People’s Padma: A Chord from Mahabharat

(This series unravels the dharmic dialogue between Narad Muni and Raja Yudhishthir in the Sabha Parva of Mahabharat. Part XX saw how a good leader takes care of the needs of the troops; Part XXI follows.) Narada Muni previously asked Raja Yudhishthira if he was paying his soldiers on time, ensuring that their families received rations on time and that their pay was commensurate with their expertise. It was following the age-old norm of taking care of the troops so that they would take care of the assignment, without any burden on their heads and hearts. The sage delivers the message point blank when he asks, ‘Are you aware that the misery caused by the arrears of pay and the irregularity of the issue of rations creates mutiny amongst the soldiers? The learned men call it the greatest of all mischief.’ There are enough instances from the nineteenth century, where soldiers from colonies such as India openly revolted against colonial powers such as the British for meddling with their pay and allowances.Narada then goes on to ask the king if he’s sure that the military chief is someone who has his senses under control. He can’t be someone who rules ‘at pleasure’. This was a clear indication that the leader must be someone dedicated to the altar of the kingdom and looking at his job more than a means to fulfil his desires. If this was not the case, the leader could be a person who is easily compromised. A corruptible person at the helm of things is a sure shot way to ruin any operation.Next, Narada Muni goes on to ask, ‘Does a man who shows exceptional merit in an act get an increase of rations and pay?’ Isn’t this true of all our corporate setups as well? During the mid-year and annual appraisal cycles, every employee expects to be paid surmount to their contributions to the organisation. The management is also likely to prefer and recommend a higher bonus or increment to the exceptional contributors only. Despite the economy changing from a socialist to a capitalist or a libertarian nature, human nature does not change. Everyone expects to be compensated equivalent to their efforts. When exceptional acts are not incentivised, it gives no motivation for individuals to innovate or excel.The highlight of this discourse is not just its applications in the military. Narada Muni explicitly mentions that the king should also bestow wealth and proper honours on persons of learning and humility, and on those who are skilled in every kind of knowledge. In recent times, something that comes to mind as an immediate example are the Padma awards given in India. The highest civilian awards in India are Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri—in that order. For the past several decades, these awards were typically bestowed on exceptionally talented persons, be it in arts, science, literature or sports. Recently, the Government of India has also included social service in the categories..It is because of the ‘People’s Padma’ that we now know of exceptional Indians like Tulsi Gowda, an environmentalist hailing from the Hakkali tribe of Karnataka who planted more than 30,000 saplings or of Nanda Prusty, a centenarian school teacher from Odisha, who has been teaching students free of cost for decades.While we have seen these ‘lesser known’ Indians take centre stage, as Narada Muni pointed out, we could also see how they are truly symbols of learning and humility. Consider Narthaki Natraj, a transgender Bharatanatyam artiste who rose to the top despite all odds. Out of sheer habit, she ‘blessed’ the President while receiving the award. So did Swami Sivananda and Saalumarada Thimmakka, both centenarians who placed their hands lovingly over the ‘Head’ of the country, quite literally. Their lack of exposure to the worldly protocols didn’t matter to anyone. It was both their expertise in their chosen fields, and their humbling life stories which touched us all. No wonder Narada was prescient enough to tell Yudhishthira that people from all backgrounds have to be recognised for their contributions, learning and humility.