The God Who Still Knows Our Battles

The Gita offers more than Krishna’s birth story. Arjuna’s crisis mirrors our own struggles with difficult choices, ambition, fear, failure and uncertainty.

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Put Krishna in a boardroom and the Gita sounds like a leadership manual. Dr M. Prabhakar Rao, chairman of NSL Group and managing director of NSL Seeds, sees its relevance in decisions where there is no painless option. “Don’t ask only, ‘What decision makes me comfortable?’ Ask, ‘What is the right thing for me, in my role, to do?’”

For Rao, dharma means balancing shareholders, employees, customers, society and the institution, not chasing short-term profit. “Maximum effort, rigorous strategy and minimum ego attachment to outcome.”

His leadership philosophy is equally clear, “stewardship, not possession” and power “a responsibility, not an entitlement.” The real test is to separate personal worth from performance.

When the battle is inside your head

Rajyogi Brahma Kumar Nikunjji sees Arjuna’s crisis as a battle for clarity.“Arjuna’s dilemma was not really about war, but clarity of mind. The real challenge is not knowing what is right, but having the courage to act on it. Anger, fear and attachment cloud judgement. True clarity comes from a quieter, steadier awareness of the self.” And Krishna did not make the choice for him. “Krishna never simply ordered Arjuna to fight. He gave him knowledge and perspective, helped him see beyond his emotions, and then left the choice to him. That is not obedience, but conscious action.”

For Nikunjji, dharma comes down to one question, “Dharma is not simply duty or doing what is expected of us. It is recognising what is right and having the courage to act on it. The mind says, ‘Do what makes you happy.’ Ambition says, ‘Do what makes you successful.’ Fear says, ‘Do what keeps you safe.’ Dharma asks a quieter question, ‘What is right?’”

Why Krishna still matters in the age of AI

For Bhoomi Nathwani, executive producer of Rajadhiraaj, technology may have changed the landscape, but not the human anxieties within it. The stage musical celebrates the life, stories and teachings of Shri Krishna. “Fear of failure, too many choices, feeling overwhelmed and wondering what to do with one’s life were not invented by the digital age. We simply have newer screens on which to experience them.”

She says, “Focus on preparation, discipline, effort and integrity rather than allowing the final result to dictate your emotional state. The world has become faster. The human heart has not.”

The God who still knows our battles

Do your duty, leave the rest to God

For TG Bharath, Minister for Industries, Commerce and Food Processing, Andhra Pradesh, the Bhagavad Gita speaks directly to public life. “Politics can sometimes feel like Arjuna’s battlefield. There are decisions, expectations, criticism and uncertainty. You may do everything sincerely, but you cannot control the outcome.” Before a major decision, he turns to a simple test, “Am I doing what I genuinely believe is right for the people? Once convinced, I give it my complete effort and leave the outcome to God.” His faith finds expression in Go Seva. Bharath supports Gayatri Goseva Samithi, which cares for more than 1,250 cows. “Whenever I leave home, especially for an important journey, I pray to Gomatha and seek her blessings. For me, it is not a ritual. It is faith.”

He credits Sri Brahmasri Chaganti Koteswara Rao guru garu for shaping his understanding of dharma and seva. “Go Seva gives me peace, my Guru gives me direction, and the Gita gives me strength to do my duty without being consumed by success or failure.”

Don’t play to defend the crown

For badminton champion Saina Nehwal, being world No. 1 meant carrying the pressure of expectation while every opponent had “everything to gain and nothing to lose.” “I focus on the shuttle, not the trophy. I shrink my world to the next serve. I can’t control the final score, but I can control where my eyes look and how my feet move.”

She also learned to separate achievement from identity. “World No. 1 is just a title. It’s what I do, not who I am.” Loss, she says, should become a lesson, not a disaster: study the match, identify the weakness, fix it in training and move on. “To stay at the top, you can’t play to defend a title. You have to love training, give your full effort and be ready to fight whatever challenge comes your way.”

Focus on the journey

Namratha Mohan, popularly known as The Temple Girl, sees Krishna’s message in the pressure to constantly measure ourselves against others. The Gita, she says, reminds us that we control our effort, intentions and actions, not the final result. Its lesson is not to abandon ambition, but to stop making achievement the measure of our worth. Do the work. Give it your best. Then move forward.

Krishna doesn’t give easy answers

Entrepreneurs Ritu and Romit Shah, founders of Raag Rang Raas, believe the Gita is less about giving answers and more about changing how we ask questions. “We want answers. Krishna gives us better questions.” For them, its power lies in helping people understand themselves before making difficult choices. “Good guidance is not always about telling people what decision to make. Sometimes it is about helping people understand themselves well enough to make the decision consciously.” Their Krishna is not distant or merely divine, but deeply practical. “Krishna is not merely someone to worship, but a guide for living with love, courage and joy amid chaos.”