Kautilya advises, “Wealth has only three ends – it’s either spent on deserving people or things, misspent on undeserving people and things or just rots away and falls into the hands of others (deserving or undeserving).” Stagnant wealth is of no utility.
Chanakya was not a vengeful person, nor a ruthless and blood thirsty conspirator as it is wrongly believed. He wasn’t even “Prime Minister” of the Mauryan empire under Chandragupta Maurya. He was a wise sage who arduously studied, respected and followed the teachings and wisdom of the Vedas all his life. And the Vedas don’t endorse unwise qualities like vengeance. They are shunned beyond doubt.
At a time when the “best” of political approach seems to be inadequate, it could certainly help to know about the Vedic approach to politics – Rajaneeti, where greater good was achieved by inspiring leaders to, first, better themselves. In today’s world where we’ve only narrow ideas of a “good politician”; Vedic principles offer insights with significant depth. This article by U. Mahesh Prabhu offers fundamentals of Vedic approach to Politics.
Vedic greetings like Namaste, Namaskaram, and Pranam – are a sign of respect shown for all beings – animate, inanimate, and, even idols. These words convey respect and reverence by recognizing and honoring divinity in others. The Rishis encouraged people to see divinity in everything and everywhere. A fundamental reason why Vedic people had no problems respecting articles, institutions or even Gods of any faith.
In the absence of justice, error and evil thrive. Truly, evil only gets worse when those who are righteous resort to revenge and do not insist upon justice. The Ahimsa of Kautilya was based on the idea of Dharma. Ahimsa doesn’t mean you will never hurt anyone – it means you won’t hurt anyone unless they attack you first. It’s a no-first-strike policy. You can resort to retaliation during the war with pre-emptive strikes only if you are sure that the first strike would be brutal or lethal, leaving you no retaliatory capabilities.
In Vedic (or ancient) India, kings and their counsellors were first taught Artha Sutras, which, in very simple terms, explained complex connections between people’s pursuit of happiness, good conduct, the meaning and relevance of well-earned wealth, it’s relativity to governance, and the best suitors to hold key positions in government, and the like. In simple terms, these Sutras, or axioms, explained the connection between economics, politics, and diplomacy. That was also because, unless an individual understands those three subjects, it’s virtually impossible to understand a leader’s role, let alone deliver on it effectively.
Mahantam is Vedic Sanskrit word meaning Greatness. It consists of two words, namely: Maam or Self and Hantam or End. Therefore, Mahantam is also an absence of selfish desires and ego. Not surprisingly, according to Vedic knowledge and wisdom, a selfish person can seldom qualify as Great.
Absolute power, that which Vedic seers like Kautilya, Bhartrihari, and Bhardwaj taught, is that which makes a man brave and fearless. In the presence of fear, there can seldom be any enduring power. In life, all fears must be uprooted before we make a place for power. Whether power is to be used in material or spiritual pursuits, uprooting the fear is the key.
The United States of America has been the undisputed global military and economic superpower ever since the collapse of the United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). Even though the US economy is in debts worth trillions of dollars, its currency, the United States Dollar (USD), continues to remain the most dominant
Long ago, a village in northern India was facing a severe rodent infestation, to counter the menace almost every house purchased cats at attractive prices. However, during the Ganesha Chaturthi – since the mouse (also a rodent) is considered a vehicle of Ganesha – the elders of the village decided
Copyright © Vedic Management Center 2016-2021 | All rights reserved
Take the most affordable, self-paced & completely online course to help you unleash the POWER OF MIND! What's more? It also comes with 4 hours of free counseling session with course creator.
