How to Build, Fix, or Burn It All: What 5,000-Year-Old Gods Taught TikTokers, CEOs, and Soccer Moms
- Aniruddha Mehta
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Aniruddha Mehta
Business Consultant, Music Enthusiast, and Lifelong Learner.
Brahma: The Unseen Architect of Innovation
Vedic Roots:
The Nasadiya Sukta (Rig Veda 10.129) begins with uncertainty: "There was neither existence nor non-existence then..." Brahma, the creator, emerges from this void, embodying the chaos of raw creativity. Yet, Brahma is rarely worshipped—a paradox mirrored in corporate R&D, where innovation is celebrated only in hindsight. In the Shatapatha Brahmana, Brahma’s creation is flawed; he spawns asuras (demons) before devas (gods), symbolizing the trial-and-error of ideation.
Corporate Parallel:
In 1991, when India liberalized its economy, the Tata Group faced a Brahma-like dilemma. Ratan Tata envisioned the Indica—India’s first indigenously developed car. Critics mocked it as a "Tata Nano prototype," but the Indica’s challenges became a crucible for learning. Like Brahma’s cursed creations, Tata’s early missteps in automotive R&D laid the groundwork for the Nexon EV, now India’s top electric SUV. Brahma’s lesson? Creation demands tolerance for imperfection.
Unexplored Dimension:
Brahma’s four heads, often reduced to "multitasking," symbolize the Chaturvarga—four pursuits of life: dharma (ethics), artha (wealth), kama (desire), moksha (liberation). Infosys embodies this: its Ethical AI framework (dharma) balances profit (artha) with employee well-being (kama), aspiring to industry leadership (moksha). Yet, like Brahma, Infosys faces criticism for "ivory tower" strategists disconnected from ground realities.
Vishnu: The Sustainer Who Wears Many Masks
Upanishadic Wisdom:
The Bhagavad Gita (3.20–24) defines Vishnu’s essence: Krishna urges Arjuna to act without attachment, sustaining cosmic order (dharma). Vishnu’s ten avatars, from Matsya (fish) to Kalki (horseman), are not mere stories but metaphors for adaptive leadership. The Kurma Purana describes Vishnu as the tortoise bearing the weight of the universe—a nod to operational resilience.
Corporate Parallel:
In 2016, when demonetization shook India, Anand Mahindra faced a Vishnu moment. His company, Mahindra & Mahindra, pivoted from tractors to cashless financing overnight. Like Vishnu’s Varaha (boar) avatar lifting Earth from chaos, Mahindra’s Trringo app digitized tractor rentals for rural farmers. Yet, Vishnu’s duality bites: the same adaptability trapped Hindustan Unilever in 2020. Its supply chain, praised for sustaining during COVID, struggled to shed legacy distributors—a Kurma (tortoise) burdened by its own shell.
Unexplored Dimension:
Vishnu’s Ananta Shesha—the serpent he rests upon—symbolizes infinite time. ITC’s 100-year journey from Imperial Tobacco to Aashirvaad atta mirrors this. Yet, like Vishnu’s overlooked Balarama avatar (Krishna’s brother), ITC’s silent pivot to sustainability—planting 1 million trees—remains unsung. Vishnu teaches that preservation isn’t static; it’s dynamic equilibrium, as Flipkart shows by balancing Walmart’s global algorithms with local kirana partnerships.
Shiva: The Destroyer Who Dances in Boardrooms
Upanishadic Contradictions:
The Isha Upanishad (Verse 18) warns: "Renounce and enjoy—do not covet others’ wealth." Shiva, as Nataraja, dances in a ring of fire, destroying illusion (maya). But in the Shvetashvatara Upanishad, Shiva is Rudra—the howling storm, feared yet vital for renewal. Modern management worships Shiva’s disruption (layoffs, pivots) but forgets his Ardhanarishvara form—merging masculine logic with feminine empathy.
Corporate Parallel:
In 2020, Reliance Jio’s Mukesh Ambani performed Shiva’s tandava. He demolished debt by selling stakes to Facebook and Google, then rebuilt Reliance as a digital titan. Like Shiva swallowing poison during the Samudra Manthan, Ambani absorbed criticism for monopolistic practices to "save" India’s telecom sector. Yet, Shiva’s third eye—symbolizing foresight—blinds those who misuse it. By 2023, Jio’s predatory pricing eroded competitors like Aircel, mirroring Shiva’s destructive potential when unchecked.
Unexplored Dimension:
Shiva’s Dakshinamurti form—the silent teacher—holds a flame in one hand (destruction) and a book in the other (wisdom). Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw embodies this. She shut down unprofitable drug lines (destruction) but reinvested in mRNA vaccines (creation), guided by the "book" of ethical biotech. Contrast this with Byju’s—Shiva without wisdom—whose aggressive acquisitions (WhiteHat Jr, Aakash) burned $22 billion in valuation.
The Cosmic Dance: When Trinity Collides
Mythological Synthesis:
The Devi Bhagavata Purana recounts a cosmic debate: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva argue over supremacy. The goddess intervenes, revealing they’re facets of one truth. Similarly, India’s corporate titans thrive when the trinity coexists.
Case Study: Amul’s Eternal Cycle
Brahma: Verghese Kurien’s 1948 experiment—turning buffalo milk into cheese—was ridiculed as "Brahma’s folly."
Vishnu: Amul’s cooperative model (3.6 million farmers) became Vishnu’s chakra—sustaining rural India.
Shiva: In 2021, Amul killed its 50-year-old mascot campaign to launch NFTs—a controversial but necessary rebirth.
Vedic Echo: The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (1.4.10) states: "From the unreal, lead me to the real." Amul’s journey—from unrealized milk ponds to real global dairy dominance—mirrors this.
The Shadow Trinity: When Gods Stumble
Brahma’s Arrogance: Kingfisher Airlines’ Vijay Mallya, like Brahma, dreamed of "flying palaces." His unchecked creation (fleet expansion) ignored Vishnu’s sustenance (cash flow) and Shiva’s pruning (debt management). The result? Collapse.
Vishnu’s Complacency: Nokia’s Chennai plant was once India’s Vishnu—employing 8,000 and dominating mobile markets. But clinging to Symbian OS (over-preservation) let Shiva (Apple/Android) destroy its empire.
Shiva’s Ruthlessness: Patanjali’s Baba Ramdev, the yogi-Shiva, disrupted FMCG giants but faltered when his "herbal" claims faced regulatory poison—a lesson in unwise destruction.
Conclusion: The Eternal Wheel
The Vedas and Upanishads offer no "best practices"—only cycles. Brahma’s ideas must burn in Shiva’s fire to be refined by Vishnu’s chakra. Indian companies like Tata, Amul, and Mahindra succeed not by idolizing one god but by dancing with all three.
As the Mundaka Upanishad (3.1.7) whispers: "Know that creation and destruction are but a game—the wise play without attachment." In boardrooms and factory floors, this is the ultimate yagna (sacrifice)—balancing creation, sustenance, and destruction to fuel the eternal wheel of dharma.
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