President of HUA Kalyan Viswanathan gave a presentation that punctuated Saturday’s program, Director of Outreach Ankur Patel spoke on a panel on youth engagement during the day, Dr. Madhu Sharma presented on her continuing work on Hindu Chaplaincy, while many students, faculty, and friends of HUA attended and participated, including Chairman of the Board Dr. Jashvant Patel.

From September 29th to October 1st, the Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference featured a range of Hindu leaders addressing many issues, challenges, and opportunities. Pointedly, the last session of the conference was the inauguration of Hindu Heritage Month.

The HMEC has become a key opportunity for mandirs across North America to come together and share best practices, strategies, and concerns. An initiative of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, the rebranded Hindu Mandir Empowerment Council is an important and overdue step in the Hindu movement. Spearheaded by Smt. Tejal Shah, many prominent members of the Hindu community eloquently presented on a wide range of topics.

Over 500 mandirs from across North America have participated in this rotating conference with 51 mandirs actively participating in this year’s HMEC.

President of HUA, Shri Kalyan Viswanathan gave a poignant and persuasive presentation on Saturday morning that left participants aware of the important mission and recognizing the purpose of Hindu University of America. “There is no doubt that HUA has acquired more mind space in the HMEC”, Kalyanji.

The conference provided HUA an opportunity to share information about our many initiatives aimed at engaging and synergistically working with the robust network of temples and mandirs across America. Some of the specific initiatives that gained traction include the Hindu Living initiative, the Bhagavad Gita Pariksha, Study Retreats at our Pine Lake Campus in Florida, and our wide range of courses and programs. 

HUA looks forward to taking our engagement with HMEC to the next level with brand new courses and a program soon to be announced! Meanwhile, HUA will continue to support and partner with mandirs across the continents on a range of initiatives, in person classes, lectures, or unique locally driven initiatives to restore, steward, and serve the Hindu community.

[From HMEC] About the event

Rebranded last year, the Hindu Mandir Empowerment Council is the largest annual conference for all the mandir stakeholders, including past and present executives, community leaders, volunteers, teachers of balvihar, and those engaged in various seva activities through temples. It brings together scholars from Mandirs, Gurudwaras, Ashrams, Derasars, and Hindu organizations in North America and the Caribbean to network, collaborate, and share best practices.

2024 Conference Theme: Hindu Diaspora: Deepening Their Sanatan Dharma Roots

Sanatan Dharma’s influence transcends spiritual traditions, intricately weaving itself into the social and cultural fabric of native civilization. The timeless wisdom of the Vedas and other shastras, including the Itihasa, Ramayan, and Mahabharat, continues to inspire and guide billions, upholding the principles of dharma encompassing justice and morality.

Hindus worldwide enrich the tapestry of the global spiritual, social, and cultural milieu through their lives and by respecting and honoring ancient traditions in their adopted lands. To fully understand the essence of Dharma and Hindu Thought, one must explore its core, its roots, stems, leaves, and flowers in depth. Practice it, realize it, and stay connected to Bharat.

Agenda includes:

• Webinars on temple safety and security
• Educational webinars in partnership with the Hindu University of America
• Building positive narratives on Hindu symbols like Swastika
• Helping temples when faced with Hinduphobic attacks

Some of the recent HMEC activities

• Publication of books on Hindu rituals and practices
• Alerts and webinars on temple safety and security
• Educational webinars in partnership with the Hindu University of America
• Helping temples when faced with Hinduphobic attacks
• Building positive narratives on Hindu symbols like Swastika

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Is the Bhagavad Gita solely a manual for spiritual living? Are the Upanishads and other scriptures just esoteric readings? Can we derive leadership principles from Hindu scriptures to teach and guide us in our everyday corporate or professional lives? In an increasingly complex world faced with maniacal “celebrity” superstar promoters at one end of the employment spectrum to “quietly quitting” colleagues/team members at the other end, can we draw upon the sagacious wisdom contained in our ancient scriptures to help us operate and function optimally in the business world? In addition to our carefully developed resources of intelligence quotient (IQ) and emotional quotient (EQ), can we also build upon our “consciousness” quotient (CQ)?

Leadership Principles From Hindu Scriptures

A Personal Dilemma 

As a finance professional working in corporate India, I have personally reflected on methods—empathetic but still effective—to garner the enthusiasm and support of my team members during trying business times. At other moments, I have been anxiously searching for answers to persuade peers in management to align with wider corporate goals that are sustainable in the long run in contrast to narrow short-term departmental goals.

A leader is influenced by the culture he or she is born in; the nuances of his or her culture will shape the leadership role and style. Rather than blindly copying an aggressive Western management style, I constantly wondered if there was an alternative approach to leadership—one that was more rooted in the Hindu culture. 

In my intrepid search, I was delighted to read a scholarly document authored by Shriram Sarvotham from the study material shared by the HUA in the course “Orientation to Hindu Studies.” This enlightening essay is sourced from the book whose title says it succinctly: “Inclusive Leadership – Perspectives from Tradition and Modernity”.

Shriram Sarvotham states that Yogic wisdom from authoritative yoga texts enunciates systematic methods to cultivate fundamental leadership attributes. His specific references to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the Upanishads inspire wonder at the deep levels of practical wisdom that abound in the Hindu culture.

