pandavas.  The sage raised his voice and spoke the truth and this saved the life of Pandavas.   I found speaking truth is very useful because one of the main offshoots of speaking the truth is avoiding the need to remember what I spoke earlier.   It is so much so easier to speak the truth.  I find this useful not only while dealing with colleagues but also while dealing with clients.   Sometimes the clients can be demanding.  I would like to point out one instance.  We were commissioned by a university client to find out the market size of a potential new product.  The only known competition to this new product is a company called Novozymes.  The client insisted on getting information from Novozymes.  I got on a call with Novozymes and told the truth that I was working on a university’s client’s new product whose only competition is Novozymes and I wanted to discuss with Novozymes about their product.   The executive in Novozymes asked me if I was crazy and why he should talk to me and create competition.   I was praying to Swami and somehow through His grace, I spoke these words “The position is like this.  The university is going to be funded by a private equity and will create competition for Novozymes.  But if you can talk with me and convince me that it is not profitable, I can try and convince the investors not to invest.”   Novozymes discussed about this product for about two hours with me and my colleague.   They told us very useful details about their product.   I realize that by following Swami’s teaching, Swami will help us.  And if I had told some other reason telling that we are doing some study or market insight, Novozymes might have spoken, but would have spoken for much lesser time, and divulged less useful details.  After this incident, my colleagues also started respecting me as a person who not only speaks the truth, but also as an ethical person.   They also come to me for an impartial advice.   So it is my personal experience that it is important especially in corporate environment to speak the truth. 

My personal feeling is we are only to gain by listening and obeying at least one or two of Swami’s teachings and they will go a long way in shaping us as a person.   Swami has told us that the only thing He expects us is to get a good name, and the only way I think it is possible to achieve this, is by following His teachings.