Look up the Vedas for Overall Success

In the hectic and fast-paced world of corporates, business executives may be making quite a moolah, but how many can actually claim to be leading a rich, happy, peaceful, stress-free and contended life?

From CEOs of multi-crore companies to trainee officers in small start-ups, its not hard to find executives complaining of paucity of time; and cribbing that their minds are in their homes while at office and vice versa.

It is in this context that quite a few management gurus are referring to ancient Indian texts, including Vedanta, for management solutions to the troubles attached to corporate life.

Among them is Swami Parthasarathy, affectionately called Swamiji by his disciples. However, he is not like any other management or religious guru. He is not even an outsider to the corporate world.

After post-graduation in Law from London University and a stint as head of the HR division at a multinational oil major formerly called ESSO (now HP), Swamiji quit his job in the 1950s to spend more than four decades in full-time intensive research on Vedanta philosophy and its practical application in life.

Author of best sellers such as "Vedanta Treatise," "The Symbolism of Hindu Gods and Rituals" and "Atmabodha," Swamiji, who has set up the Vedanta Academy in Pune, tours around the country and the world, lecturing, holding seminars and conducting workshops on stress management, time management, the science of productivity, work ethics, value systems for positive living, etc.

As part of this schedule, Swamiji is conducting a seminar on the technique of time management (TM) in Hyderabad on 5 January. The one-day programme will be divided into four sessions on introduction to TM and self management, planning and programming life, impediments to TM, and an interactive with the delegates.<PI><PI>And corporates have already begun to line up for the seminar. Swamiji's disciples claim there has been a "tremendous response" from top corporates. "We are expecting at least 75 delegates, and already have 30 confirmations," says D. Vinay Kumar, of Vedanta Institute's regional office in Secunderabad.<PI><PI>Top executives of Nagarjuna Fertilizers, Dr Reddy's Labs, Satyam, AP Industrial Development Corporation, GTN Textiles, SQL Star International, ITC Bhadrachalam, NIIT, Wilco, Oracle, Citicorp, ECOMServer, M2 Technologies, Fortuna Consultants, Sibar, GI Systems, Sanghi Group and Super Gas have either confirmed, or are expected to, confirm participation.<PI><PI>The lectures of Swamiji, say his disciples, are eagerly sought by corporates, because he does not provide adhoc solutions to the time management problem like other gurus. <PI><PI>"He actually delves deep into the problem so that it can be rooted out. Moreover, we are interested in quality, not numbers who attend the seminar. We are aiming at exposing the high-level management to the concept so that it perculates down into the company," says Vinay Kumar.

In fact, his lectures are so much in demand that his diary is apparently planned for the next two years, his disciples say, adding that top executives had in fact tried to gatecrash into his seminars, for example during a seminar held in Pune in June this year, and had to be turned away for the lack of space.

So what exactly does Swamiji say about time management philosophy? According to Swamiji, time management (TM) equals work management, which in turn equals self-management.

"TM involves completing a quantum of work in the available time. In effect, TM means work management, which cannot be accomplished without proper management of your self. Corporates need a technique which deals with the science of servicing work with the available time," he says.

According to him all humanity, including those in corporate world, are suffering from trials and tribulations, worry and anxiety, stress and strain. The emergent need is therefore to attend to the individual and improve his life.

While science develops/improves the world in which they live, Vedanta improves the individual. Unless there is a happy marriage between the individual and the world, there can't be any happiness or peace, he says.

"Vedanta gives the blue print for a perfect action, which must be properly executed in order to be succesful, which is what business executives aim at. Perfect action needs concentration and consistency, which Vedanta spells out," Swamiji adds.

And to study and research such principles extolled in Vedanta, the Vedanta Academy he founded in Pune offers a three-year residential course for people between 16 and 30 years, who have a knowledge of English. The Academy also offers short-term practical courses on practical Vedanta for businessmen, professionals.

Even the disciples of his Academy are much in demand in the corporate world. S A Sreedharan, the son of a Chennai-based well- known businessman, who graduated from the institute, for example, was offered jobs in the top management by several top corporates here.

"Corporates are not looking at people excelling in technical skills for corporate jobs, in fact, they are eager to appoint those who excel in people management, those like us who have understood and applied in practical life the management principles extolled in Vedanta," Sreedharan says.

(For details about the seminar contact (040) 7899801)