The author starts with the premise that the fundamental trait of a leader is his or her ability to influence people in their thoughts, words, and actions. The leader’s persuasive power inspires people to take action towards the chosen ideals, goals, and objectives. The art of persuasion has three distinct attributes namely, satyam (appeal to one’s credibility), yukti (appeal to the intellect) and karuna (appeal to the emotions). In the Indian tradition, Yogic wisdom from authoritative yoga texts such as Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras enunciates systematic methods to cultivate these triune attributes of satyam, yukti, and karuna.

Satyam: the inner work

Satyam is the power that comes from personal ethics and the pursuit of excellence. Satyam provides credibility to the leader and creates an aura of powerful presence. The words of one who has cultivated satyam carry enormous weight. They have the power to deeply influence people.

Maharishi Patanjali states:
सत्यप्रतिष्ठायां क्रियाफलाश्रयत्वम् ॥
satya pratiṣṭhāyāṃ kriyā phalāśrayatvam
For one who is established in truth, their vision becomes manifest
(Yoga Sutra, 2.36)

“Speak Truth to Power” is an oft-repeated quote—a maxim that resonated deeply within me. As the financial head of an organization, I internalized this maxim—particularly when reporting financial details and results to shareholders and stakeholders.

The author expands on the meaning of satyam as being much more than speaking truthfully; it refers to the core ethical value of integrity. A leader can claim to be true to their ideals only by integrating them into their own lives and by living them. In addition to gaining the power to manifest a vision as stated by Patanjali, living a life of satyam accrues credibility. Others trust the words and actions of the leader once the credibility is firmly established.

In short, living the highest, most excellent version of oneself builds satyam.

Yukti: clarity of perception and expression

Yukti is the appeal to logic. Yukti builds a cogent, coherent, and clear flow of ideas that convince the intellect. Before articulating these ideas to others, a leader must convince himself or herself first. In the Yoga Sutras, Maharishi Patanjali provides the analogy of a flawless crystal (abhijātasyeva mani [Yoga Sutra, 1.41])—as a metaphor to depict the state of mind of a yogi.

The author states that oftentimes, the intellect is muddied and dulled by laziness or even stupor. One can think of this as a veil of darkness that envelops the brilliance of the intellect, thereby eclipsing it. This darkness, termed tamas in yoga, is like the dark smoke that clouds the inner light from shining forth.

A well-known mantra from the Upanishads states:
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
tamaso mā jyotirgamaya
Lead me from darkness to light
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad; Nikhilananda trans.).

Yoga practices provide many methods to clear the tamas and allow the inner light of the intellect to shine forth. Patanjali says:
ततः क्षीयते प्रकाशावरणम् ॥
tataḥ kṣīyate prakāsha avaraṇam
Pranayama removes the dark covering of avaranas [tamas] and allows the inner light to shine forth
(Yoga Sutra, 2.52)

As tamas is lifted and clarity dawns, the leader invokes the tremendous power of the intellect. He is able to use this power to prove the truth of his ideas and convince others of the same.

Karuna: the heart-to-heart connection

Whereas yukti provides a dispassionate appeal to the intellect, karuna ignites passion by connecting with the heart. Unless we touch the other’s heart, we cannot win their full support. A leader provides a space of harmony in which others are made to feel valued and appreciated.

The author states that the first step towards connecting with people at this deeper level is to respect them. According to yoga, respecting another is achieved by acknowledging and honoring the divine presence in them. The Bhagavad Gita states:
ईश्वरः सर्व-भूतानां हृद्-देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति ।
īśvaraḥ sarva bhūtānām hṛd deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati
The divine resides in the heart of all beings
(BG 18.61)

When we acknowledge this divine presence in another, we elevate them in our eyes and see them as the precious beings that they are. We value them. Furthermore, a leader does not see another being as inferior. Each one is a divine being who is respected and appreciated, and whose contribution is valued.

In addition to the three factors related to influencing capabilities of an individual, Patanjali offers the following remarkable wisdom, which reveals a profound method for connecting with others:
मैत्रीकरुणामुदितोपेक्षाणां सुखदुःखपुण्यापुण्यविषयाणां भावनातश्चित्तप्रसादनम् ॥
maitrī karuṇa mudita upekṣāṇāṃ
sukha duḥkha puṇya apuṇya viṣayāṇāṃ
bhāvanātaḥ citta prasādanam
Be friendly to those who are happy; be compassionate to those who are sad, appreciate those who are doing good work, and overlook the mistakes of others
(Yoga Sutra, 1.33)

Using these four bhāvanas (ways to connect) for the four types of people, as enunciated by Patanjali, the leader always remains connected with others and evokes their full potential.

Summary

The three virtues of inspirational leadership—namely, satyam, yukti and karuna—make the leader highly influential. Satyam builds the power of credibility of the leader by using the principles of ethics and excellence. Yukti express the scientific and intellectual side of the leader that helps him or her appeal to other’s intellect. Karuna awakens the artistic and compassionate side of the leader, by which he or she sees beauty in others and values them. As in all powerful combinations, the coming together of satyam, yukti, and karuna creates great synergy: the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. In other words, the leader who embodies all three virtues has extraordinary power to influence others and potentially transform the world. The wisdom and practices contained in the classic yoga scriptures such as the Patanjali Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita provide valuable tools to cultivate satyam, yukti, and karuna.

This brilliant exposition by Dr. Shriram Sarvotham has provoked active interaction with my immediate team members. We have expanded the dialog by researching further writings on the theme “Leadership Principles from Hindu Scriptures.”

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