Old text, modern relevance
Reviewed by Madan Mohan Goel

Anu-Gita In The Mahabharata
by Satya P. Agarwal & Urmila Agarwal.
New Age Books. Pages 161. Rs 250

Anu-Gita is a little known part of the Mahabharata. It occurs towards the end of the great epic. After the Mahabharata war, when peace ensued, Lord Krishna told Arjuna that he would like to go to Dwarka. Arjuna replied, "Before you go, please teach me the Gita once more, because I have forgotten a large part of what you taught me in the battlefield of Kurukshetra." Krishna's this lesson to Arjuna is called Anu-Gita. The prefix Anu means after. To carryout studies for business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) by professionals in corporate world and to internationalise Indianisation, Anu Gita is the primary source of information in English.

Anu-Gita elaborates on a few important ideas of the Gita, which were very important but were summed up in just one shloka. Lord Krishna, while telling about karmayoga, said that Janaka was the ideal karmayogi, who practiced the most important message of lokasamgraha that is the message of "good-of-all". Anu-Gita devotes a full chapter to Janaka, telling a story that dharma-raj himself tested the greatness of Janaka and then declared that Janaka has passed the test.

Anu-Gita credits Janaka's wife for his greatness. The chapter on Janaka's wife makes Anu-Gita a unique scripture. In modern times, this chapter is relevant to those who are engaged in doing social service. Janaka's wife says that all human beings owe a debt to society, because it is with the help of the society (which includes parents, teachers, doctors, and other service-providing members of the society) that all of us become capable to play our role in life. Therefore, says Janaka's wife, social service must be viewed as essentially a repayment of debt to society.

Another great idea of the Gita, which is elaborated in Anu-Gita, is called paraspara-bhava, 'which literally means 'mutual cooperation and support'. The Gita has only one shloka, which says that paraspara-bhava leads to the good of the individual as well as the good of the society. Anu-Gita devotes one full chapter to paraspara-bhava. In this chapter, a story is told where five entities (which are five aspects of the same thing, life), adopt a competitive attitude, each one claiming that it is the greatest. After failing to settle the dispute among themselves, they leave the decision to be taken by Brahma. Brahma says "All of you are equally great, but none of you is greater than the others. Each of you is great in one's own sphere, and the greatness of each also depends upon the support received from others. Therefore, I strongly advise you — be friends and help one another. In this way, you will achieve good-of-all (Lokasamgraha)."

Anu-Gita provides valuable insights to decision makers in organisations who face formidable problems in today’s dynamic environment. It is useful to mangers and business leaders. It is a must read for practitioners and academicians interested in the broad field of human values, harmonious living and social development.

An enlightened life helps in developing skills, values, wisdom and vision to align and harmonise various economic sectors of the society. Anu-Gita is useful to all those who are interested in leading and are driven by ambitious goals and nobler objectives in life.

HOME